| Details for Bitter Taste |
| Summary: | Late Night at the Cauldron, Carmichael forgets he's not in his own restaurant and commits a faux pas. |
| Date: | August 29th 1937 |
| Location: | Leaky Cauldron, London |
| Related: | To be posted later! |
| Characters |
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Elly gives Carmichael a looks when he calls her potion 'bloody awful'! "That's just that mustache ye be smelling." When he insinuates that she is Mrs. Carmichael she giggles and winks back and gives him a bump with her hip. "Cheeky devil. Now quit all the gruff and grouse and bottoms up!" She claps when he down it and then pokes her tongue out at him. "See, silly fussing about like ye do."
Elly bustles over to clean up after the boys, making sure that Cillian's fathers pick him up and she gives them both an Elly Eyeballing, which means that they best not use her as a babysitter again. Though it's only a partial scolding as she tells them what a very nice boy they have and how she looks forward to seeing him on holidays. Also before he leaves Elly leans over to whisper to Cillian, "Hufflepuff is the best house of all." The other two boys that she knows a bit better get waves. "Have a good year if I don't see ye before hand!"
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Leaky Cauldron London
Wed Aug 29, 1937 ((Wed Aug 29 03:49:42 2012)) (E,4 NE)
It is a summer night. The weather is hot and clear.
This cramped, angular room is the taproom of the Leaky Cauldron. A long bar runs along one side of the room, plain wooden stools set out before it. Smoke from pipes and candles fills the air. The patrons of this curious little bar, many of them elderly, sit hunched over their mugs at the tables. Waitresses bustle back and forth bearing trays of food and mugs of ale. Many of the people seem strangely out of place, dressed in cloaks and floppy hats, it almost seems as if you've stumbled into another century. Notably absent is any modern muggle devices or electric lighting, or any sign of electricity at all. Still, the occasional muggle does find their way in here, usually declaring it to be 'quaint' and 'atmospheric'.
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Carmichael raises an eyebrow at Elly and crosses his arm, "Bring me more whiskey, Elly." He let his guard down for a moment, but that's all they get…for now. He just goes back to grumbling to himself about things.
Elly gives Carmichael's shoulder a squeeze and then bustles between the tables again and starts to get other tables cleaned up. It's getting to be about the time when it's adults only as the sun has set and the children are all home in bed snuggling their newly bought fresh from Diagon Alley things. She soon returns with a fresh glass and a bottle of whiskey. "Go easy now loverly. Ye know the rules." Elly and the other Dooderidges do not take lightly to trouble being stirred up here. The Leaky Cauldron is a neutral zone.
Carmichael kicks the table across from him out with his foot and says, "Have a seat, lass. Rest your young bones. No need to go wearing them out at so ripe an age." He pours whiskey in the empty glass for her.
The pub door opens, letting in a slight gust of cold London air, along with a new guest. The feminine form is wrapped and cowled, face partially obfuscated, in the fancy sort of cloak that is entirely impractical for avoiding attention.
Elly looks like she might be just about to sit down when the door opens up and she straightens back up. "Get ye something Audrey dearie?" She asks the woman in the concealing cloak. A 'one moment' finger is aimed at Carmichael to show that she would like to join him. Masochistic though it may be.
Carmichael perks up at the entrance of the new figure, super Scottishly, I might add. He takes one of the glasses and takes a quick sip of it. He looks quite sad when Elly runs off to help them, but covers it up with grumpiness quickly.
Audrey looks up as her name is called out, glancing around the tavern to see if anyone caught it…because she's trying to be incognito, of course. But it seems tonight's patrons do not include her usual gaggle of adoring young men. She hides her pout well, and pushes back her hood nonchalantly, as if unconcerned. "A half glass of whiskey, single malt, and a thick slice of warm bread. Thank you, Elly my love." She drifts in among the tables, taking her time deciding where she might sit. Drat. By now she's usually been offered several. It seems to be an off night for the rising starlet.
