Kitabı oku: «The Feud», sayfa 2

TWO

BACK AT EDDIE’S flat, Jessica fumbled with the zip of her boyfriend’s trousers. Realising she still had her knickers around her ankles, she quickly stepped out of them.

Eddie threw her onto the double bed. He expertly entered her and held both of her hands down with his own. He liked it that way; it gave him total control.

‘Aw, baby,’ he moaned as he shot his seed and pulled himself out of her. Not wanting to be selfish, Eddie used his index finger to pleasure her.

‘Oh Eddie,’ Jessica cried, as she reached her climax.

Confident that she was satisfied, Eddie rolled onto his back and lit up two cigarettes. Handing one to Jess, he grinned. He’d been told in the past by birds that he had bigger fingers than most men’s cocks, and he certainly knew how to use them.

‘Did you enjoy that, babe?’ he asked, as he studied the smoke rings he was blowing.

Jessica propped herself up on one elbow. She loved taking in his naked body and his handsome face. ‘I always enjoy it, Eddie, you know I do.’

Eddie put his arm around her and kissed her gently on the forehead. ‘So what do you reckon your parents thought of me?’ he asked.

Jessica laid her head on his chest. ‘Mum loved you. She thought you were great. Dad’s more old-fashioned, but I’m sure he liked you in his own way.’

Eddie smirked at her take on things. The mother he’d had eating out of his hand, but the old man, he knew, had hated him on sight. Gently easing Jessica off him, Eddie jumped out of bed.

‘I’m gonna have a quick bath and then I’ll take you out for a drink.’

‘OK. Save me some hot water so I can freshen up, too.’

Jessica smiled as she watched his muscly long legs and gorgeous naked buttocks walk away from her. She’d only met him four weeks ago at a mate’s birthday party. Their eyes had locked and that was it, they’d been inseparable ever since. Jessica couldn’t believe her luck. Eddie was rich, handsome and an absolute bloody catch. She’d had boyfriends in the past, even had sex with a couple, but none of them compared to him. Eddie oozed charisma. He treated her like a lady, so much so that he insisted on paying for absolutely everything and picking her up every day from the shoe shop where she worked.

‘No girl of mine is putting their hand in their purse or getting on buses,’ he told her bluntly.

Her workmates were filled with envy. None of their boyfriends even had a car, and when Ed had first pulled up in his gold Mercedes 250C, their jaws had hit the floor.

‘Jess, he’s gorgeous – and look at his posh car. You are so lucky,’ they’d crowed.

Jess giggled to herself. Ed had a big personality, a bulging wallet and a massive willy. No woman could want more and she was a very lucky girl indeed.

Jess thought about her mum’s life. She’d hate to be married to a bus driver and live in the same council house for years like her mum. Her mother didn’t want that either. She was forever giving her good advice. ‘Jess, with your figure and stunning looks, you can get anyone you want. Don’t make the same mistakes as I did and end up with someone like your father. If a good catch comes along, take my advice and grab him with both hands.’

Jessica was aware of how attractive she was. She had long, blonde ringlets, a cute, pointed chin, an amazingly slim figure and men went crazy for her dimpled cheeks.

‘The bathroom’s all yours, sexy,’ Ed said, walking towards her.

As Jessica walked past him, Eddie stared at her fantastic tits. When he was married to Bev, he’d played around with other birds. Meeting Jess had knocked him for six. She was a major piece of eye candy, had a terrific personality and, since they’d got together, he hadn’t so much as glanced at another piece of skirt.

Eddie did up the top button of his shirt. As he secured his tie, he thought about the sex they’d had earlier. He hadn’t used a rubber today, he’d forgotten to buy any and it didn’t bother him at all. In Jess, Ed was sure he’d found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and the quicker he put her in the club and stuck a ring on her finger, the better.

Eddie looked up as his brother, Ronny, slammed the front door.

‘Am I glad to see you.’

‘What’s up? Can’t you spend a day without me?’ Ed asked sarcastically.

