𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕼𝖚𝖊𝖊𝖓'𝖘 𝕷𝖎𝖔𝖓

The Double Charles

Eventually the Undertaker excused himself so as to not be away from his parlor for a long time. He didn't want to lose a new customer or guest because he had been busy chatting away with Y/N. After he left, most of the dinner regulars began to pour in to get their suppers and Y/N wasn't able to catch a break. She was serving tables left and right, scribbling orders down so quickly it was almost illegible and she considered it a miracle she hadn't dropped anything or spilled a drink all over herself or a patron. Both Y/N and Alice were almost at their wits ends. They had expected a larger crowd because of the popularity of the street where the Lion prowled but nothing this large. "If this keeps up, I'm going to have to hire more help," Alice gasped as she leaned on the bar after handing out more beer than either of them had poured in a week.

"Yeah, you and I aren't going to be able to keep up with all of this if it becomes the norm," Y/N said as she took some breaths while flattening out her apron. Alice had recently purchased a bell for the door and it had been ringing almost nonstop since 6:00. It dinged again and Y/N sighed before shouting over her shoulder "I'll be there in a moment to seat you, please be patient!" Y/N ran over to the order window, picked up three plates and went over to the door to see how many people had walked in. She nearly dropped her plates when she saw them. There, in front of her stood two men, both clad in perfect white suits and hair to match. Y/N stopped perfectly in her tracks, the only reason she didn't drop her tray was that Charles Phipps caught it as it tipped from her hand. She was frozen, mouth hanging open as Charles Phipps placed her tray back in her hands, saying something about a butler always needing to be prepared for any situation while Charles Grey laughed at Y/N's reaction.

"I'm so sorry, sirs, we just don't usually get men of your, uh, status, 'round here," she breathed out as she took her tray from Phipps, her face flushed red with embarrassment. She quickly ran the meals to the people who ordered them before making her way back over to the Double Charles to get them seated. As she walked them to a window booth, close to where she had earlier sat with the Undertaker, she began to ponder why these two specific men would be choosing the Dozy Dog Pub to eat their dinner when much nicer places were open just a few blocks away. As they sat down, Y/N continued to ponder as to why the Queen's butlers would be eating at a small, slightly rundown pub and she arrived at the conclusion that they were doing what everyone else was: searching for the Lion. "I'll be back in a few moments to get your drink orders. I'm afraid we don't have a wide enough selection of wines, beers and other beverages to have a separate menu, so if you've got something specific in mind, please ask me. The menu right behind me has everything available for dinner tonight and I'll be back to tell you about our specials when I collect your drink orders," and with that Y/N scuttled away to give out and collect more orders and food. All the while as she picked up dishes and wrote down orders, she thought about how quickly the Queen's butlers had been able to locate her, but she also thought about how it could be a coincidence. This was the famous street where the Lion hunted. "They're probably just looking for the Lion to be walking around, shaking hands with people or something. They probably still think the Lion is a man who'd be all over an opportunity to bathe in fame," Y/N assured herself.

Earl Grey asked Y/N for a cup of Earl Grey Tea (which she found most amusing) and Phipps had just asked for a water. As she made her way back over to them, she worked up the courage to ask them why they had chosen the Dozy Dog. It didn't take much of a self-given pep talk because she found the idea of being afraid of talking to the Double Charles after spending almost three weeks becoming a local hero who took down men, some almost twice her size and weight, to be silly. It was childish even. She walked over to them with confidence, set their drinks down and got straight to business. "Now I know I've got no right to ask, but what are two gentlemen of an obviously high status, such as yourselves, doing in some place like this? There are much nicer and more upper class places just down the street, not even a twenty minute walk from here." The two men just looked at her before Grey began to laugh while Phipps just sipped his drink.