Knocking his drink back in one, Ed glared at her. ‘You can be such a selfish fucker at times. You’ve gotta come. All my family are gonna be there, and it ain’t gonna look good if I turn up without you. Not only that, I want the kids to be there. My dad, aunts and brothers ain’t seen ’em for fuck knows how long.’

‘But I don’t really know your family that well, and I won’t know anyone else there. It’s all right for you, Ed, you’ll be stood up the bar with the boys all night, while I’m sat alone like a lemon,’ Jess argued.

About to lose his rag, Ed stopped himself. ‘I’ll tell you what, why don’t you ring your mum and dad and invite them. That way, you ain’t sitting on your Jacks. Give us the phone, I’ll ring ’em for you.’

Knowing when she was beaten, Jess reluctantly passed Ed the telephone. She’d never felt comfortable around Eddie’s family. Ed always seemed to get drunk when they had a get-together and Jessica dreaded these odd occasions.

‘Sorted,’ Ed said, as he handed Jess the phone.

‘What did Mum say? Is my dad coming as well?’ Jessica asked.

Eddie laughed. ‘Your mother nearly had a heart attack with the excitement of it all. Your dad’s popped out, but your mum said he’ll do as he’s told. Right, you’d better get your arse in gear, I told me dad we’d be there at seven.’

About to walk out of the room, Jess saw Eddie pour himself a refill. ‘Ed, promise me you won’t get drunk tonight?’

Eddie shook his head in annoyance. ‘Jess, you’re me wife, not me keeper. Do yourself a favour, go and get ready and stop treating me like a fucking moron.’

Harry Mitchell had sworn everybody to secrecy. He didn’t want Reg to clock on, so, instead of holding the party in the Flag, he’d booked the hall in the Marquis of Salisbury. He’d told Reg he was taking him out for a quiet meal with the boys.

‘I don’t want no fucking circus,’ Reg warned him.

‘You’re not fucking getting one. What do you think I’m gonna do? Throw you a big party?’ Harry lied.

Family and friends had been told to arrive at the Marquis at seven, half an hour before Reg was due there.

‘For fuck’s sake, cheer up a bit. You look like you’re going to a funeral,’ Ed hissed, as Jess got out of the cab.

Annoyed with his wife’s demeanour, Eddie ushered Gary and Ricky inside and left Jess to deal with the twins.

‘There you are. I wondered where you’d got to,’ Joyce said, as she spotted her daughter.