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the first night he brought her here and she was all over him. She seemed to be flaunting him, as though to say “Look what I’ve got”. I didn’t know where to put meself, and me older than her. He didn’t take long to forget me mam, and I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him for that.’
    ‘Yeah, I’ve got to say it was the biggest surprise I’ve ever had in me life. If she’d been older I might have understood him marrying for companionship, but she’s a fly turn, just out for a good time. I’ve seen them a few times down Walton Road, and a stranger seeing them would take them for father and daughter until they saw the antics out of them. Stupid bugger, that’s all I can say.’
    ‘I often wonder what me mam’s old neighbours make of it. Especially the woman next door, Monica Platt. Her and me mam were real good mates. All the years they lived next door to each other never a cross word passed between them. And me dad used to be friendly with her husband, Phil – they used to go to the pub together a couple of times a week. I bet they’re not so friendly now he’s married a slipof a girl. They probably think he’s lost the run of his senses, and they wouldn’t be far wrong.’
    The gas-light started to flicker and Mary jumped to her feet. ‘I’d better feed the meter while I can still see it, save me fumbling around in the dark.’
    ‘Here yer are, I’ve got a penny in me pocket.’
    ‘No, I’ve got me week’s supply on the kitchen shelf.’ Mary reached up to where she kept the pennies, and as her hand covered the one at the top of the pile, a frown crossed her face. She lifted them all down and her frown deepened when she counted them. She’d put six there when she’d got back from the shops, she was certain of that, and now there were only four. When one had gone missing last week she’d put it down to a mistake on her part and thought no more of it. But she hadn’t made a mistake today, that was definite.
    Mary bent down and pressed a penny into the meter slot, then she turned the knob and waited for the coin to drop. Someone had taken two pennies and it wasn’t something you could just brush aside. But if she mentioned it to Stan now, it would only cause trouble and spoil the closeness there’d been between them. He hadn’t taken them, that was a cert, so that left the two girls. She’d have a word with them in the morning – try to sort it out without involving her husband. And she pushed aside the thought that there was no need to have a word with both of them because, God forgive her, she knew which one would be the thief.
    Stan folded the paper up when Mary came back into the room. ‘How about a cup of tea and then an early night in bed, love?’ There was that special look in his hazel eyes which never failed to set Mary’s pulses racing. ‘It’s yer own fault for reminding me of the days when we were courting.’
    ‘You cheeky beggar!’ Mary didn’t need to put a smile on her face, it came of its own free will. She’d sort out the problem of the missing pennies tomorrow, and make sure it didn’t happen again. But tonight belonged to her and Stan.‘I’ve a good mind to tell yer I’ve got a headache, that would dampen yer passion.’ She huffed. ‘Reminding indeed! That’s an insult, that is. I’m going to have to ask Amy for some tips, see where I’m going wrong. She said every time Ben looks at her his eyes fill with desire for her voluptuous body.’
    ‘She’s a corker, she is.’ Stan laughed. ‘She’s got a voluptuous body all right, yer could lose yerself in it.’
    ‘I’ll put the kettle on while you dream of Amy’s body. When I see her tomorrow I’ll tell her what yer said and she’ll be over the moon.’
    ‘Ooh, don’t tell her, love, I’d never hear the end of it. She’d be waiting for me coming home from work and she’d make a holy show of me in the street.’
    ‘Be a coward and come in the back way, then.’ Mary was chuckling as she