Ronny walked towards him. ‘Don’t muck about, this is serious, Ed. The O’Haras are in the Flag. They’re mob-handed and we’re gonna need backup if we’re gonna sort it. They looked like they were about to smash the pub up. I think they’re trying to muscle in on our patch.’

Eddie’s features blackened. He’d never laid eyes on any of the O’Haras since last year when his face had got slashed to fuck. He’d caved Jimmy’s head in with a baseball bat that day, and the families had avoided one another ever since.

Ed had ended up with forty-seven stitches in his face, but Jimmy had come off worse. He’d spent over a month in hospital, and had to have numerous scans and tests to rule out brain damage.

The feud between the two families had been halted since then. Ed’s dad, Harry, had arranged a meet with Jimmy’s old man, Butch.

Harry had said, ‘Look, we’re all trying to earn a few bob here and no one needs all this extra aggravation. I’ll do you a deal. You stick on your patch and do what you’ve gotta do and we’ll stay on ours. If you agree to the deal, we’ll let bygones be bygones. If you don’t, and I find out your boys have stepped one foot in any of our boozers, I promise you there’ll be a fucking bloodbath,’ Harry had said.

Butch shook hands on it. ‘You have my word, you’ll have no more trouble from me or my lads,’ he promised.

As Jessica walked towards him in a white halter-neck catsuit, Eddie kicked Ronny to urge him to keep schtum.

‘You look gorgeous, darling.’

Jessica smiled. Any new clothes she bought now she kept round Eddie’s. She had to look the part for her new man.

Ronny was pissed off. What was more important, family business or fucking birds?

‘Where are we going?’ Jessica asked excitedly.

Eddie decided to give Canning Town a wide berth. He didn’t want Jess to see the other side of him. He was a lunatic when he got going and he knew if he came face to face with Jimmy O’Hara, he’d throw him straight through the pub window.

‘I thought we’d go to East Ham for a change. A bloke in the Burnell Arms owes me some dough and needs a little reminder. If it’s any good, we’ll stay there; if it’s shit, I’ll take you out for a nice meal instead.’

Jessica nodded happily. As long as she was by Eddie’s side, she didn’t care where she went.

Eddie handed her his keys. ‘Go and sit in the car, babe. I just need to have a quick chat with Ronny. It’s business, you’ll only be bored.’

‘Bye, Ronny,’ Jessica said as she left the flat. That was one of the things she loved about Eddie. She knew he was a bit dodgy and she found his little business chats and his life in general bloody exciting.

Eddie made sure she was out of earshot, then turned to his brother. ‘Don’t ever say too much about what we get up to in front of Jess, will yer?’

Ronny shook his head. ‘Fuckin’ hell, Ed. You can’t put birds in front of family business. You always used to put your family first when you were married to Bev.’

Eddie stood his ground. Ronny wasn’t as good-looking as him, and his bird, Sharon, was a big old heifer.

‘Look, Ron, family comes first and you know it does, but there’s no point in storming in the Flag tonight. We don’t know where Paulie is, for a start. Listen, the O’Haras will be well pissed up by now. If you were in there, they’ll definitely be expecting a visit from us. They’re probably staring at the door as we speak. Our best bet is to leave it a week or two. Let them think they’ve got away with it, and when they’re least expecting it, we’ll pounce on ’em.’

Ronny shrugged. Maybe he should go and find his other brother, Paulie. He’d round up a few faces and maybe they could sort it without Eddie.

Eddie read his mind. ‘Don’t start organising things behind my back, Ron. I’ll speak to Paulie tomorrow. We’ll sit down properly, put our heads together and hatch a plan.’

Ronny nodded. He knew deep down that Eddie was talking sense, but he was still annoyed. Both he and Paulie were older than Ed, but they never got to call the shots. Even his old man put Eddie before them. It was as though they were the lackeys and Eddie was being primed as his father’s successor.

Ronny let out a loud sigh. ‘Look, Ed, I like Jessica and that, but is she gonna be hanging round here all the time?’

