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worked on the buses, was just emerging, still adjusting his braces. He was carrying a
Yorkshire Evening News
and she guessed he’d spent a comfortable half hour perusing it away from Mrs Pilkington, who rarely gave him a minute’s peace. A thought struck her.
    ‘Hello, Albert.’
    ‘Hello, love. Ee, I er, Iwere fair saddened to hear about your Larry. If there’s owt we can do. The missis would’ve been round, but yer never know what ter do for t’ best in these things. Never know when yer gonna be in t’ road, like.’
    ‘It’s all right, Albert.’
    Lily looked down at his newspaper. She usually picked one up from the local newsagents, but not in the past week.
    ‘Is there anything in the paper about this bombing we’re supposed to be getting?’
    ‘What bombing’s that, love?’
    ‘I’m told there’s been a lot in the papers and on the news that the Germans are planning to bomb Leeds about now. Barnbow and Hunslet’s what I heard.’
    He shook his head. ‘Well, I’ve never heard nowt about it. What I’ve heard is that Jerry’s air force is just about knackered. If there was any notion of an air raid we’d have had them ARP fellers comin’ round ter warn us. Who told yer, love?’
    ‘Just someone I know, that’s all.’
    ‘Well I never read nowt o’ the sort an’ I like ter keep abreast o’ things.’
    ‘If they’re not going to bomb us,’ said Lily, looking up at the sky, ‘why have we still got barrage balloons?’
    He scratched what little hair he had. ‘Hey, yer’ve got me there, luv. It gives t’ Home Guard summat ter do, standin’ guard over ’em. They let one get loose last week. Word is they’d been sittin’ round drinkin’. Dozy beggars. I reckon it’ll be somewhere over Russia by now.’ He gave her a toothless smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. Anyroad, I wish yer the best o’ luck, an’ as I said, if there’s owt we can do …’
    ‘Thanks, Albert.’
    She walked on, wonderinghow the Oldroyds could have made such a mistake. There again, they lived out in the country and would have got a different newspaper. All Albert ever read was the
Yorkshire Evening News
– but if Leeds was going to be bombed surely the local paper would know about it. It made up her mind. She’d ask Mr Oldroyd to bring Michael back and if that wasn’t convenient she’d get the bus out there and bring him back herself. It wasn’t fair to rely too much on the man’s good nature. Because of this she decided not to reverse the charges.
    ‘Hello, could you put me through to Grassington three two eight, please?’
    Pause.
    ‘Is that Grassington in Yorkshire?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Are you sure it’s Grassington? You see, there’s no exchange in Grassington. The nearest exchange is Skipton.’
    ‘Oh, maybe it’s Skipton three two eight, then.’
    ‘I’m afraid that’s not a valid number. There are four digits in the Skipton area numbers. Do you have a name and address? I can try and get it for you.’
    ‘Yes, of course. The name is Bernard Oldroyd and the address is er, Lark House, seventy-four High Bank Lane, Grassington.’
    ‘One moment please …’ Therewas a long pause and a rustling of pages. ‘I’m sorry. We have no number against that name and address.’
    ‘Oh, I see … right.’
    ‘Thank you, caller.’
    The line went back to dial tone. Lily looked at the receiver for a long moment. She realised that she’d have to go to Grassington herself, tomorrow. On her way home she called in to Scrimshaw’s fish and chip shop. Three women and a man were already queueing up. They all recognised Lily and stood to one side so she could be served first.
    ‘Too right,’ said Nelly Scrimshaw as she shovelled chips out of the fryer. ‘Heroes’ wives’ll never have ter queue in my shop.’
    Lily was slightly embarrassed by this preferential treatment.
    ‘A fish and two pennyworth please.’
    ‘Would yer like some scraps fer your young lad?’
    ‘He’s er, he’s not at home at