Entry 34

It took no longer than two hours for us to arrive at the bustling Bilbao Airport.

"The Museum is only a fifteen-minute drive from here," Miriam mentioned, a bright smile on her face. "The hotel is not much further, at around twenty minutes. Super convenient, wouldn't you say?"

After retrieving our luggage from the baggage claim, and Mr Hudson insisting that he would assist Miriam with her belongings in vain, our group exited the airport.

We waited for cabs to pull up to the curb and split into two groups with Miriam, Mr Hudson, and Walker in one and Shirleigh, Stjerne, and me in another.

Shirleigh had wanted some of The Irregulars to join us on our trip, should we need them. Apparently, Walker was born in the Basque Country, so they would be able to help us around. Shirleigh told me that it was more for Miriam's sake, as she tends to get lost, which I found rather ironic considering all of the travelling she has to do. Stjerne volunteered to come with us as well; the others stayed behind in London to continue their routine covert surveillance.

It wasn't long before a castle emerged along the horizon. A staircase led up to the front doors, which were accessed through an archway. The bricks of the building were weathered, but the outside was in wonderful condition for how old I believed the structure to be. A manicured lawn lay beside a neatly paved brick road. A large palm tree stood tall beside the castle, as if keeping watch. Behind it all, a river transformed into a large body of water that stretched far and wide.

Our cab driver pulled up to the façade of the exquisite building, stopping in front of the steps. I suppose I must have looked a bit confused, for Shirleigh explained it to me.

"This is the hotel we will be staying at," she told me. "Palacio de Oriol."

"This is the hotel?" I exclaimed, leaning out my window. "Why, it's a château!"

"It is a palace," Stjerne chuckled.

We emerged from the vehicle and retrieved our belongings from the trunk. Miriam's group joined us on the steps, double-checking—Miriam triple-checking—that we had gathered everything from the cabs before they drove off.

We entered through the large iron door, the interior just as majestic as the exterior. We were greeted with recently polished marble floors and a large oak staircase that climbed several feet before turning to continue its ascension.

We were split into our rooms, Miriam and Mr Hudson each in their own, Walker and Stjerne would share a space, and Shirleigh and I would do the same. All of our rooms were on the same floor, with our room—mine and Shirleigh's—directly next door to Miriam's. Mr Hudson's, as well as Walker's and Stjerne's rooms, were across the hall.

Our room comfortably fit two beds of decent size. A large, wooden cabinet was pressed against the Western wall, a television fitted within. The windows along the Northern wall stretched as far as the ceiling and the other walls would permit it, allowing plenty of sunlight to flood into the room. Outside these windows was a terrace that overlooked the body of water behind the building, the water's surface sparkling beneath the evening Sun.

I had stepped outside, revelling in the twilight for just a moment.

Some peace. I thought to myself. Some much-needed peace.

🙤♔🙦

"Do you mind if I join you?"

I turned to find my companion, half-leaning out of the sliding glass door, her attention fixed on me. The morning sun warmed her skin, her eyes sparkling. I had situated myself at the table on the terrace after having put away all of my belongings.

"Of course not!" I answered, gesturing toward the chair across from me. "Please."

"My sister has really outdone herself this time," Shirleigh said aloud.

"I suppose I was wrong."

"Hm?"

"About not understanding the concept of love," she said. "I do love someone. I love my sister more than anything in this life. I am incredibly proud of her."

I smiled, watching as her eyes shone when she spoke about Miriam.

"Yoohoo!"

We both turned our attention to the neighbouring terrace, where Miriam waved her hand high up in the air.

"Dinner is getting ready to start in the dining hall," she called to us. "Would you two like to meet up downstairs?"

I smiled, and Shirleigh gave a curt nod. Miriam jovially clapped her hands together, her face beaming with joy. She turned and disappeared back into her room.

"I am so full of boundless energy!" Miriam sat across from her sister.

"You must be," I said, admiring her enthusiasm. "It is an immense honour, the one being bestowed upon you."

"Oh, it is less about the award itself and more about spending time with the ones I care about most." She smiled down at the food before her, a more melancholic countenance taking hold. "It has been so long since I have been able to spend proper time with Shirleigh. I am sorry I have been so absent, Love." Miriam looked up at her sister. "But I want you to know that everything I do, I do for you."

"Your work in public relations keeps you rather busy, no doubt," I mentioned.

"Yeah..."

It may have been my imagination, but a somewhat pained expression flickered across Miriam's soft features, which was instantly replaced with her usual cheerfulness.

"I heard that you two solved another case just yesterday! It seems you have a knack for this kind of thing, Junie."

"Oh, I'm afraid I don't provide much when it comes to the investigations," I told her, a wee bit embarrassed. "If anything, I like to watch in hopes that I may learn some things from how Shirleigh conducts examinations and how she forms her deductions. I can't say that I have picked up on any of it, yet."