Eddie smirked. He knew Ronny was fucking jealous. ‘Yes, Ron. For your information, Jessica’s here for the foreseeable future.’

Eddie slammed the front door as he left the flat. When he’d split up with Bev, he couldn’t be arsed buying a place of his own, so he’d moved in with Ronny. He hadn’t minded sharing with him, they’d got along OK, but since he’d met Jess, he could sense things were getting a bit awkward.

He opened the car door. ‘Sorry about that, darling.’

Jessica kissed him on the cheek. ‘Don’t worry about me. I know your business is important – you do what you have to do.’

As he drove towards East Ham, one part of Eddie’s mind was focused on Jessica and the other on business. The O’Haras had taken a bloody liberty. The British Flag, better known to locals as the Flag, belonged to the Mitchells. It was their headquarters, where they’d meet and discuss work matters. The O’Haras used the Chobham Arms in Stratford, and Eddie wouldn’t dream of taking the piss in their pub. Whatever happened, they had to be taught a lesson. He’d speak to his dad tomorrow, see what he had to say.

Eddie pictured Jimmy O’Hara’s ugly face. Word had it that since their little fall-out, O’Hara’s finances had gone from strength to strength. Jimmy was the middle son. He was only thirty-two, and owned salvage yards out in Essex. Ed hated the cunt with a passion. Jimmy thought he ruled the world and the silly big prick even had the cheek to call himself King of the Gypsies.

‘What do you think of them, Ed? Do you like them?’

Realising that he hadn’t listened to a word Jessica had said, Eddie apologised. ‘Sorry, babe, I had a police car up me arse and I was concentrating on that. Do I like who?’

Jessica laughed. ‘T. Rex. My brother Ray is obsessed with them. He spends hours in his bedroom playing their records and he’s even started wearing eyeliner like the singer, Marc Bolan. He’s in a band himself, with three of his mates. Ray plays the drums and they’ve done a couple of gigs locally. I went to see them play one night and I was shocked – they were actually quite good.’

Eddie shrugged. He’d never had much experience with blokes who wore make-up. ‘You sure your brother ain’t an iron?’

Jessica couldn’t stop laughing. ‘You must be joking. He’s a right lad and he’s got a different girl on his arm every week. Raymond’s one of life’s go-getters. He’ll make it big somehow, I just know he will.’

Eddie pulled up outside the pub. ‘How old did you say he was?’

‘Sixteen. He leaves school this year and my dad wants him to learn a proper trade. Raymond’s having none of it, says he wants to be a rock star and he’s not interested in doing nothing else.’

Eddie got out of the car and opened the passenger door for Jessica. ‘Don’t worry about your brother, he’s bound to grow out of it. Now, what is madam drinking tonight?’

As Jessica followed Eddie into the pub, she noticed how all heads turned their way. She clocked the whispers and loved the way people fell over themselves to acknowledge and be acknowledged by her handsome man.

‘I think I’ll have a glass of wine,’ she said happily.

‘Eddie! Long time no see. Christ, you’re looking well. What a lovely surprise to see you. Now, what would you and your beautiful lady like to drink?’

Eddie introduced Jessica to the guv’nor of the pub and left her chatting to him while he sorted out the money he was owed. ‘Won’t be a sec, babe. Just going to see a man about a dog,’ he said, winking at her.

Minutes later he returned with a big grin on his face.

Jessica nudged him, ‘Did you get your money?’ she whispered.

‘Plus interest,’ Eddie said laughing.

The Burnell Arms had a band playing and Jessica was happy to stay there. Ever since she’d met Ed, she’d gone off her food, so she didn’t fancy a meal. The evening flowed nicely and Jess had a wonderful time. At half-eleven, Eddie turned to her.

‘I think I should be getting you home now.’

‘Oh, I don’t want to go yet. Can’t I stay at yours tonight?’ Jessica asked.

Eddie shook his head. ‘I promised your mum and dad that I’d have you home at a reasonable time. I know you often stay at mine, Jess, but that’s when they think you’re staying at your mate’s. If you stay tonight, they’ll know we’re at it and I don’t want them to get the wrong idea about me.’

