Queenie was stunned, her legs like jelly and her heart soaring. ‘What, you’re going to leave Bridie?’

‘Well, no. I would if I could, but I can’t, can I? Mother would go apeshit and I’ve got a nipper.’

‘Are you asking me to be your mistress then? Your dirty little secret?’

‘Nah. You’d be far more than that. I think a lot of you, Queenie.’

Queenie was devastated. She had dreamed of this moment and yet again he’d let her down.

‘I’d never lower myself to be some man’s bit on the side and I could never betray your mum in such a way. How dare you even ask me such a thing!’

Daniel shrugged. ‘Suit yourself, but see him in there, he’s one of life’s losers. I could give you the life of Riley. Think about it.’

Queenie was about to reply when Albie came outside. ‘Everything all right, Queenie?’

Queenie glared at Daniel, ‘Yes. This is Daniel, Mary’s son. He’s just leaving.’

Queenie’s mind was all over the place for the rest of the evening. She couldn’t concentrate on chatting to Aggie, or watching Albie sing. She’d told Aggie that Daniel had wanted to speak to her about his mum. No way would she tell anybody what he’d said, especially Mary. Mary would go bloody ballistic. What front he had to expect her to settle for a life as his mistress. Who the hell did Daniel O’Leary think he was? That was the first time she’d ever seen him drunk and she’d hated his cockiness. If he’d told her he would divorce Bridie, things might have been different. But even then, she could never break Mary’s heart. It truly was time to forget about Daniel for good. An arrogant womanizer like her father, that’s what he was, Queenie tried convincing herself. But she was hurt more than she could have ever imagined. The knot deep down in her stomach wouldn’t go.

By the time the pub emptied and Queenie sat with Albie at a table in the corner, she wasn’t in the best of moods. Albie smiled. ‘I’m sorry if I upset you last night. I’m not quite sure what I did wrong though.’

‘Whenever I mention marriage or kids you seem to think it’s some big joke, Albie,’ Queenie replied, before pouring her heart out.

Albie listened in earnest. ‘We can’t rush into things, love. We’ve only been together a matter of months. Of course I’m serious about you and Mum adores you too.’

Queenie sighed. ‘Aggie and Terry had only been together a matter of months, but he proposed to her. I want to settle down, have children while I’m young.’

‘I want to settle down too and have kids. One day. I’m different to Terry. I’ve never rushed into things.’

‘But you were engaged to Suzanne,’ Queenie argued.

‘Yeah, I was young, foolish. That’s why I’m more wary now.’

‘We’re getting nowhere are we, Albie? It seems we want different things in life, so it’s best we call it a day, I think.’