Albie ruffled Vivian’s hair. She spent an awful lot of time with him and Queenie now, too much time if he were honest. But Albie didn’t moan. The poor little mite had a shit home life with that father of hers. ‘Gonna get your favourite brother-in-law a beer, Titch?’

Vivian frowned. ‘Stop calling me Titch. I’m not a kid any more. I’m nearly as tall as Queenie.’

‘I know you are. Only messing, Titch,’ Albie winked. ‘So you gonna get me a beer or what?’

‘You can get your own sodding beer.’

Albie laughed as Vivian stomped off. He was relieved she seemed to have gotten over her schoolgirl crush on him. She’d made a pass at him on the evening of his wedding reception, tried to snog him outside. He’d laughed it off, but had never told his wife. Queenie would go ballistic.

Queenie kissed Mary on the cheek. The poor woman was tired and wanted to go indoors with Patrick. Daniel and Bridie hadn’t stayed long. She hadn’t even spoken to Daniel and he’d made no effort to speak to her. She sensed he wanted to avoid her just as much as she did him, but she could feel his eyes on her without even looking. ‘I’ll pop in and see you before I go home, Mary.’

‘Queenie,’ yelled Albie. ‘You remember meeting Aunt Liz, don’t you?’

A tiny woman with short blonde hair and a mouth like a foghorn, nobody would forget meeting Aunt Liz in a hurry. She was Ida’s sister. Chalk and cheese, they were.

Liz patted the chair next to her. ‘Come sit ’ere, me darlin’ and ’ave a Guinness. Good for the baby, a bit of iron.’

Having not had an alcoholic drink all day, Queenie sat down and gratefully sipped the Guinness. Albie was bladdered, most people were.

‘What a day, eh girl? Bollocks to that bastard, Hitler. You’ll never beat the English,’ cackled Liz.

‘It’s been great,’ grinned Queenie. ‘So many outsiders see us East Enders as common trash. But our community is the best. Solid as a rock. I’d like to see all these posh farts cope like we did during the Blitz.’ Queenie craned her neck. She hadn’t seen her father all day, but here he was, staggering along with another bloke, arms around each other’s shoulders, beers in hand. There was no point in confronting him about her mother’s injuries while he was that inebriated.

‘So how’s our Albie treating you? Good, I hope. Never thought I would see him married off with a little un on the way. Don’t get me wrong, he’s got a good heart has Albie. But he’s always been a bleedin’ spiv. He’ll make an all right father though, I reckon. Loving, ya know.’

‘What do you mean exactly? Albie was engaged before he met me to Suzanne. He told me about her.’

‘Oh, her. Yeah, she was never Albie’s type, that one. She was a bit posh, not one of our own. Didn’t come from the East End. I think she was bowled over by his voice, like most women are,’ laughed Liz.