Ed thanked the guv’nor, said his goodbyes and led Jess from the pub. She only lived a short distance away and as he pulled up near her house, he noticed her look of disappointment. Pulling her towards him, he kissed her softly.

‘I’d love to wake up with you tomorrow, more than anything else in the world, but we need to do things properly. I know I haven’t said this to you yet, but I’m gonna say it now. I love you, Jessica Smith, and that’s why I want you to go home tonight. If we’re gonna have a future together, we need your parents to be on our side.’

Jessica looked at him with moo-cow eyes. ‘And I love you too. Please Ed, my mum wouldn’t care if I stayed round yours and she’d smooth it over with my dad,’ she pleaded.

Eddie shook his head. ‘It’s not your mum, Jess, I know she’d be OK. Look at things from your dad’s point of view. He knows I’m thirty, he knows I’ve been married, he knows I’ve got kids. If you stay out tonight, he’ll be worried sick and I don’t want to fuck things up for us. Trust me, I’m a man and I know how they think.’

Unable to tear herself away, Jessica kissed him passionately. Aware of him getting all excited, she put her hand on his erection.

Laughing, he grabbed her hand and moved it away. ‘Don’t start all that, else you’ll never get home. Seriously now, come on, be a good girl. I’ll pick you up tomorrow, OK?’

Jessica opened the car door. ‘Pick me up lunchtime if you like.’

Eddie shook his head. ‘I’ve got a bit of business to attend to. I’ll pick you up about six.’

‘I love you,’ Jess said.

Eddie winked. ‘Sweet dreams and I’ll see you tomorrow.’

THREE

FLOATING ON AIR, Jessica let herself into the house. Thankfully, her dad was in bed, but her mum was still sitting up reading a book.

Joyce folded the page and urged Jess to sit next to her. ‘I’ve been dying to know how your evening went. Oh, Jess, I thought he was lovely. Now, tell me everything from the start.’

Jessica’s eyes shone. ‘I’ve had such a wonderful evening, Mum. We didn’t end up going to the pictures, we went to a pub in East Ham instead. Eddie’s so popular, you know. Wherever we go, he has people hanging on his every word. And you’ll never guess what, Mum?’

Joyce could barely contain her excitement. ‘What? What’s happened?’

Jessica giggled. ‘He said the L word for the first time. He told me he’s in love with me.’

Joyce clapped her hands. ‘How did he say it? What were you talking about at the time? Did he say it in the pub?’

Jessica shook her head. ‘It was right at the end of the evening. We were outside chatting in the car. I wanted to go back to his flat, but he said no. He said that he promised you and dad that he’d get me home early and then he just said it. “I love you, Jess,” he said, and then he started talking about our future together.’

Joyce clasped her daughter’s hands. ‘That’s marvellous, darling. I’m so excited. I wish I’d seen his car. Why didn’t he come round in it earlier?’

‘His brother Ronny wanted to borrow it. Eddie’s so kind, he said yes straight away.’

Joyce smiled. ‘I’ve never been in a Mercedes. Do you think you and him could take me out for a ride in it one day?’

‘Of course. I’ll ask him tomorrow,’ Jess replied.

‘So what happens now? Do you think he might propose?’ Joyce asked.

Jessica shrugged. ‘Hopefully, soon he might. I’d definitely say yes if he did.’

Joyce studied her beautiful daughter. She was no longer a little girl. She was all grown up. Joyce held both of her hands. ‘Let me give you some advice, darling. True love is extremely hard to find, I should know. So if you’re lucky enough to have found it, make sure you hang on to it. I mean, Eddie’s thirty, isn’t he? And when a man’s been married, he’s obviously used to a sexual relationship. Don’t let him get away, Jess, you do what you’ve got to do to keep him happy.’

Embarrassed, Jessica stood up. She was close to her mum, but wasn’t used to discussing her sex life with her. ‘I’m tired now, Mum, I’m gonna go to bed. I understand what you’re saying and don’t worry, I won’t let him get away.’

