Tobias was in Whitby a good deal these days. It was rather exhausting to keep going back and forth, but in a way, not doing so was even more exhausting. Alice was with her family and he had booked a room at an inn, because the Ward cottage was small, and he wanted to give Alice her privacy.

So here he was. Anthony probably wouldn't recognize him, for the man had been drunk when they had last met, and Tobias had his back turned to most of the noise of the pub. He was sitting at a table, with an almost finished glass of light beer, reading the Times.

He looked up when he was disturbed, and it took a moment to realize when the man looked familiar. Begging for drinks? Really? Should that man be in a pub at all? But Tobias stopped himself. Everyone had a bad day now and then. He was not a heavy drinker himself, but he had been drunk once or twice when he had overestimated his own tolerance. This guy had been upset for some reason too. He shouldn't judge.

"I was about to order again. You can join me if you like," he said, gesturing at the chair beside him.