She smiled happily. After tonight, her life was settled; she would be a part of the Bailey family, and everything that entailed. It had been a long old haul, but it had been worth it. Soon she would be Mrs Peter Bailey Junior, and that was just about the best any girl could ever hope for. She was going to be the First Lady of the South East, and she intended to make sure that everybody knew that.

Chapter Eighty-Seven

Ria was determined to make this a really good night. True, she had her reservations about Bernadette, but she knew she had to keep them to herself. Her Petey was ‘plighting his troth’, as Theresa kept putting it in her own sarcastic way. She did not like Bernadette at all, but it was Petey’s choice at the end of the day.

Liam and Mandy were both helping with the arrangements, and she was glad that he had seen the sense to marry her. Mandy was a good girl, and she had become very close to her over the years. Her only sorrow was that they had not yet had their own child, though Liam seemed happy enough as they were. Young Bernard adored him, and he adored Bernard right back. He was a natural-born father was her Liam, and it was unfair really that they had no other children.

She looked around the room, and she was pleased with how it had turned out. She felt that having it in her own home was a way of making it more personal, as well as ensuring that it didn’t get out of hand. Her Petey was a good lad, but he did like the clubs a bit too much. Now he was settling down at last, she was hoping that he would take this engagement seriously enough to curb his wild ways. Bernadette O’Toole might not be her first choice where her son was concerned, but she hoped the girl had enough life in her to make sure the man she married would toe the line. Petey needed to settle down, and the sooner that happened, the better. Ria wanted more grandchildren, and she wanted her boys settled, like her Imelda.

As she checked everything was in order, Bernard came running up to her. Now twelve, he was a handsome boy with his blond hair and his big blue eyes, and Ria loved him. He slipped his arms around her waist and she instinctively hugged him to her.

‘Nana, Nana, can I stay here tonight?’ It was his usual request; he loved staying with his nana and granddad, and Bernard was as much a part of the family now as little Delroy or Tania.

‘’Course you can! You know you can stay here any time you like!’

Mandy grinned, as she followed her son into the room. ‘You let him get away with everything! You know he already has his overnight bag packed, don’t you?’