As Jessica left the room, Joyce couldn’t stop smiling. She couldn’t wait to tell all of her friends at her dressmaking class. None of their daughters had captured a bloke half as good as Eddie, and she couldn’t wait to brag about her daughter’s rich, handsome boyfriend.

After a restless night, Eddie got up early and sorted out a meet with his father. Two o’clock at his aunt’s house was the arrangement. His Auntie Joan lived locally in Whitechapel and she allowed them to hold all their urgent meetings upstairs in her house.

His Auntie Joan had all but brought him and his brothers up, and Eddie was still very close to her. His mum had died when he was five years old. Ed could just about picture her face and he remembered her giving him lots of cuddles. The only other memory he had was of her coughing continuously and spitting blood into a bucket. One day he’d gone off to school and when he returned, she was gone.

He was too young to understand what was happening at the time, but he found out years later that she had been taken to a sanatorium and had later died there. Apparently, she’d contracted tuberculosis, better known as TB, and it was that, and pneumonia, that had killed her.

Harry, his dad, had never remarried. His house was still a shrine to the woman he had lost and he spent hours tending her grave. He visited a woman called Sylvie and sometimes took her out, but he refused to get too close. ‘Your mother was the kindest, most beautiful woman in the world. No other woman will ever hold a candle to her,’ he repeatedly told Eddie.

Eddie looked at his watch. His stomach was rumbling and he needed a nice cooked breakfast to start his brain functioning properly. He opened Ronny’s bedroom door.

‘Wakey, wakey. You getting up today, or what?’

‘What’s the time?’ Ronny mumbled.

‘Ten o’clock. I’ve arranged a meet with dad for two. I wanna go to the café first, then we’d best pop our heads in the Flag, see if them bastards did any damage last night, before we meet the others.’

Ronny propped himself up and squinted at Eddie through one eye. ‘Sorry if I was a bit out of order last night. Jess is a top girl and I really do want you to be happy.’

Eddie smiled. ‘Forget it. Now get your fucking arse in gear, I’m starving.’

A full English fry-up was followed by the trip to their local. As Eddie walked in, he was relieved to see that the pub still looked intact. John, the guv’nor, was out, so he got the lowdown off Betsy, the barmaid.

‘They never touched the bar area, but the sinks in the gents were pulled off the wall. Dirty, foul-mouthed bastards they were. You should have heard the things they were saying to Kim, the pretty new barmaid. She burst into tears in the end and I had to send her home.’

Eddie ordered himself and Ronny a drink. ‘Did they cause agg with any of the regulars?’ he asked.

Betsy shook her head. ‘All the regulars left soon after they arrived. They were so bloody loud, no one could hear themselves think.’

Eddie told Betsy to keep the change and thanked her for the information. ‘Tell John I’ll pop back and see him tomorrow. And if anyone comes in asking for protection money, tell him not to pay it.’

‘You don’t think they’ll come back, do you?’ Betsy asked. ‘Only, I’m in here on me own till tonight.’

‘I doubt it. We’ll have to pay ’em a little visit, let ’em know they’re not welcome.’

Betsy smiled. She loved Eddie Mitchell: he was handsome, had a real presence about him and she wished she was twenty years younger.

Eddie and Ronny left the Flag and drove straight over to Whitechapel.

Auntie Joan let them in and gave them both a big hug. ‘Your father, brothers and Uncle Reg are already upstairs. You go on up and I’ll bring you up some tea and sandwiches.’

Eddie got straight down to business. His dad, Uncle Reg and brothers sat quietly as the story of the O’Haras unfolded. No one said a word until he’d finished, then Ronny was the first to speak.

‘They’re obviously trying it on on our turf again. I bet they go round all our boozers and start demanding protection money. I think we should go in the Chobham with shooters. Can you imagine their faces if the five of us walked in armed?’

