The telephone conversation continued for a good few minutes, and when the O’Connells finally agreed to attend their daughter’s engagement party, even though it was at very short notice, Vinny couldn’t help but smirk. Colleen’s family hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the Butlers yet, and he would make damn sure they never fucking forgot them in a hurry. If his plan worked, not only would Michael be single again, but so would Roy.
Donald Walker was totally incensed. He had warned his wife that he thought his daughter was going to ignore his orders and stay out all night, but Mary had insisted otherwise. ‘Ring that Rhonda, now,’ Donald ordered, his voice booming even louder than usual.
‘I don’t want to wake the girl’s parents up, Donald. It’s gone eleven, for goodness’ sake.’
‘I don’t care if it’s three in the bloody morning. I have every right to know where my daughter is.’
‘Dad’s right, Mum. Nancy could be lying in a ditch somewhere for all we know,’ Christopher added solemnly.
Mary snatched at the phone. Fortunately, it was Rhonda who answered and not her parents. Mary hated people ringing people late at night. She deemed it unthoughtful and rude.
‘Well?’ Donald asked, hands on hips as his wife ended the phonecall.
‘Rhonda said Nancy told her that she is going to their friend Katie’s birthday party and will be home tomorrow teatime.’
A police officer in the making, Christopher was the first to reply. ‘Their friend! Why hasn’t Rhonda gone to this make-believe party as well then? Nancy is pulling the wool over your eyes, Mum. Ever since she went to that fairground she has been acting strangely. I told you not to let her go there, didn’t I?’
‘And I told you that she shouldn’t be allowed to attend such events too. If our daughter is currently shacked up with some rebel in a seedy hotel room somewhere, I will personally hold you responsible, Mary,’ Donald added.
Mary sighed wearily. She needed Nancy disobeying her father’s orders like she needed a bloody hole in the head. She now believed that her daughter was probably with some lad, but she wasn’t about to admit that to Donald and Christopher. They could light a fire without a match or petrol, those two. ‘If our Nancy said she is going to her friend’s party, then that’s where she is. I trust our daughter and there is no way she would lower herself by going to hotel rooms with some bloke, Donald.’
‘Well, I hope you are right, Mary, because if I find out that girl is lying to us, I will not allow her to darken our doorstep any more. She will not bring shame on this family. I am too proud a man.’
Nancy Walker sighed as Michael Butler made some funny noises and rolled off her for the second time that evening. Losing her virginity had had its high and low points. Having Michael on top of her and being so intimate with him had been the high point, but she hadn’t really felt much in a physical way apart from some pain. Rhonda had been telling her on their lunchbreak today that if she did do the deed she was bound to have one of them orgasms that everyone was talking about, but even though Nancy didn’t know exactly what they were, she was sure she hadn’t had one.
‘Are you OK, Nance? I didn’t hurt you too much, did I? Did you enjoy it?’ Michael asked. Nancy had earlier admitted that she was a virgin, so he had done his best to be as gentle as he could.
‘Of course I enjoyed it. I just love being with you.’
Michael grinned, and propped himself up against the pillow with his elbow. ‘Do you know what? That is the first time either of us has ever mentioned that daunting L-word. Do you love me, Nancy? I love you, I am proper sure of that.’
When Nancy nodded shyly, Michael held her in his arms and sighed deeply. He had always been a player ever since he had lost his virginity at thirteen years old, but no girl had ever made him feel the way that Nancy did. Even though he wasn’t positive that he could always remain faithful to her, he was sure she was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
‘What’s up? You look very serious all of a sudden,’ Nancy said, laying her head on Michael’s chest.
‘You’re gonna have to tell your parents about us soon, and I’m gonna have to tell my family. It’s the only way forward, Nance.’
Nancy felt fear engulf her stomach. ‘Oh, I can’t do that. Say my dad chucks me out?’
Kissing his girlfriend on her forehead, Michael said the words he thought he would never hear himself say. ‘If your dad chucks you out then we’ll move in together, Nance. In fact, we can even go better than that. We can get married.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Albie Butler hadn’t expected his family to go into meltdown over him supposedly staring death in the face, but he had thought Roy and Michael would have shown a bit more concern. Nearly two weeks it was now since Albie had been invited to dinner at Queenie’s house, and he had not heard hide nor hair from any of his family since.
Counting out the loose change in his pocket, Albie shuffled despondently towards the bar. He only had enough money left for a couple of drinks, and once that had gone he would have to suffer starvation and dehydration until he got his unemployment benefit handout on Thursday.
‘The usual, Albie?’ the barmaid asked.
‘No, just a pint today, love. Times are hard at present, so no more chasers for a while. Big Stan not been in today?’ Albie asked, hoping the man was about. Ever since he had told him that he had cancer, Stan bought him a drink or two virtually every day.
‘No, not seen him today. ’Ere, ain’t that your son just walked in, Albie?’
Albie looked around and was shocked to see Vinny walk towards him. Roy or Michael, he might have expected to pop in and buy him a pint, but not his eldest.
‘Get me dad a chaser. I’ll have a large Scotch on the rocks, and have a drink yourself,’ Vinny ordered the barmaid.
‘Thanks, son. It’s a nice surprise to see you, I must say. Was you local? Or, did you make a special trip to see your old dad?’
Ordering his father to sit down at a table, Vinny sat opposite him and smirked. ‘No, I was local. Popped over the hospital to see a pal of mine, who just happens to be a doctor there. Was worried about your illness, you see. But, you ain’t got one, have you, Dad? I knew when you stuffed two big bowls of Mum’s lamb stew down your gullet there was fuck all wrong with you, and surprise, surprise, the hospital you are supposedly having regular treatment at has never even heard of you. What a devious, wicked old fucker you are, eh?’
Knowing he’d been caught like a kipper, Albie Butler hung his head in shame. ‘I’m sorry, Vinny. I just missed yous kids so much, I said it out of pure desperation. I knew none of yous would have agreed to see me unless you thought I was dying. Have you told your brothers and your mother yet? They will hate me more than ever now, I know they will.’
‘Nope, and I might even keep your despicable lie a secret if you do something for me in return.’
‘What? I’ll do anything, boy, anything you want, providing you don’t tell anyone what I did. I will never be able to show my face round ’ere again if you do.’
‘Well, this is the deal. Tonight, I am holding a joint surprise engagement party at the club for Roy and Brenda. Unbeknown to Roy, I’ve invited his fiancée’s family over from Ireland. I want you to have a quiet word in the mother and father’s shell-like. Tell them that Roy is a ladies’ man. Say that he’s never been faithful to any bird in his life, and you have good reason to believe that he’s already cheated on Colleen, blah, blah, blah. You know what to say, being a serial womanizer yourself, eh, Dad?’
Albie didn’t like the sound of his task at all. Roy wasn’t a bad lad, and