Freddie looked sheepish. ‘A colleague of mine arrested your dad a week or so ago, but let’s not talk about it today. I’ll tell you next time I see ya.’

‘No. Tell me now. You won’t spoil my day. I already know what a horrible waste of space he is.’

Freddie sighed. ‘He attacked a brass, put her in hospital. She’s OK, the girl, nothing life-threatening. We charged your dad though, so he’ll have to go to court.’

Queenie was disgusted, but not shocked. Viv hated being at home these days, so spent most of her spare time with herself and Albie. ‘I hope he gets banged up, the filthy pig.’

Freddie raised his eyebrows. ‘So how’s married life? You’re looking well.’

Queenie’s marriage was by no means perfect. Albie’s brother Bert was the main breadwinner at home, not Albie. It was Bert who paid the rent while she and Albie scraped together to pay the bills. But Albie was a gentle man. He never forced sex on her and she’d made it quite clear she didn’t want him fiddling with her breasts or noonie, which he’d accepted. She patted her stomach. ‘I’m pregnant.’

Having had his heart set on marrying Queenie himself, Freddie couldn’t help but feel slightly melancholy. ‘That’s great news. I’m really chuffed for you. Albie’s a lucky man. I gotta go now, Queen. I’m being summoned. I’ll catch you later. Enjoy your day.’

‘Your face, Mum! Where is the bastard? I’ll kill him.’ One side of her mother’s face was black and blue. Her eye was swollen too, like a bloody golf ball. Queenie was furious. It was by far the worst injury she’d seen inflicted upon her mother.

‘I know you’re not going to believe me, love, but I fell down the stairs last night. Your father wasn’t even in at the time,’ Molly replied truthfully.

‘Too right I don’t believe you. Why you always covering up for that shitbag, eh? You’re worth so much more. If only you could see it.’

Molly’s eyes welled up. She hadn’t stopped thinking about Edna since Churchill’s announcement. ‘Let’s not argue today please, love. I do wish your aunt was celebrating with us.’

‘Yeah. Me too. Listen, Mum, I can’t afford to keep giving you a huge chunk of my wages to pay your rent any more, we need stuff for the baby soon and Albie needs me to help out with the bills. Dad’s gonna have to get off his drunken arse and get another job.’ No way would Aunt Edna want her to continue to pay her mum’s rent if that bastard was knocking her about like that.

‘OK, love. I understand.’

Spotting her sister, Queenie ran over to her. ‘Was you at home when Dad attacked Mum?’

‘No. Mum swears he didn’t do it. She was in bed when I come in from yours last night and Dad came in after me. There was no arguing. Dad crashed out on the sofa.’

‘Oh believe me. He did it, Viv. I hate him. I wish he were dead.’