Rose soaked up all the attention like a sponge. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Willaby," she said with a blush and a coy smile. She relished the knowledge that a man who was known to be 'handsome' paid attention to her. She wondered if Pearl would be jealous, and some part of Rose enjoyed that idea. She looked down at her bag. "I..." There was some time. She could always say that it had been very busy at the bakery. "would love that. Thank you."

He grinned and then brought her a selection of tarts, cherry, lemon, and chocolate. "Pick which one ye want, Miss," he smiled at her as he held out the treats. They all smelled lovely, the chocolate especially.

Rose was delighted. Such treats were rare. She looked at each of them, admiring them and imagining how great they must taste. Then she pointed at the chocolate one. "Could I taste this one, please?"

"Ye may, miss," he said with a grin. He offered it to her then while saying, "That's my favorite. Ye have good taste in pastry. The finest for a pretty lass, I say." He had probably used that line sometime before, he thought, but it had yet to work on a woman. He was somewhat dorky in that charming sense.

That was kind of cheap, Rose realized, but she smiled and looked down all the same. She knew she was rather plain, but there was no harm in this flattery, and it was nice to have someone notice her for a change. "Thank you," she said and she took a small bite from the pastry. "Hmm... It's delicious!" If she had been a little bolder, she would have said something like 'not bad for a handsome baker'. But she was not experienced at flirting, and it was too forward to get it past her lips.

"I am glad ye like it," he said as he put the other tarts back on the counter where they were displayed. "Ye're welcome here any time ye'd wish." He actually liked having someone to talk to, most customers tended to come in and then leave when they'd made their purchases.

That was a somewhat strange statement, because she would certainly come back as a customer, Rose thought. But she smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Mr. Willaby. You are most kind." There was a genuine blush on her face, because all the attention was flattering. "I should probably go now, before they start missin' me." Well, miss her work, really, not her.

He gave a nod and stood up straight, then gave another courtly bow. "Pleasure to have chatted with you, Miss," he said with a grin. The poor bloke was nervous? That would explain his odd statement. "I shall see you soon."

Rose tried hard not to giggle at the man's rather formal and old-fashioned ways. "Likewise. Bye Mr. Willaby," she said, and Rose left the shop with a huge grin on her face, wishing she had time to go over to Pearl's to gossip.