Lena thought about his question for a few seconds before saying, ‘To be honest, Dan, I can’t take to her, and God knows I’ve tried. But there’s something about her I just can’t abide. Do I sound nasty saying that?’

Daniel saw the genuine sadness on his wife’s face at the quandary she found herself in and, laughing, he answered her by saying, ‘Well, that makes two of us, Lena! I think she is “high maintenance” as they call it nowadays. She has too much to say for herself, and nothing I’ve heard her utter has been worth a fucking wank. She is a lovely-looking girl – no one can take that away from her – but she has no real substance to her. It’s all top show.’

Lena was taken aback at just how accurately her husband had described Bernadette O’Toole. She could not have put it better herself. The girl was stunning, absolutely gorgeous in fact, but once you got past her looks, there was nothing else to keep your interest. She had no warmth to her; she didn’t seem to engage with anyone on a personal level – in fact, she didn’t even seem to engage with Petey properly. They didn’t look or interact like a couple somehow.

‘I’m amazed at what you just said, Dan, because I think that as well. I know Ria feels the same too, but it’s Petey’s choice, ain’t it? Shame that no one’s kids ever think of the fact that the people they bring into their lives also have to be a part of the whole family. They should think about that before they inflict their choice on everyone else!’

Daniel laughed out loud at Lena’s honesty. But she was right, this generation were all selfish little fuckers. Years ago people had the nous to look at the whole package – this generation just looked at the outside. Looks were so important now – in fact, they took precedence over everything else. But a personality went a lot further than good looks in a marriage. His Lena had always understood him, as he had understood her, that was why they were still together. Peter and Ria were the same – they had stood by each other no matter what, and no matter how hard things had got. Look at Ria and her boy Jack! She had understood that Peter had no option but to take that useless cunt out of the family equation. He would stake his last few pence that this O’Toole piece had no idea of that sort of loyalty. She would be on the trot at the first whiff of aggro. Petey Bailey would sup sorrow from a long spoon, as his old mum used to say, and he would rue the day he tied himself to such a female.