The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (15 page)

‘I’m meeting Jonny this afternoon
at Eddie’s house,’ Jane announced. ‘But I’m feeling really nervous about it.’

‘You’ll be fine,’ Enid
said. ‘When the little lad gets used to you, bring him to see us. After all,
if, I mean,
when,
you and Eddie marry, I’ll be his step-granny.’

‘That would be lovely. Eddie will
feel like you’re accepting his child into the family too.’ Jane stood up,
stretching her arms above her head. ‘I’m off to get ready; then I’m going to
tell Sammy and Pat. I wanted you two to be the first to know, apart from those
who were at the party last night. You should have heard them all cheer when
Eddie went down on one knee to propose. It was very romantic and so
unexpected.’

Enid
shook her head and watched Jane stroll dreamily out of the kitchen.

Ben folded his News of the World,
picked up his mug of tea and looked at Enid.
‘Well, there’s a turn up for the books. How do you really feel, love? I know
you have your reservations about Eddie, and not without good reason.’

‘Actually, Ben, I’m getting more
used to the idea as the days go by. She’s loved that lad for a long time. If
I’m honest, I didn’t really give him a chance,’ she admitted, taking Ben’s mug
from his hands. ‘But it won’t be an easy ride for them.’

‘Hey, I’ve not finished my tea yet!’

‘Tough! Go and wake Pete up. The
pair of you can tackle that mess of a garden
while I get cracking with the dinner.’

***

‘Angie, are you ready to go,
love?’ Richard called down the hall.

‘I’m coming,’ she said, emerging
white faced from the bathroom.

‘Still feeling poorly?’ He took
her in his arms and stroked the straying curls from her face.

‘I wasn’t as sick as this with
Jonny. I thought it would have passed by now, but I feel worse than ever.’

‘Perhaps it’s a girl this time.
My clients tell me that women carrying girls have more morning sickness.’

‘You’re an old gossip, Richard,’
she teased. ‘A daughter would be lovely. It would make all this awful sickness
worthwhile. I’d better change Jonny before we take him to Eddie’s. It’s high
time he was potty trained. Seems to be taking forever. I’d like him out of
nappies before this one arrives.’ She patted her rounded stomach.

‘Are you telling Eddie about the
baby today? It’s time you did, before someone else does.’

She pulled a face. ‘Do I have to?
I don’t feel up to a showdown, and his mum and dad will be there. I’d rather
just drop Jonny off and run if you don’t mind. I’ll tell him when I’m feeling a
bit stronger.’

‘It’s up to you, but you’re
showing a lot. Someone at the salon’s gonna twig sooner or later and spill the
beans. You can’t keep wearing baggy clothes without attracting attention.
Anyway, go and change Jonny then we can get on our way. I’m looking forward to
having you all to myself for a whole afternoon.’

‘Me too,’ she said. ‘Shall we
have a walk when we’ve been to see the new house?’

‘Yeah, that sounds like a good
idea. But only if you’re feeling up to it.’

‘I’ll be okay. Looking around our
nice new home will cheer me up. We can measure the windows. I’ll buy fabric for
curtains next week and ask my mum to make them up.'

‘And
there’s
another
problem,’ he said, frowning.

‘What?’

‘Your mother. You still haven’t
told
her
.’

Angie nodded. ‘I will, but not
until I’ve told Ed.’

‘Okay. But it’s going to have to
be very soon. Or I’ll begin to think that you don’t want anyone to know this
baby’s mine. They’ll all be thinking it’s Eddie’s.’

‘Of course I want them all to
know the baby’s yours. Okay, if Eddie’s alone today, then I’ll tell him, I
promise.’

‘Thank you! That would make me
feel more secure with you.’

‘Richard, there’s no need for you
to feel insecure. I love you; you’re worth ten of Eddie Mellor,’ she reassured
him.

***

Jane felt sick with nerves as she
knocked on Eddie’s parents’ front door. His mother welcomed her inside with a
smile.

‘It’s nice to see you again, Mrs
Mellor.’ Jane handed her jacket to Lillian who gave her a hug.

‘And it’s grand to see you too,
love,’ Lillian said. ‘Ed's out in the back with the little chap. They’re
kicking a ball about. Go on through and I’ll make a pot of tea.’

Jane stood on the back step
watching Eddie with the little boy who was running up and down the lawn,
kicking the ball and shouting ‘Goal’. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
Eddie looked up and spotted her. He swung Jonny up and walked across the garden
to greet her.

‘Meet my boy,’ he said proudly.
‘Jonny, say hello to Jane.’

