Tobias was in Whitby a lot these days. Almost all the land had been ploughed sufficiently and lay waiting for spring, so there was less work around the farm. He wanted to allow his young wife to visit her family a lot, since she was still suffering homesickness a lot. And Whitby was a bigger market for the farm's produce than Castleton. At least that was the excuse he used to convince himself that the long, exhausting journey every week was worth it. In reality, he was just desperate to please his wife. 

Alice was now with her family, while Tobias had been in the market, selling some of the produce. He was reluctant to go back to the small cottage and his in-laws, and so he decided to stop at the pub. The carriage was outside in a yard and he had paid a boy to keep an eye on it. As he entered the place, his brow corrugated in displeasure. It was only the afternoon, but the place was packed with people. He had half a mind to go somewhere else, but didn't want to go through the trouble of moving the cart somewhere else. And so he made his way to the bar, ordered a tea and some sandwiches, and looked around for a place to sit.

There were no more empty tables, and so Tobias searched for the one that looked most quiet. In the corner sat a man with an east-Asian appearance. He was alone at his table and seemed to focus on sometime, which gave Tobias the hope that he might enjoy his late lunch in relative peace. And so he made his way over. Tobias was dressed plainly and inconspicuous, but his clothes fitted well on him and were of decent material. He wore a bowler hat. "Do you mind if I sit here, sir," he said, trying to reduce the thickness of his Yorkshire accent, since foreigners (and even some fellow English) tended to have difficulty understanding it. "I shan't disturb ye."