Tristan was glad that the barman understood what he meant at last, but he was increasingly offended by the cook's coarse manners. It seemed to him that he had dodged a bullet with Pippa. Her good breeding had taught her good manners, even if it hadn't taught her housekeeping. But in that moment, Tristan thought that he would rather have a servant who didn't know how to cook, than a cook who didn't know how to be a servant.

"That's alright," said Tristan, eager to de-escalate the situation. He picked up his drink and took a sip. "It's quiet today..." He could understand why, but he left that to inference. "Is the place new?"