Elly gestures towards Carmichael's table, "Was just about to take a break and sit with Mr. Carmichael. Please join us?" Read as: Don't leave me alone with him! "Some rolls in the oven rights now. Will that do loverly?" Her mother and father are both off duty already, it's her duty to keep up late and close up when the time comes. She skirts around behind the bar and then pours Audrey her drink, fills a basket with some fresh out of the oven rolls and also some fresh scones as well. Then a tea tray is arranged and the other orders arranged on the tray so she can bring it for herself over to Carmichael's table.
Carmichael stands up from the table and says, "One moment please, ladies." He wanders his way into the kitchen, looking very sure of what he's doing, even if he doesn't have permission to do it. A few moments pass and he wanders back out to pull his wand from his coat pocket, then it's back to the kitchen.
Audrey looks the Scotsman over with a subtly appraising eye. Tall, handsome enough, though there seems something prickly about him. Whatever it is that she decides about him, she nods to Elly. "Of course, thank you." She takes a seat, watching Carmichael with a curious gaze. She flashes Elly a look that says: Is he allowed to do that?
When Carmichael steps one foot over the threshold of the kitchen ever cast iron skillet and sharp and pointy object all raise up and 'look' or in otherwards aim menecingly at Carmichael, the invading chef has roughtly half a minute to vacate before the skillets start to bludgeon, and a whole three minutes to egress before the sharp and pointies start flying at him.
Elly waves a hand, "The Kitchen'll 'andle'm." She winks at Audrey and settles down and takes a rather calm and collected sip of her tea.
Carmichael just steps back across the threshold and says, "Elly! Call of your pots and pans! I'm hungry and a sub-par roll won't cut it, dammit!" He grumbles and growls.
Audrey sighs, shaking her head with an amused smirk. "Mr. Carmichael?" She calls out to him sweetly. "Mr. Carmichael, do come sit and keep me company, won't you?"
Elly lifts up a finger this time to excuse herself from Audrey's company, giving her a very grateful look when Audrey helps in trying to lure the invading chef out of her mother's kitchen. "Out ye go Mr. Carmichael, ye should know better." He knows how protective her mother is over her kitchen! "I'll fix ye up something. How's some seafood stew? An' for ye Audrey? Interest ye in something more than bread while I'm up…" On her feet during her supposed 'break'.
Carmichael puts his hands on his hips and shakes his head at Elly, "No. I don't want seafood stew. I don't want barnyard animal cake. I don't want food made by other people!"
"Just the roll will be fine, darling," Audrey insists. "Mr. Carmichael, the food here is wonderful, I assure you. Now won't you come sit? I do hate sitting alone."
Elly puts one hand on her hip and the other hand is thrust out pointing towards the courtyard door. "If ye want food that /ye/ cooked go home to your restaurant Chef, but if ye want to remain here, ye'll have to choke down our horrendous cuisine. Now shoo! Behave yourself."
Carmichael pokes Elly in the forehead and says, "You know damn well that I'm a restauranteur!" He grumbles and walks over to the table to collect his things before marching out of the door.
Audrey's jaw drops, aghast. "What a horrid man!" She rushes over to Elly's side, putting a hand on her shoulder. She frowns, calling out after Carmichael. "I suppose this goes to show that it doesn't take a real man to be a restaurateur!" Hmph!
Elly blinks at the poke, "Oh come now Mr. Carmichael! No sense leavin' in a huff and gettin pokie. Just sit down and relax, this isn't your restaurant. It's me Mumsies, ye wouldn't like someone barging into your kitchen and rifling about in your wares would ye? Now sit down and stop actin' like one of them school boys and let me make ye something." Audrey's comfort is gladly accepted and her hands are squeezed and patted. "He has his moods." She seems very very used to Carmichael. Elly is the sort that would rescue a fly from falling into the soup and starting the soup all over without a grumble. Carmichael didn't upset her, but she is still happy to receive the nice gesture on Audrey's behalf.
