He doffed his sooty cap, and she scuttled back inside to put the kettle on, and minutes later he joined her. Normally Cissie and Bill enjoyed a nice gossip, but she noticed that this morning he seemed slightly edgy, so after a time she asked, ‘What’s up then, Bill? Has the cat got yer tongue this mornin’?’

He smiled, his teeth appearing snow white in his coal-black face. ‘I, er … were just wonderin’ if Ben were about,’ he said, clearly feeling ill at ease. ‘Only he ain’t paid me fer the last lot o’ coal I delivered yet so I thought he might settle up this mornin’.’

Cissie looked astounded. ‘He’s taken a horse to the blacksmith’s to be shod, but never fear, just as soon as he comes in, I’ll tell him to drop it off to yer. It must ’ave slipped his mind.’

‘Thanks, Cissie,’ He seemed to relax a little then and went on to tell her what his wife Betty had been up to. ‘She’s joined the Women’s Institute an’ it seems to have given her a new lease o’ life.’ He chuckled. ‘I wonder you don’t go along to one of their meetin’s, Ciss. I reckon you’d enjoy it.’

Cissie grinned. ‘To be honest, Bill, it’s just comin’ home to me that I ain’t as young as I used to be an’ it takes me all me time to keep this place goin’ now. Between you an’ me, although Sunday does more than her share, I’ve been thinkin’ o’ suggestin’ gettin’ someone in part-time to do some of the cookin’. I have to be in the kitchen for half six every mornin’ to get ’em all fed afore they go to work an’ it’d be lovely to have a lie-in now an’ again.’

They carried on chatting for another ten minutes but eventually Bill glanced at the clock and told her regretfully, ‘I should be goin’ then, Ciss. The coal won’t deliver itself, will it? Ta-ra fer now, love.’

With that he went off whistling merrily, leaving Cissie to get on with her chores.

Later, when she and Sunday were folding the washing, Cissie remembered what Bill had told her.

‘Bill Dewhurst mentioned earlier that he ain’t been paid fer a couple o’ months. Yer’d perhaps better mention it to Ben.’

‘I shall,’ Sunday promised, looking puzzled. As far as she knew Ben had always been prompt at paying the tradesmen and the household bills. But then they had been very busy in the stables for the last few weeks, so it had probably just slipped his mind.

‘The other thing I wanted to talk to yer about,’ Cissie said, looking slightly nervous, ‘was about perhaps gettin’ someone from the village in to do a bit o’ the cookin’.’