Harry Mitchell looked at Ronny as though he’d just crawled out from under a stone. ‘Shut up, you idiot. The Chobham’s their fucking headquarters, they’ll have so many witnesses backing ’em up, we’ll be nicked within an hour.’

Ronny felt his face redden. His dad had a wonderful way of putting him down and treating him like an imbecile in front of the rest of the family. He never did that to Eddie. Whenever he came out with an idea, his old man listened intently.

‘All right to come in, boys?’

Harry jumped up and answered the door to Joan.

‘That plate is ham and the other one’s salmon. I baked you some rock cakes and there’s more downstairs if you want them.’

Harry smiled as he took the trays off Joan. When his beautiful wife had been so cruelly taken from him, her sister had taken over from where she’d left off. She’d cooked, cleaned, washed, ironed and even taken care of the boys for him. Harry had never forgotten her kindness and had seen her all right over the years. When her husband, Alf, had run off with another woman, Harry had had him kneecapped and paid up her mortgage for her. Alf was now confined to a wheelchair, lived alone and was unable to walk, let alone run, the fucking arsehole.

As Harry munched away on a ham sandwich, he came to a decision. He’d leave the boys out of this one and sort it out himself. Butch O’Hara had shaken hands with him and called a truce, which had now been broken. Therefore, it should be Butch that was made to pay.

Pouring himself a cup of sugary, strong tea, Harry sipped it in almost a ladylike fashion and then wiped his mouth with a serviette.

‘Right, I’ve come to a decision,’ he said.

As always, the table fell silent as the head of the family spoke. ‘I don’t want yous boys involved in this one. I had a deal with Butch and it’ll be him that pays.’

Paulie was the first to speak. ‘You can’t do it alone, Dad. His sons are always with him, you’ll need back-up.’

‘You’re not a teenager any more,’ Ronny told his father.

Harry thumped his fist on the table. ‘I’m fifty-five, not fucking ninety. Now, I want you all to take note of what I’m saying. I am sorting this one out alone and if any of yous starts your own war with Jimmy O’Hara or any of the others behind my back, you’ll have me to answer to.’

No one argued. When Harry Mitchell gave out orders, he was always obeyed.

‘How you gonna collar Butch on his own?’ Eddie asked.

Harry smiled. ‘Every Wednesday morning Butch travels alone up to Southhall horse market. It’s his only day away from the boys. The horsebox he goes in isn’t kept on the site, he keeps it in a lock-up around the corner. He leaves really early, about half-five and I’m gonna wait for him at the lock-up.’

Reg nodded. He loved the idea. ‘What you gonna do? Frighten him or finish him off?’

Harry shrugged. ‘I dunno. Butch is probably totally unaware that his boys have been performing on our territory. I might just shoot him in the foot, give him a little warning. Mind you, if we have any repercussions, I’ll blow his fucking brains out.’

‘Why don’t you just blow his brains out anyway?’ Ronny said, laughing.

Harry ignored his idiotic son. ‘Oh, one more thing before we go. I’m gonna need a driver to come with me. You up for it, Eddie?’

‘Sure, Dad. When do you wanna do it, this Wednesday coming?’

Harry pondered momentarily. ‘I think we’ll leave it till the following week. They might be waiting for repercussions and we want them to enjoy a nice little surprise.’

Ronny glanced at Paulie. Neither said anything, but both were thinking the same thing. At thirty-six, Paul was the oldest. Ronny was thirty-three, yet Eddie, the youngest, was the golden fucking boy.

Reg clocked Ronny’s annoyance and looked away. He was Harry’s younger brother and had always been in his shadow, yet it had never bothered him. He didn’t mind Paulie, he was OK, but Ronny was a moron and Reg made a mental note to keep a close eye on him. For months, he’d noticed him becoming more and more jealous of Eddie and it wasn’t on – they were brothers, for fuck’s sake.

With the meeting over, everybody said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

Joyce glanced at the clock and opened the oven door. She tested the knife in her fruit cake and, happy it was properly cooked, put it on the kitchen top to cool down. Eddie was due to pick her daughter up soon, and she’d baked it especially for him.

