"Oh, those are my favourite!" This, cheerfully observed right over Colin's greeting, and Pippa trots over to the rack of tarts on display to scrutinize each one. She ends up pilfering two, and fishes out more than enough coin to pay for them.

"This must be good business for you," she adds, gesturing towards the outdoors with a pastry-wielding hand, "all the travellers stuck in the village."