Severe Inflation

The picnic is delightful, although they must ration the apple juice.

Ann Cox leans back against the warm trunk of a beech tree and explains Barney Buttery's coin.

After the Civil War, says Ann, there was severe inflation and coins were in short supply. So some of the wealthier businessmen made their own tokens. Barney Buttery was a maltster in Pocklington. Our Local History Group ......Arthur, are you listening?

What? says Arthur, who has been observing a blue tit, and wondering if it is a buzzard.

Never mind, says Ann Cox. Do have another fruit tart.

Thanks, says Arthur. He bites into another fruit tart.

What about you, Rosamunda? says Ann, Go halves in this one? Arthur, may I borrow your knife?

I'm stuffed, says Rosie. Couldn't eat another thing. But thanks for the picnic. And the birds. And showing us these wonderful wolds.

Yes, says Ann Cox. They are wonderful wolds, made of chalk, as you know, which is why....

Course I do, says Rosie, taking out her notebook, and writing MADE OF CHALK!!! AWESOME!!!

What are you writing? says Arthur.

Nothing says Rosie. Just notes.

Bet you wrote MADE OF CHALK, says Arthur.

I'm sure she wrote more than that, says Ann Cox.

Rosie smiles at her sweetly. Yes, she did write more than that.

Well, time we made tracks, says Ann Cox. Where are you two off to next?

Arthur takes out his phone. It is the first time he's looked at it since Rosie gave it back to him yesterday.

Market Rasen, says Arthur. Another market. Sounds predictably dreary.

Au contraire, says Ann Cox. There's a racecourse. You must go and see it.

For some reason this reminds her that Barney Buttery's coin is still in Arthur's shorts pocket.

Maybe it is the warmth of the afternoon, or whatever, but she reaches out and plunges her hand into Arthur's pocket without asking.

Which turns out to be a mistake.