Briony and Tommy were visiting Mariah. She now lived in aged splendour in a small but expensive ground-floor flat in Hampstead. She was surrounded by rock musicians, models and other well-off but unconventional folk, and loved every second of it. Her face, still plastered with make-up, looked garish, the thick green eyeshadow and painted red lips emphasising each of the considerable creases on her face. She held large, loud parties, and the twins and all the children doted on her. She was especially close to Delia, Bernadette’s younger daughter. Rebecca was married to an accountant and living in Brighton, an old married woman years before her time. Delia on the other hand was full of life, unconventional, and generally preferred by everyone, Bernadette and Marcus included. Bernie often wondered aloud how the hell they had got Rebecca, so prim, proper, and tight-lipped.

Molly always said Rebecca was like Eileen, she didn’t need the excitement of the world like all the others, she was a respectable girl. Everyone rolled their eyes when Molly started her ramblings but her great age guaranteed she was listened to respectfully.

Briony sipped her drink and looked with pleasure around her friend’s small garden. The young couple above Mariah had their windows open and the sound of heavy rock music was blaring. Mariah, to the amusement of Briony and Tommy, was tapping her foot in time.

‘So how’s the Berwick these days?’

Briony sipped her glass of white wine and sighed. ‘The twins have done well with it. It’s mainly a gambling place really, the girls are all dispersed around London and the home counties. They’re raking the money in, though.’

Mariah laughed.

‘Good, that’s what I like to hear. As long as they don’t forget their old Auntie Mariah and her ten per cent of the profits!’

Tommy laughed.

‘As if they could ever forget that! Have you heard Boysie’s getting married?’

‘No! What, Boysie? The most eligible bachelor in town! Who to?’

Briony answered her. ‘To a young, very young, lady called Suzannah Rankins. She’s only twenty-one but seems like a really nice kid. The big do’s in June. Boysie can’t wait.’

‘I bet he can’t if she’s that young! Horny old devil. How’s Danny Boy taking it?’

‘Better than we expected, to be honest. I thought there would be hell to pay. I mean, they were both confirmed bachelors, but Boysie’s besotted with this little girl, and I for one am heartily pleased. He wants children, a nice house, the whole works.’

‘Not before time either. Him and Danny are so close, too close at times.’ Mariah nodded to herself. ‘He was always a strange one, Daniel. Very deep.’

Briony put down her glass of wine with a bang on the ornamental ironwork table and said tartly, ‘Well, there’s no law against that, is there?’

Mariah sat up in her chair and laughed.