She spotted her grandson sneaking a puff of a cigarette someone had left burning in an ashtray, and sighed with irritation. He was going to be a holy terror, that fucker, and Imelda would have many a sleepless night over him. Young Delroy was not going to be easy to control; he was a born mischief-maker, just like her Jack. He had arrived at the church late, and had since gone on the missing list. Peter was far from happy about his youngest son’s antics, and she was waiting for them to have words one of these days. Ria had a bit of a soft spot for her youngest – probably because he was her baby. He’d been acting a bit odd recently – very secretive. Worse, though, was the knowledge that he had stolen some of her jewellery. Not the big stuff – he knew his father would notice if that went on the trot – but he had stolen her everyday stuff. He didn’t understand that it was the cheaper jewellery, the necklaces and rings that her Peter had bought her when they were young, that meant the most to his mother. Now it was all gone, in an uncle’s somewhere. She was keeping it from Peter at the moment, but it broke her heart. She suspected he’d been stealing from Imelda too and wondered if she should talk to her daughter about it. She hoped the situation would right itself. But Jack was Jack, and she feared he wasn’t going to change any time soon.

Lena tapped her on the arm to get her attention. ‘Your Imelda’s just getting to the point of rowing.’

Ria got up a little unsteadily; they’d had more to drink than she thought. She could do without all this. ‘Thanks, Lena. Fucking real, eh?’

Imelda was at the bar; her father was talking with a crowd of men on her left-hand side, and her Uncle Daniel was with his friends to her right. Ria wondered at what people really made of it all.

Imelda was pointing a long, manicured finger into her husband’s face, and Delroy was not looking too happy about it.

‘You look at her again – I mean it, Delroy – and I’ll fucking go over there and lay her out.’

Ria stood in front of her daughter. ‘I beg your pardon? Who are you going to lay out?’

Delroy sighed, clearly frustrated. He was a handsome man all right, but Ria wondered why her daughter couldn’t control herself where he was concerned. She wished Imelda could see herself right at this moment, see how spiteful and vicious she was being. If she could only see herself as everyone else saw her, she would be so ashamed and embarrassed she would never let herself get so upset in the future, not in public anyway.