Katie had been tidying the chairs in the hotel lounge when she heard the ping of the reception bell. Letting go of the chair she'd just picked up, she hurried out to the lobby. It wasn't common for guests to arrive at this late hour, but it certainly wasn't unheard-of.
She found two visitors standing at the desk: a tall, handsome man in antiquated clothes, and a young blonde wearing trousers and a striped top. They didn't appear to have any luggage; Katie mentally put them down as unexpectedly stranded travellers.
"Can I help?" she asked.
The two glanced at each other, as if they weren't sure who was best placed to answer her question. Then the man said "Have you got any free rooms for tonight?"
Katie nodded. "We're quite full, but we've got a cancellation on Room 12. That's a double," she added, glancing between the two and wondering what their relationship might be. Neither was wearing a ring, but they didn't have the furtive attitude of so many adulterous couples she'd seen. Was this an elopement, perhaps?
"If that is all you have, we shall be obliged to take it," the woman said. For all her casual attire, her movements and speech were thoroughly aristocratic.
"OK." Elopement definitely seemed like it might be the explanation. A wayward daughter of aristocracy, running away with... a stage magician? Katie forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. "There's a five pound deposit, so if I can take that now?"
"No problem." The man patted his pockets. "Hang on a mo..."
"Left waistcoat pocket," the woman said.
"Got it." The man finally managed to locate his wallet. "Here you go."
"And we require to be called at six in the morning," the woman said, as Katie jotted down the details of the transaction.
The man's expression verged on a pout. "Rats. I was hoping for a nice lazy breakfast in bed."
"Mi—" The woman caught herself. "George. You know how important it is that we reach Worthy Ducis tomorrow in time to intercept Professor Ellaston and relieve him of his fiendish invention."
"And get swapped back, I know." The man smiled wickedly. "If I still feel like it by then. It's rather fab being the one in charge for once."
Katie, who had been almost certain that they were married after all, abandoned that theory in favour of one that the man was the girl's butler. As she weighed the competing explanations of a clandestine affair, a sinister case of blackmail, or a jewel heist, she realised she hadn't quite finished checking them in.
She cleared her throat. "Just need you to sign the register and then it's all sorted."
The two signed — both with a sort of careful clumsiness which led Katie to suspect they weren't using their real names. "George Jones" and "Eve Jones". Well, she'd seen less convincing aliases.
"Could you direct us to our room?" the woman — "Eve" — asked.
"Of course. This way." Katie put the register in its drawer, and led them in the direction of the main staircase. "I'll make sure you're called at six. Did you have any luggage?"
"Sadly not," the woman said. "Our plans have undergone a most awkward modification."
"Well, I think it's fun," the man said. "Bet I know what you're thinking right now."
The woman grimaced. "The Professor has a great deal to answer for."
"And I bet he'll have a lot more to answer for tomorrow, won't he?"
Katie stopped before the door of Room 12, unlocked it, and held out the key. Both guests reached for it, then tried to let the other have it, before eventually the man took it from her.
"Thank you, miss," the woman said. She was still trying to maintain her composure, but looked as if she was about to succumb to a fit of the giggles at any moment. "I don't think we shall require any further assistance tonight."
Katie, abandoning all hope of working out what the relationship between these two was, took her leave. As she walked away down the corridor, she heard the man begin "This is going to be the weirdest night I ever—" before the door closed behind them.
You definitely saw some funny people in this business, Katie mused, as she returned to the lounge to resume her interrupted tidying.
Adam / Georgie, where is my mind, 730 words
Katie had been tidying the chairs in the hotel lounge when she heard the ping of the reception bell. Letting go of the chair she'd just picked up, she hurried out to the lobby. It wasn't common for guests to arrive at this late hour, but it certainly wasn't unheard-of.
She found two visitors standing at the desk: a tall, handsome man in antiquated clothes, and a young blonde wearing trousers and a striped top. They didn't appear to have any luggage; Katie mentally put them down as unexpectedly stranded travellers.
"Can I help?" she asked.
The two glanced at each other, as if they weren't sure who was best placed to answer her question. Then the man said "Have you got any free rooms for tonight?"
Katie nodded. "We're quite full, but we've got a cancellation on Room 12. That's a double," she added, glancing between the two and wondering what their relationship might be. Neither was wearing a ring, but they didn't have the furtive attitude of so many adulterous couples she'd seen. Was this an elopement, perhaps?
"If that is all you have, we shall be obliged to take it," the woman said. For all her casual attire, her movements and speech were thoroughly aristocratic.
"OK." Elopement definitely seemed like it might be the explanation. A wayward daughter of aristocracy, running away with... a stage magician? Katie forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. "There's a five pound deposit, so if I can take that now?"
"No problem." The man patted his pockets. "Hang on a mo..."
"Left waistcoat pocket," the woman said.
"Got it." The man finally managed to locate his wallet. "Here you go."
"And we require to be called at six in the morning," the woman said, as Katie jotted down the details of the transaction.
The man's expression verged on a pout. "Rats. I was hoping for a nice lazy breakfast in bed."
"Mi—" The woman caught herself. "George. You know how important it is that we reach Worthy Ducis tomorrow in time to intercept Professor Ellaston and relieve him of his fiendish invention."
"And get swapped back, I know." The man smiled wickedly. "If I still feel like it by then. It's rather fab being the one in charge for once."
Katie, who had been almost certain that they were married after all, abandoned that theory in favour of one that the man was the girl's butler. As she weighed the competing explanations of a clandestine affair, a sinister case of blackmail, or a jewel heist, she realised she hadn't quite finished checking them in.
She cleared her throat. "Just need you to sign the register and then it's all sorted."
The two signed — both with a sort of careful clumsiness which led Katie to suspect they weren't using their real names. "George Jones" and "Eve Jones". Well, she'd seen less convincing aliases.
"Could you direct us to our room?" the woman — "Eve" — asked.
"Of course. This way." Katie put the register in its drawer, and led them in the direction of the main staircase. "I'll make sure you're called at six. Did you have any luggage?"
"Sadly not," the woman said. "Our plans have undergone a most awkward modification."
"Well, I think it's fun," the man said. "Bet I know what you're thinking right now."
The woman grimaced. "The Professor has a great deal to answer for."
"And I bet he'll have a lot more to answer for tomorrow, won't he?"
Katie stopped before the door of Room 12, unlocked it, and held out the key. Both guests reached for it, then tried to let the other have it, before eventually the man took it from her.
"Thank you, miss," the woman said. She was still trying to maintain her composure, but looked as if she was about to succumb to a fit of the giggles at any moment. "I don't think we shall require any further assistance tonight."
Katie, abandoning all hope of working out what the relationship between these two was, took her leave. As she walked away down the corridor, she heard the man begin "This is going to be the weirdest night I ever—" before the door closed behind them.
You definitely saw some funny people in this business, Katie mused, as she returned to the lounge to resume her interrupted tidying.