Audrey shakes her head. "Well, he should keep his moods safely tucked away where no one can see them. The nerve, laying a finger on you like that!" Flustered, she returns to her table (it's hers now!) and takes a heavy sip of her single malt whiskey.
Elly joins Audrey at the table and reaches over to give the woman's fore arm a gentle fond squeeze. "Thank ye dearie, sweet as sugar ye. So, what has you in the mood to be all secreted and in disguise tonight? Everything alright? Not like ye to shy away from some attention." Her tone is pleasant and she doesn't mean an ounce of bad by it. The incident with the gruff Scotsman forgotten already, evaporating in that first sip of her /delicious/ tea.
Audrey chuckles, shrugging. "Oh, you know…sometimes a girl needs to be able to just be a girl. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the spotlight…" She gives Elly a little wink. "But it's hard to just sit and have a normal conversation with a friend, like this, when I'm stopping every other word to sign an autograph or greet a fan."
Elly giggles softly and nods, understanding as much as a cockney wench can about the trials and tribulations of being rich and famous. "Well any time ye need a bit of down home regularity, ye come an' have a cuppa with me. I have a very mighty power of shoo." A bubbly little wink is given over to the girl from over the rim of her tea cup.
Carmichael rolls a cart through the door, grumbling to himself, "Want to talk to me about not cooking in your kitchen. I'll cook in my own damn kitchen. Bring it here to eat." He stops at the table and gestures to the cart with three plates on it. He picks them up and serves the two women at the table before crossing his arms and saying, "Eat." The meal is just a simple dish of lemon-pepper chicken with a small side of mashed potatoes covered in butter.
Audrey giggles softly, lifting her glass in a little toast to Elly. "Gladly, love. Though I can't promise I won't cause a scene. You saw those boys the other day." Her eyes sparkle at the memory…but darken at the entrance of the grumpy Scot. She looks down at the dish before her, and rather dramatically turns her nose up. "Thank you, no. I am quite satisfied with the Cauldron's fare."
Elly smiles a little when Carmichael comes back in. "If ye wanted to treat us to something from Farin Braw Mr. Carmichael, the polite and courteous thing would have been to grandly invite us down the way for a special tasting. So sit down and eat and mind those manners. Ye gone and done offend a find upstanding lady like Audrey Taylor." She wags a finger at him but she does take a plate herself and cuts off a hunk of chicken. "An apology might go a long way, best do it soon before knots tighten so much they can't be undone." She points the tips of her fork in the air towrds him as she advises him to apologize.
Carmichael grumbles and takes his plate, deciding not to unleash his fury upon Audrey. He sits down at the table and begins to eat, saying with a full mouth, "A Scottsman never apologizes. He merely waits for the other person to see the error of their ways."
Audrey rolls her eyes, never deigning to actually look at Carmichael, let alone address him. "I am not offended, Elly. It takes more than a temper tantrum to offend me. I have simply found that my maternal instincts have taken over, for there is a boy here in need of learning how to behave like a man."
Elly sighs, looking rather sad and pitying towards Carmichael while nodding to Audrey's words, "Very true loverly. Shame really, he'd be such a handsome lovely gent, if he didn't try so hard to hate everything around him. Sad really. Ye know that attitude more than anything is what makes food a meal. Ye can have all the grand technique taught at any fancy culinary school, 'But if ye cook with a scowl, it's bound to taste foul.'" With that proverb stated she puts the forkful of chicken and mash back down, only slightly nibbled upon. "Also Mr. Carmichael, I've hear plenty a Scot apologize when he knew he was in the wrong. Suppose they had the wit enough to realize being an arrogant arse got them no where, with no one."
Carmichael just stands up after listening to the women talk about him. He straightens out his vest and dons his tophat. He quietly nods to the two of them and walks out of the door.
Audrey finally permits a glance in Carmichael's direction when he leaves. Lifting her drink, she gives a little shrug and says, "Well, at least this time he had the dignity to bear his shame like a man. There may be hope for him yet."