Sitting in his armchair, Stanley was unable to concentrate on Hawaii Five-O. Usually, he was glued to anything Steve McGarrett did, but today the only thing he could concentrate on was that smarmy bastard who would shortly be picking his daughter up.

Stanley hadn’t been able to sleep properly the previous night and, when he had dozed off, he’d had nightmares about Harry Mitchell. He’d dreamt that Mitchell had taken out his eye instead of Roger Dodds’.

His nightmare had only come to an end when Joyce punched him in the side of the head. ‘What you screaming out and fidgeting for? You silly old bastard,’ she’d said.

Stan had ignored her and gone downstairs to make himself a cup of tea. He’d sat up the rest of the night, frightened to go back to sleep in case his nightmare returned.

Joyce heard her daughter coming down the stairs and yelled out to her to come into the kitchen.

‘Well, how do I look?’ Jessica asked.

Joyce stared at her. She was wearing a flowery top, white plastic boots and sexy yellow hotpants.

‘You look sensational. Where did you get your shorts?’ she asked.

Jess giggled. ‘They’re not called shorts, Mum, they’re hotpants. They were only cheap, I got ’em down Petticoat Lane.’

‘What time’s Eddie picking you up? Where’s he taking you tonight?’ Joyce asked excitedly.

‘He’s picking me up at six, I’m not sure where we’re going yet.’

Joyce smiled and pointed to the fruit cake. ‘I made that for your Eddie. Are you gonna invite him in?’

‘I wasn’t planning to.’

Noticing her mum’s disappointment, Jessica immediately changed her tune. ‘I’m sure he’ll have time to come in for a quick cup of tea,’ she said.

Joyce urged Jessica to shut the kitchen door. Last night, she’d been so excited about her daughter’s romance, she could barely sleep. She had thought of an idea and she really didn’t want Stanley earwigging.

‘What’s the matter?’ Jessica asked.

‘You know what we were talking about last night? About you making sure you don’t let go of Ed.’

Jessica nodded.

Moving nearer, Joyce continued. ‘Why don’t you trap him? You know, get pregnant on purpose. I mean, let’s face it, Jess, blokes like him don’t come along every day and I’m sure if you were carrying his child, he’d propose.’

Jessica looked at her mother in horror. She wanted Eddie to propose to her because he loved her, not because she had a bun in the oven. They’d done it twice without a rubber, but only because Ed had run out, and she had no intention of trapping him. She was about to tell her mum to mind her own bloody business when the doorbell rang.

‘Quick, don’t keep him waiting,’ Joyce said.

‘Don’t you dare say anything about babies and stuff in front of him, Mum.’

Joyce pushed her towards the front door. ‘Of course not, dear.’

Stanley felt himself flinch as Eddie walked towards him.

‘Good evening, Mr Smith,’ Eddie said, holding out his hand.

As Jessica stepped out from behind him, Stan glared at her. ‘Surely you’re not going out like that? You’ve got no bloody clothes on.’

Jessica raised her eyebrows. She didn’t know who she liked the least. Her domineering mother, who was always trying to run her life for her, or her old-fashioned father, who still thought she was twelve years old.

‘It’s the fashion, Dad. All the girls are wearing hotpants.’

‘Well, I’ve never bloody well seen anyone wearing them.’

‘That’s probably because you spend half your life in the betting shop. No one’s gonna be wearing them in there, are they?’ Joyce shouted at him.

Desperate to get away from her warring parents, Jessica grabbed Eddie’s arm. ‘Come on, let’s go,’ she said.

Eddie let her lead him out of the living room. ‘Nice to meet you both again,’ he said politely.

‘Hang on a minute,’ Joyce shouted.

Seconds later she presented Eddie with an object wrapped in tin foil. ‘That fruit cake you liked, I baked you one,’ she said proudly.

Eddie pecked her on the cheek. ‘You’re a star, Joyce. I’ll have that for me supper.’

Jessica felt relief wash over her as Eddie drove away from the house.