Marry me!
Steven proposes to a stunned Lauren – what will she say?
Steven Beale has fast discovered that pretending to have a brain tumour is a great way of getting what you want. When Lauren was about to leave him for Pe’er, all it took was his ‘confession’ that he might turn his toes up, and she was cancelling her flight quicker than you could say ‘fruit loop.’
Now that he’s kept the ambitious brunette in Walford, he’s not about to rest on his laurels. Well, what’s the point in telling a massive lie if you can’t milk it for all its worth? And so, in the middle of The Vic, in front of Jane, Ian and half of Walford, he asks Lauren to marry him – and she looks like she’d rather treat Karen Taylor’s bunions than become Mrs Beale.
Steven’s ‘diagnosis’ has thrown Lauren completely off kilter, and earlier, as she struggles to get her head round the situation, she pushes him to share his news with Jane and Ian. Not surprisingly, he refuses. ‘He tells Lauren that he doesn’t want to burden them– but of course, it’s about self-protection, reveals our Eastenders mole. ‘He knows the more he can contain his lie, the easier it’s going to be to keep it up.’
Later, as Lauren overhears an emotional conversation between Steven and Ian, she once again begs her boyfriend to come clean. But Steven stands his ground and then floors her with another bombshell – he wants to adopt baby Louie.
Lauren’s uncomfortable about the idea, and tells Steven that Pe’er – the lad’s biological father – would need to be consulted. But Steven doesn’t back down, and announces that he’s going to see a solicitor about applying for parental responsibility.
Meanwhile, Lauren is left feeling further troubled when Steven then calls a family meeting. Abi assumes he’s going to make a fool of her sister and dump her, but they are both stunned when Steven gets down on one knee and pops the question.
‘It’s a very public proposal and deliberately so,’ adds our Enders mole. ‘Steven knows that with all eyes on Lauren, she’s going to feel pressured into saying “Yes”.’
Feeling trapped, Lauren turns to her father Max for support. Bad move – her vengeful dad just makes things even worse. Will she be able to find a way out?
He knows that with all eyes on Lauren, she’s going to feel pressured into
saying “Yes”