‘How are you, Lily? You seem quiet.’

‘Fine, thanks, Vera, just a few things on my mind.’

‘Tea?’

‘Yes, please.’

Vera picked up the tea strainer and glanced up at Lily. ‘How is Tom these days? I’ve not seen him for a while.’

‘He’s fine … I think,’ said Lily. ‘To be honest, Vera, we’re both busy and we haven’t seen much of each other lately.’

Evasion, thought Vera and fell silent as she poured the tea. ‘A little like Joseph and myself,’ she said eventually. ‘We only meet at mealtimes. I sometimes wonder what he gets up to all day. It must be difficult. His flock share their secrets with him and he has to keep them hidden. It reminds me of stolen waters.’

Lily frowned. ‘Stolen waters?’

‘Yes, one of the earliest Bible quotations that Joseph and I had to learn many years ago.’

‘And what was that?’

Vera stared out of the window, ‘Proverbs, chapter nine, verse seventeen: “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”’

‘I understand,’ said Lily quietly.

Vera stood up. ‘I’m always here, Lily, if you need a good listener.’ She poured another cup. ‘I’ll take this to Valerie. She’s a dear friend but tends to keep to herself. One day I’m sure she will share whatever it is that troubles her.’

Lily was left alone in the staff-room.

Stolen waters, she thought … but there are some secrets that can never be shared.

Ruby was in the General Stores while Agnes looked after Andy and Racquel.

‘Ah thought ah would mek some scones – m’mother loves ’em.’

‘That’s thoughtful, Ruby,’ said Prudence. She put two tins of Bird’s Baking Powder on the counter. ‘They’re on offer.’

‘Ah’ll tek ’em, please.’

She looked at a pile of multicoloured kitchen cloths. ‘What’s these, Prudence?’

‘They’re new,’ said Prudence. She showed her the label. It read: ‘Old Bleach kitchen cloths. The perfect cloth to encourage a husband to dry the pots.’

‘I think they thought the stripes would appeal to men.’

Ruby laughed. ‘They could mek ’em all t’colours of t’rainbow an’ my Ronnie wouldn’t stand near my sink.’

‘That’s a pity,’ said Prudence. ‘Mrs Buttershaw has just bought some.’

‘Ah know the one,’ said Ruby. ‘Sez she’s a modern woman but allus gets crumbs down ’er cleavage.’

Prudence smiled. I know just what you mean, she thought, but kept a respectful silence.

Meanwhile, in the Tea Rooms the radio was playing and Doris was humming along to Frankie Laine’s number-one record ‘I Believe’ while she served Joyce Davenport and Wilhelmena Hardcastle with tea and Yorkshire curd tarts.

A disgruntled Deirdre Coe was at the next table and not happy at being made to wait.

Wilhelmena gave Deirdre a caustic look and spoke in her usual foghorn voice. ‘We were just reflecting on the war, Doris.’