Kerry lit a cigarette and shook her head. ‘I ain’t sung properly for years, Bri ... I don’t even know if I still can.’

Briony gripped the arms of her chair and laughed out loud. ‘I’ll tell you what, let’s have a go. Me and you. I’ll help you. We’ll practise every day, see how it goes. What do you think, boys?’

‘I think Boysie’s wedding won’t be the same without his favourite aunt singing for him. Come on, Auntie Kerry, you can pick the number yourself. We’ll get Bessie’s old band, they’re still going strong. Last I heard they was at Ronnie Scott’s. What do you say? Bessie will be going anyway.’

Kerry began to feel a thrill of enthusiasm surging through her body.

‘Well, I can give it a try. I heard a great number the other day actually ... It was on the wireless...’ Her voice trailed off. ‘I don’t know, boys, I don’t know if I can still hack it.’

Boysie and Daniel grinned at her, identical grins, showing identical teeth.

‘’Course you can. Us Cavanaghs can do anything!’

Kerry smiled and took another deep drag on her cigarette. Some of the Cavanaghs can do anything, she thought. But not all of them.

Not me.

‘Is Evander coming over for the wedding?’ Her voice was light.

Boysie’s face sobered instantly.

‘Would you mind if he did? If you don’t want him there he won’t be invited. Lissy will understand.’

Kerry sighed. ‘I don’t mind, Boysie. You have whoever you want, my lovely, it’s your day after all.’

Boysie kissed her cheek gently. She could smell his lemony aftershave and the remnants of the scotch he had drunk at lunchtime.

Her mouth watered.

One drink, that’s all she needed, and she’d sing like a blasted canary. The wedding would be laden down with booze and they couldn’t watch her continuously.

Not even the Cavanaghs could do that.

‘Did I tell you the BBC were after your aunt to sing on one of their shows?’ Briony told the boys proudly. ‘Since “Miss Otis Regrets” has been used for that perfume ad, she’s become quite famous again.’

Daniel shook his head.

‘Why don’t you go for it, Auntie Kerry? I’ve heard you singing to yourself and you sound OK to me. You’d probably be a guest on loads of programmes. Might even get on Simon Dee’s.’

Kerry laughed nervously.

‘Look at me, Danny Boy, I’m an old woman. Who’d be interested in me?’

Briony tutted loudly. But what Danny said had given her an idea.

‘Be ready at nine-thirty tomorrow, Kerry. Me and you are off out for a while.’

‘Where to, Bri?’ Kerry’s voice was suspicious.

‘You’ll find out in the morning. It’s a surprise.’