Award-winning Author, Liese Sherwood-Fabre, launches the
pre-order for Case Two of The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes with a
special eBook price through May 8!
The Adventure of the Murdered Gypsy
EXCERPT:
Mother pivoted, swung her foot, and hit her opponent
squarely on the jaw. The man landed on his back against the wooden floorboards
with enough force to send tremors through the soles of my feet.
Mr. Moto raised himself onto one elbow and rubbed the side
of his face with his other hand. “Very good.”
Mother extended her hand to our baritsu instructor, but he
waved it away. “I’m quite amazed,” she said, “at the freedom of movement these
Turkish trousers allow.”
I couldn’t argue with her statement. The blousy coverings
permitted full use of her legs—something her skirts had never done. At the same
time, I found them rather unsettling. Until she had introduced the garment for
our lessons, I had not seen her lower extremities, and certainly not in motion.
I also couldn’t help but wonder what our instructor thought of her visible,
albeit covered, limbs.
On the other hand, both he and I bared most of our legs. The
traditional baritsu costume, or gi, consisted of a loose, long-sleeved white
tunic that all but covered a pair of very short pants.
When he rose to his feet, I was struck again by our
instructor’s diminutive size. He matched my mother closely in height and
weight, but I had learned at our first lesson his stature did not indicate his
strength when it came to defending himself.
Of course, my mother was rather tall compared to many women
in our village. Slim and dark-haired, I was told repeatedly how much I
resembled her.
“Your turn, Master Sherlock.”
By this time, I’d gotten used to his accent and enjoyed how
he pronounced my name, roughening the l almost into an r.
I took the traditional opening stance, but before I could
bow, Trevor entered, leaving my uncle’s workshop open to the winter air. My
seven-year-old cousin stood just inside, almost as if he were afraid to enter.
The cold air rushed in, causing goose bumps to break out on my legs.
“I was told to come and get you. Cousin Mycroft is here.”
“How wonderful,” my mother said. “I know he’ll want to
freshen up from his trip, so we’ll be there shortly. Sherlock was about to have
a go at this new move. If you wish to stay and watch, you may. But please shut
the door.”
Once we were no longer exposed to the elements, I bowed to
our trainer and prepared to imitate the kick my mother had just executed.
Trevor spoke up behind my back. “But Mother said you were to
come directly and bring Uncle Ernest with you because a friend of his has come
too.”
I turned my back to Mr. Moto to ask my cousin to repeat the
statement. In all my years, I couldn’t recall a single time my quite private
uncle had received a visitor. Before I could voice this observation, my
instructor swept his leg behind mine, flipping my feet out from under me and
the rest of me toward the floor. The air rushed out of my lungs with a whoosh.
I wasn’t sure which hurt more, my back or my pride, when I heard Trevor giggle.
My instructor’s face hovered over mine. “Are you all right,
Master Sherlock?”
I nodded and accepted his hand to pull myself up.
Once righted, he pointed a finger at me. “Never turn your
back on an opponent.”
LINKS:
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Bio:
Liese Sherwood-Fabre knew she was destined to write
when she got an A+ in the second grade for her story about Dick, Jane, and
Sally’s ruined picnic. After obtaining her PhD from Indiana University, she
joined the federal government and had the opportunity to work and live
internationally for more than fifteen years. After returning to the states, she
seriously pursued her writing career.
Her writing has been recognized with a series of awards,
including a Pushcart Prize nomination, a Golden Heart finalist, and a blue
ribbon from Chanticleer Book Reviews. Steve Berry has called her work “Good
old-fashioned, gimmick-free storytelling” and Gemma Halliday enthused her
current novel is “a classic in the making.” A recognized Sherlockian scholar,
her essays on Sherlock and Victorian England are published across the globe and
have appeared in the Baker Street Journal, the premiere publication of the
Baker Street Irregulars.
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