Widower and single father Thomas Farriner is the king's baker, currently providing the Navy with bread and biscuits from his Pudding Lane bakery. His sister-in-law Sarah often helps out at the shop - a distraction from the fact her wayward husband (Thomas's brother) has been missing at sea for months now. Thomas is dismayed to learn from Navy official Samuel Pepys that it's unlikely he'll be paid for his latest job, owing to the expense of the war against the Dutch. However, he instead sends the baker away with a letter that could be the key to Sarah's closure. Meanwhile, in the palace of Whitehall, the king attends a stately dance, where an attempt on his life is foiled. Later, Thomas returns to find the bakery ablaze, with his two daughters asleep upstairs. (thetvdb.com)