Ria laughed. ‘He’s all right, love, we love having him, you know that.’

‘Well, if you’re sure. The caterers are already setting up in the kitchen. Shall I help you dress the tables? It’s going to be so lovely, Ria. I hope Bernadette appreciates it.’

Even though Mandy didn’t realise what she had said, Ria was aware that the fact that she was also unsure of Bernadette’s reaction to everything spoke volumes. Miss O’Toole had not really endeared herself to the women in the family; in fact, she was the kind of girl who overlooked other women, more interested in the reaction she got from the men.

Ria sighed. ‘Well, Mandy love, we’ve done our best – we can’t do any more.’

Chapter Eighty-Eight

The engagement party was in full swing, and Peter Bailey watched as his son greeted the guests. He was a good man, of that Peter was confident. Over the last ten years, he had watched his lads grow into strong, trustworthy men, and he had been proud to be a part of their lives. Petey and Liam had both become close to him. After what happened with Jack they all understood the importance of family, and the need to ensure that family took precedence over everything else. That was the strength of the Baileys – they were so tight no one could ever get near them. Even when decisions – tough decisions – had to be faced, they understood that they were for the family’s benefit and, as hard as they had been, the choices had to be made.

Things had been better with Daniel too in the last decade. His brother had seen that his sons were more than capable of looking out for themselves, and he had been happy to let them grow into their roles in the family hierarchy. The days of them having to prove their strength were long gone – they were now accepted as the foremost family, not just in the Smoke, but in the whole of the UK. Nobody attempted anything of import without getting their approval first. The Baileys were sensible enough to know that they had to let other people, other families, have a good earn in their name. It was the only way to keep their position, and also the only way they could garner goodwill.