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The Adventure at Baskerville Hall & Other Cases

The Adventure at Baskerville Hall & Other Cases

Titel: The Adventure at Baskerville Hall & Other Cases
Autoren: Kate Lear
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have any reasonable excuse for continuing to watch them, save perhaps the complete and stupefying shock that rooted me to the spot. Holmes had never shown the slightest interest in any of the women who presented themselves in our sitting-room once they ceased to be the centre of whatever problem they brought to him. Yet neither had he ever shown a warmer interest in any of the young men, and I could confirm that there had been several rather attractive examples of that gender adorning our settee over the years. I had fallen into the trap of thinking of him as an asexual being, a mere reasoning machine without any of the human capacity for love or desire, and I was now being shown the depth of my error in no little detail.
    Jonathon's face was buried in Holmes's neck, his hands caressing him beneath his overcoat, and I could tell from the angle at which Holmes's arm disappeared between their bodies and the rhythm of his movements precisely what act they were engaged in. It was clearly something they had done before, there was no hesitation or uncertainty in Holmes's behaviour and it was a remarkably brief time before Jonathon was shuddering violently and Holmes's arm was tightening around his shoulders, keeping them both upright.
    A bare half a minute later, Jonathon lifted his head from Holmes's shoulder and kissed him slowly and sensually. Reaching behind him, he brushed snow off a bench by the wall and pushed my friend down to sit upon it. A wicked smile on his face, Holmes spread his legs lazily as Jonathon sank to his knees before him and worked at his belt buckle. Holmes twined his long fingers into the thick, dark hair in front of him and closed his eyes as Jonathon finally freed him from his trousers and lowered his head.
    By this point some semblance of common decency had returned to me, and I was horrified at myself. It was no great struggle to turn my face away – I had long desired to see a look of naked passion on Holmes's features but it had always been my wish to be the one causing it. I had never wanted to see it directed at another, and the sight brought me no pleasure. My cheeks burning, I listened helplessly to the frantic breathing just yards away from me, and when Holmes finally let out a quickly-muffled cry, my own body jerked in response.
    All was silent for some minutes, and when I next dared to look they were once again standing close together, their clothing orderly and with no apparent sign of their recent actions save the images branded into my memory.
    "So it is to be tonight, then." Jonathon said quietly.
    "Yes. But please believe me, I mean him no harm, I only wish to destroy his papers and render him powerless."
    Jonathon laughed humourlessly as he replied, "Escott, you may murder him and the devil take him, and I would not say one word against you. I have been in this serpent's employ for years now, and once his hold over me is destroyed I shall be free to make my own way in the world. I have a gentleman's education, and if I cannot survive on that in this world, then I do not deserve to."
    "If you should need any assistance, or if you should encounter any difficulties after tonight, leave a message at this address for Mr. Brookes."
    Holmes had taken a stub of pencil and paper from his pocket and was scribbling quickly. He held it out to the other man, and shoved it into his hands insistently when Jonathon tried to refuse.
    "Dammit, I don't want your charity, man–"
    "Take it! You know I shall not be returning here, and you will be unable to contact me any other way, should you need to. I think you have guessed by now that you could search indefinitely and not find any invert plumbers called Escott in London."
    Jonathon gave a soft laugh as he took the paper.
    "Well, I will admit that I suspected as much," he replied. "Very well. Now listen, at this hour he has usually retired to his bedchamber, he may even be abed by now. If so, then have no fear that you will rouse him, he is almost impossible to awaken."
    They clasped hands like old comrades.
    "I think I shall not see you again," Jonathon said, and I thought I heard just the smallest trace of regret in his tone.
    "Not unless you call for my assistance, and I beg you not to hesitate if it should prove necessary."
    "Then good luck to you, Escott, and Godspeed."
    With no further exchange, they parted. I was left breathless and shaken, and struggling to assimilate the new and most unexpected information I had just gleaned regarding
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