“Okay,” said Carmen. A massive leaving tantrum was narrowly avoided when Jack came around the corner with Phoebe and two small bars of chocolate, and Carmen couldn’t avoid feeling slightly smug delivering the children perfectly on time to the agreed meeting place beneath the huge Bank of Scotland.

“Oh, good, chocolate in the car?” said Skylar immediately. “Yeah, that’s great for everyone?”

Then she saw Oke behind Carmen and her entire face changed.

“Dr. Oke!” She beamed. “Wow! How amazing to see you? I, like, just loved your lecture on the symbolism of the birch in art?”

“Um, thanks,” said Oke modestly.

“Well, let’s get you all going,” she said. “I’m sure you’re all going to be so brilliant in the concert?”

Phoebe’s face fell immediately.

“Well, bye then,” said Carmen.

“Thank you, Auntie Carmen,” pronounced Pippa, and for once the other two echoed her uncomplainingly.

“Thank you, Auntie Carmen!”

SOMEHOW, WITHOUT DISCUSSING it, Carmen and Oke walked on and came to a quieter section of the fair, away from the screaming. There were little wooden huts selling bits and pieces.

“I should shop for them,” said Carmen. “The thing is, my sister likes them to have lovely wooden toys.”

Indeed, the sweet little German stall they were standing in front of had wooden pull-along cars, bees, little airplanes. They were rather adorable.

“But I think they would probably like something plastic that buzzes and makes a lot of noise. But that would annoy my sister.”

He smiled. “I am not sure it’s the worst thing not to have to think about gifts.”

“But you don’t have anyone in your family who would like one of these?” She held up an adorable model plane.

He smiled. “My sisters both have sons. But no, I am not sure it would be wise. Not at Christmas.”

“Well, what about something sent with love from a loving uncle very far away that just happened to arrive at about the right time? Would that be the worst thing?”

He looked. There was a little pull-along train too, with carriages. It was adorable.

“Well . . .” he said.

“I’m doing three for two,” said the pleasant German man who was manning the stall. There was a wooden star too, which Oke couldn’t help thinking would look very pretty in his sister’s house.

“Well . . .” He was weakening.

“Go on! It’s the law! It’s Christmas! Spending money on stuff! It’s a very important cultural tradition when you visit new lands. It can just be this once.”

He smiled at Carmen then and took out his wallet and bought eight little trains and three stars.

“Wow!” said Carmen. “God, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize they had so many children.”