Grindr, 1890

[dorinda]

While running an unnecessarily protracted errand, I was listening to my favorite Sherlock Holmes radio adaptation, like I do (the one produced by Bert Coules, honorary fangirl ♥ ). And I am again reminded just how gay the premise of "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge" is.

Holmes' client, Mr. Scott Eccles, explains just how he came to be staying overnight in This Guy's house, when the next morning This Guy had disappeared and was soon found dead. And the basics go like this:

"I am a bachelor," said he, "and being of a sociable turn I cultivate a large number of friends. Among these are the family of a retired brewer called Melville, living at Abermarle Mansion, Kensington. It was at his table that I met some weeks ago a young fellow named Garcia. He was, I understood, of Spanish descent and connected in some way with the embassy. He spoke perfect English, was pleasing in his manners, and as good-looking a man as ever I saw in my life.

"In some way we struck up quite a friendship, this young fellow and I. He seemed to take a fancy to me from the first, and within two days of our meeting he came to see me at Lee. One thing led to another, and it ended in his inviting me out to spend a few days at his house, Wisteria Lodge, between Esher and Oxshott. Yesterday evening I went to Esher to fulfil this engagement.

"He had described his household to me before I went there. He lived with a faithful servant, a countryman of his own, who looked after all his needs. This fellow could speak English and did his housekeeping for him. Then there was a wonderful cook, he said, a half-breed whom he had picked up in his travels, who could serve an excellent dinner. I remember that he remarked what a queer household it was to find in the heart of Surrey, and that I agreed with him, though it has proved a good deal queerer than I thought.

So let's see, we have:

* The very important (?) and relevant (??) facts that he's a bachelor, and that Garcia was the most handsome man he's ever seen
* "In some way we struck up quite a friendship"
* "He seemed to take a fancy to me"
* "One thing led to another"
* Now it's time to stay with him for the weekend!

I left the last paragraph in despite the "half-breed" term (yecch), only to say that it does indeed seem a raaaaaather queer household, but Scott Eccles seemed fine with that until people up and vanished...