‘He was sick this morning, so I kept him home,’ Viv replied. Lenny had started the infant school Brenda attended a couple of weeks ago. There was one lad who’d been a bit nasty to him, but other than that he’d settled in well.

‘I got a smack, Auntie Queenie, ’cause I ate all the biscuits.’

‘Yes, he did. No wonder he was sick, Queen. Scoffed his cereal as though he hadn’t eaten for a week, then I caught him polishing off me Garibaldis. Vomited all over the bleedin’ carpet, the greedy little sod.’

Queenie laughed and cuddled her nephew. He was slightly overweight for his age, loved his grub.

‘Where’s Vinkle, Auntie Queenie?’

‘Out roaming somewhere. Little bugger was trying to kill my birds earlier.’ Unbeknown to Yvonne, Queenie had changed her cat’s name. She still referred to it as Sparkle in front of the prat, but no way was she shouting that out in front of the new neighbours. The bleeding thing wouldn’t answer to Little Vinny, so Vinkle it was. Queenie had told the neighbours Brenda and Lenny had named it after their favourite nursery rhyme. ‘Wee Willy Winkle’ but couldn’t pronounce it properly, so she didn’t look a fool.

‘We need to talk, Queen. About Mum,’ Viv said.

‘Why? What’s the matter?’

‘I bumped into the vicar on my way round here. Mum’s vicar. Apparently, she’s distanced herself from him and all her church friends since you kicked off at the jumble sale. The vicar’s worried about her, reckons she’s too embarrassed to face them. Whatever did you say and do, Queen? Mum’s told me very little apart from you swore like a fishwife.’

‘I was so angry, I can’t really remember. To be honest, I don’t want to talk about it any more.’

‘Well, I think we need to. I know we’ve never particularly understood Mum’s involvement with the church crowd, but she made a new life for herself and seemed happy, until you kicked off. I know you were close to Mrs O’Leary and how upsetting it must have been to lose her beads. But I don’t want Mum becoming a hermit. Imagine if something happened to her and you two weren’t talking. You’d never forgive yourself, would you?’

Feeling a bit emotional, Queenie stood up. ‘I’ll make us a cuppa and I’ll think about what you’ve said later. But drop the subject for now please, Viv. I really ain’t in the best of moods today.’

Queenie’s mood changed for the better when Vinny arrived home at teatime just as she was dishing up her mince and onion pie. ‘You’re home early again, boy. Everything OK?’

Usually, Vinny met Yvonne from work weekdays and would spend hours with her before coming home around ten in the evening. This was the third day on the trot he’d arrived home early and Queenie was hoping her prayers had finally been answered.

‘Fine. What’s for dinner?’ Vinny looked and sounded glum.

‘Mince and onion pie, and we’re starving, so hurry up, Mum,’ Michael grinned, nudging his pal Kevin.