“There was an accident, I think. Nothing too serious . . .” He dries up. Lily knows lying does not come easily to him. Edna will have told him not to bother Aunt Lil with the details. It’ll only scare her. But really it’s Lily she doesn’t trust. Edna’s worried she’ll say something out of turn. She supposes she’s right to be. How are you supposed to keep quiet about something if you can’t remember it in the first place? Why does it always feel as though everyone else knows more than she does? And why can she not just bring herself to ask?

Edna takes over again. “That’s why the police are there. They’ll straighten it all out, you’ll see.” She looks at Lily over the steaming brim of her cup, waggling those eyebrows in a manner that’s supposed to convey her own set of instructions. Keep quiet. I’ll handle this. Edna’s instructions are always the same.

Lily wants to ask, Keep quiet about what? You’ll handle what? But instead she says, “I wondered about the police. It’s all over the village. People do gossip about nothing, don’t they? Goodness, what a fuss!”

“I’m beginning to think you were right,” Oscar says. “About the builders. Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to get them in after all.”

“What’s done is done,” says Edna, practical as ever, and then changes the subject. “Oscar was just telling me he’s thinking of booking a trip.”

“Oh, lovely,” says Lily. “To Whitby?”

Edna tuts. “Honestly, you and this Whitby trip!”

“What’s all this?” Oscar is smiling.

“Some coach trip or other, those daft women from the Women’s Institute.”

Oscar grins widely. “Sounds like fun.”

“Oh, yes!” says Lily. “I just spoke to the vicar and he says they still have places. I’ve always wanted to go to Whitby.”

Edna grunts. “You’ve been.”

“I haven’t.”

“You have. Bert took us up for the day in the Hillman, after Vi had her op.”

“Oh,” says Lily. She doesn’t remember that at all. “Well, I wasn’t counting that.”

“He’s talking about overseas. Abroad, isn’t that right, Oscar?”

Oscar has only been half-listening—poor lost little boy!

“What? Oh, sure. It’s just a thought really.”

“I found you some cake,” says Lily. “Eat up.” She pushes the plate toward him.

Edna goes on. “Like when we went to Spain that time. Do you remember, Oscar? You were probably too young, I expect. Of course, I couldn’t go now, not in my condition.”

“No,” says Lily, “not in your condition.”

Edna gives her another look. “I suppose you’ll take that Sophie girl?” Edna’s on shaky ground here. She doesn’t really approve of Sophie, but Oscar will not allow any criticism of the girl.

Lily couldn’t stand it if there was an argument between them. “Oh yes,” she says quickly, “I’ve just seen her father in the village. How is she? Everything all right between you? You will bring her round soon, won’t you? We haven’t seen her in an age.”