‘Dad… Lil wanted me to tell you that, um, she won’t be alone when she visits,’ she said when she had taken her seat again.
He frowned. ‘Who’s she bringing? One of her girlfriends from down south?’
‘No. An old friend from Bradford.’
‘She put all that in a telegram? That must’ve cost her a few bob.’
‘Actually she told me before. I was just waiting to pass it on until some things had been sorted out.’ Bobby took out the telegram and smoothed it on her knee. ‘It’s… Tony Scott. You remember him, from when I worked at theCourier?’
Her dad stared at her. ‘Scott? What on earth would she want to bring him here for?’
‘Look, I know you won’t like this but stay calm, please.’
His brow knit. ‘What’s to stay calm about, Bobby?’
‘It’s just that Tony and Lil, they’ve sort of been… walking out,’ she murmured. ‘That was why it ended between Lil and Lieutenant Cartwright.’
Rob looked too dazed to be angry.
‘Walking out?’ he repeated.
‘It began last year, when Lil had some home leave. I don’t think they meant it to be serious, but she and Tony quickly found themselves getting fond of each other.’
He laughed in disbelief. ‘Fond? Of that idle bugger?’
The news seemed to be sinking in now as the initial shock wore off. Rob stood up and started pacing the floor. Bobby winced, knowing there was worse to come.
‘You’re telling me that worthless bastard has got the bloody…presumptionto go after my daughter?’ he demanded. ‘With his reputation? If I was still in town he’d never have dared.’
‘This isn’t some trivial fling, Dad. He’s been courting her – seriously courting.’
‘Are you joking? Men like him don’t court, whatever promises they might make. There’s only one thing they go after a lass for. I can’t believe your sister’s as green as that at her age.’
He took off his cloth cap and tossed it away. Bobby retrieved it and quietly hung it over the mantelpiece. Perhaps it was best to let him get all this out of his system before she broke the next lot of bad news.
‘Honestly, I really think he’s changed,’ Bobby said, resting a hand on her dad’s shoulder. He shook it off impatiently.
‘He won’t change. Not that one. No doubt he’s “seriously courting” four or five other lasses an’ all.’ He stopped pacing and turned to her. ‘Here, bring us a pen and a bit of paper.’
‘To do what?’
‘I’m going to write to her, aren’t I? If you’ve not bothered to tell her the sort of man this worthless friend of yours is, it’s down to me. I am still her father, for all that she’s over twenty-one.’
‘What would you say?’
‘For a start, I’ll tell her it’s over my dead body she brings that nowt across my threshold. She can damn well understand it’s him or me.’
‘Dad. Sit down, please,’ Bobby said soothingly. ‘Look, you can’t… well, there’s more.’
He refused to be guided back to his chair. ‘More? What else?’
‘Won’t you sit down?’
‘Say what you’ve got to say, Bobby.’ His expression had darkened, as if he had guessed what she was about to tell him. ‘You’re not going to… He didn’t…’
‘They’re married,’ Bobby said simply. ‘Today, at the registry. That was what the telegram was for. Lil’s Mrs Scott now.’
He just stood staring at her. Then he sank back into his seat.
