| abstract | - Vicki Bright was the cousin of Audrey Fleming and came to Coronation Street from Preston at her behest in March 1972 to hand over 3 Coronation Street from tenant Ken Barlow to Ernest Bishop and Emily Nugent whose wedding was imminent. Audrey herself had been due to make the trip but cancelled at the last moment, unable to face everyone in Weatherfield after her affair two years before with Ray Langton though she was still interested in what her old neighbours were up to. Vicki quickly completed her business with Mr and Mrs Bishop-to-be and was intrigued to be introduced to Ray. For his part, he found himself instantly attracted to the chirpy young girl in a way he had rarely been with the many women in his life in the past. Audrey had naturally told her all about him and, interested herself, she accepted an invitation to the wedding and to lodge with Elsie Howard at 11 Coronation Street while they got to know one other better. Their courtship was a swift one, Vicki telling Ray that she wasn't interested in marriage having just broken off an engagement back in Preston to the ire of her parents. After a trip on a boating lake and a journey back to Preston to pick up her wedding dress, their romance continued and reached a new phase on the wedding day when Vicki asked to be taken out of the Mawdsley Street Chapel, claiming that she didn't enjoy such ceremonies. In a walk in a park, Ray asked her to marry him and was rocked when she broke the news to him that she was pregnant by her previous fiancé. Vicki made plans to flee back to Preston but changed her mind and asked Ray if he'd marry her if she had the baby adopted. He agreed but several of the neighbours could see disaster looming and stepped in: Ena Sharples told Ray that she would always miss the baby she gave up and Len Fairclough put it to Vicki as straight as he could, telling her that Ray was unreliable and would let her down in the end. Even though she recognised the truth of his words, she tearfully raged at him for his interference but also told Ray that marriage to him, on any terms, would be too much of a gamble. For his part, Ray initially blamed Len but then admitted that Vicki had always known her own mind and he couldn't hold him responsible for influencing her too much.
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