"Watson has been a great aid to me when it comes to reaching conclusions in cases," Shirleigh suddenly said. "She may not realise it, but more than once has she provided crucial information to bring mysteries to a close. She especially excels in areas where I may lack the necessary knowledge."

Miriam hummed, much like how her sister did. She once again gazed upon her plate. "I would be lying if I said that it didn't worry me. This crime-fighting affair you have picked up. I mean, you've been injured quite a bit already. Both of you."

Miriam was right about our injuries. They were not simple ones, either. I thought back to the time when Shirleigh had been slashed by the Whitechapel Murderer and the time when she refused to go to a hospital after having been shot in the arm, trusting me with the wound instead. Or that night when Moriarty tore into her neck with her bare teeth. It was then that a thought dawned on me, and it honestly feels quite silly writing about it now, but I suddenly grew quite anxious. Moriarty had been a true vampire; there was no other explanation. That being said, if her victims were left alive, would they be turned into one of her kind?

"Is everything alright, love?"

Miriam's voice snatched me out of a daze. I hadn't realised that I had been staring at Shirleigh for some time until she mentioned it.

"Oh, um, I'm fine," I told her, failing to sound confident.  "I just...um..."

"I am not going to turn into a vampire," Shirleigh said, incredibly nonchalant.

"Huh?" Miriam looked at her sister, a confused smile on her face.

"Watson suddenly grew concerned that I might become a vampire after I was bitten by one."

"Oh...the Moriarty incident..." A saddened look overcame Miriam's features before she leapt up from her seat. "Wait, she bit you?! Let me see!"

Miriam reached over the table, clawing at her sister's collar as Shirleigh remained just out of reach.

"Miss Holmes," Mr Hudson placed a hand on Miriam's shoulder. "There are others watching."

"I don't care! I want to see!"

Just as Miriam was readying herself to climb atop the table, she froze. She whipped around to look at Mr Hudson, who was doing his utmost to calm her nerves.

"Wait a second..." she said, slowly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

It would seem that Mr Hudson had become her new target as she began to throw words at him, and though she was upset, she still kept that elegant air about her. Even her finger jabs were graceful.

I found myself revelling in the whole affair. Being in a new country, staying in a grand hotel, eating dinner with friends.

"Oh, I was able to find a great team of beekeepers after I received those nucleus hives," Miriam turned back to her sister. "There were certainly quite a few, but they are being looked after and properly cared for near Victoria's Palace's Baker Street location."

Shirleigh was silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you."

"There are other locations?" I inquired. "Of Victoria's Palace?"

"Oh, yeah. The Palace has been a lifelong dream of mine," Miriam told me. "I wanted it to be a sort of refuge for those struggling on the streets of London. One location would most certainly not be enough, unfortunately. Therefore, I have been working to expand the Palace's reach throughout Greater London."

"That is quite a feat," said I, gazing into my glass. "It's no wonder you are being honoured with such a prestigious award. You truly are an inspiration."

"I could say the same thing about you."

"Hm?"

"It takes a special kind of person to go into the nursing field. You have proven many times that you are such a person. You have also helped my sister in her times of need. I am truly grateful. You must let me repay you somehow." She paused, and I opened my mouth to say something, but she began speaking again. "And before you say 'it's nothing' or 'I'm just doing what I love', that proves my entire point. I shall think of a way to repay you on your behalf."

🙤♔🙦

"I noticed that you brought your violin," I said. "Are you going to play at the ceremony?"

"She insisted that I do."

Shirleigh lifted the violin from its case, handling it with the utmost care. Not only did I realise that it was still missing its left-most string, but the instrument bore signs of age and much use. One could tell that the wood was once well-polished, its lacklustre shine only present in the lamplight. Multiple scratches decorated the body of the violin, and there were small gashes near the rib and purfling around the perimeter.

"Would you ever replace it?" I asked, my eyes still lingering on the elegant instrument. It occurred to me that there may be parallels between it and Shirleigh herself. "It looks rather beat up."

Shirleigh shook her head, gazing upon the violin in her hands. I watched as her fingers curled around the neck, her brows furrowing.

"This was my mother's violin," she told me, her voice low. "I believe it was the last gift she gave me before..." she trailed off, a strained look on her face as though she were trying to remember something, but the memory was just out of reach. "I could never bring myself to replace it."

I desperately wanted to inquire more about her mother. I desperately wanted to know more about the person who raised Shirleigh and Miriam and what their family was like. What was their childhood like? Their father? Where did Mr Hudson fit into their story? But I could hear the words Miriam told me during our first encounter echoing in my mind.

Do not inquire about our parents. In fact, if at all possible, it would probably be best if you avoid mentioning them at all.

"I am looking forward to hearing you play," was all I said instead.

She nodded, but it felt somewhat distant...