Shard stayed at the doctor's that afternoon until half past two before leaving, and considering that both Luviya and Priest Augustus had taken long leaves of more than half a month, it was quite likely they would still be away next week. The doctor even sighed:
"How nice, to be able to take leave whenever you want."
"You can actually take time off whenever you like too, since you work for yourself."
"It's precisely because I work for myself that I can't afford to relax."
On the way home, Shard of course did not forget to stop by the Betis Coffee Tea Room in the north of the city and buy the fresh cream scones Dorothy had mentioned.
The sweets were indeed very popular; when Shard opened his mouth and asked for 30 portions, the shop simply didn't have that much in stock. But a coffee tea room would never refuse a customer like Shard, so they had him wait half an hour, or they could send a waiter to deliver them to the Shard Family home later.
