If, instead, he had replied by a whole sentence — say —‘Mr Smith's away this week, gone up North to see his old mother’ this would have been understood whereas a proper name (Edinburgh) out of the blue and with no helpful context isn't easy!
If, instead, he had replied by a whole sentence — say —‘Mr Smith's away this week, gone up North to see his old mother’ this would have been understood whereas a proper name (Edinburgh) without warning and with no helpful context isn't easy!