She smiled at Jonny and her
stomach lurched. Jonny grinned shyly back at her. The thought of Eddie having
sex with Angie and her carrying his baby made her feel physically sick. She tried
to push the vision to the back of her mind, but the nausea was rising.

‘I have to go to the bathroom,
excuse me.’ She fled upstairs and locked the door, leaning over the sink,
breathing deeply, remembering the last time she’d stood in the same spot doing
exactly the same thing. The awful night when she and Eddie first made love and
Angie turned up and announced she was pregnant. It was almost an action
re-play. Any minute now Eddie would knock on the door with her jacket in his
hands, telling her he was sorry but he was staying with Angie.

Seconds later, Eddie
did
knock on the door. ‘Jane, are you
okay? Let me in, please.’

She unlocked the door and sat on
the side of the bath. She looked at his worried face and felt foolish for
letting her imagination run away with her. He knelt on the floor and took her
hands.

‘What is it? You’re white as a
sheet. Is it Jonny, the shock of seeing him?’

She nodded. ‘I’m sorry, Ed. It
was the thought of you and Angie…you know.’

‘But it’s over. I love you more
than anything in the world. I’ll never let anyone come between us again, I
promise.’ He pushed her hair back from her face and kissed her. ‘Come
downstairs. Mum’s wondering what’s going on.’ He pulled her to her feet.
‘Reassure her that you’re okay.’

She composed herself and followed
Eddie down the stairs where his mum was standing in the kitchen wiping Jonny’s
nose. She looked up with concern as they walked in.

‘You all right, lovey? You look a
bit off colour. Is it something you’ve eaten?’

‘She’s okay, Mum. It's the
reality of seeing Jonny in the flesh,’ Eddie said.

‘We’ll have a nice cup of tea and
then you can go out and get some fresh air.’ Lillian patted Jane’s arm and
handed her a mug.

Jane smiled, wrapped her hands
around the mug and nodded. ‘I’m fine, really.’

‘Let’s walk down to the park.
We'll feed the ducks and go on the swings. Jonny I mean, not us,’ Eddie said.

‘That'd be nice. Have you any
stale bread?’ Jane asked Lillian who rummaged in her bread bin and produced
half a loaf.

‘It’s not really stale. But what
the heck, that child needs some spoiling.’ She popped the bread in a paper bag
and handed it to Jane. ‘It’s a beautiful day for the time of year. Mind you,
you need to be wrapped up. It’s chilly when the sun goes in. You watch him near
that pond now, Ed.’

‘Mum, I’m quite capable of
looking after him,’ he said as he zipped Jonny into his warm jacket and pulled
a woollen bobble hat over his ears. He collected his own and Jane’s jackets
from the hall. Jane stifled a giggle when he made a face behind his mother’s
back.

Lillian fastened a scarf around
Jonny’s neck and said, ‘Well in that case it’s time you took a turn at changing
his nappy!’

‘That’s something I’ll pass on if
you don’t mind. Anyway, Angie said he’s almost potty trained now.’

As Eddie fastened Jonny into his
pushchair, Jane thought how very different the little boy looked to how she’d
pictured him in her mind’s eye. His eyes were green, not Eddie’s startling
blue. His hair, although curly like Angie’s, was much darker than she’d
expected.

‘He doesn’t look a bit like you,’
she said as they walked down the road. ‘I expected him to have your lovely blue
eyes.’

‘Everybody says he takes after
Angie's family with the green eyes and curls. As long as he doesn’t have her
and her mother’s awful moods, he’ll be okay.’ Eddie looked proudly at Jonny who
chattered incessantly, pointing at things that caught his attention.

‘Where’s Angie this afternoon?’
Jane said as they turned into the park. 'Don’t fancy bumping into her.'

‘Out with Richard. They dropped Jonny
off earlier and they’re coming for him at six.’

‘Does she ever ask you about us?’

‘No. But saying that, she was
really odd when she brought Jonny round today. More so than usual I mean. She
stood on the doorstep for a while, almost as though she wanted to say
something. Then my mum popped her head round the door to say hello and she
hurried off.’

‘You don’t think she wants you
back, do you, Ed?’

‘Of course not. I wouldn’t go
back anyway. She seems happy enough with Richard. Not that I’ve ever spoken to
the guy. I wouldn’t recognise him if I fell over him. He always sits in the car
with his sunglasses on when they bring Jonny over. He’s a bloody poser if you
ask me.’

Jonny’s delight with the ducks
brought a smile to Jane’s face as he threw the bread into the pond. At the
children’s play area she lifted him onto a swing and pushed him gently to and
fro.

Eddie looked at them, smiling.
‘You’ll make a great mum, Jane.’

‘Give me time. I want us to have
some fun as a couple first, don’t you?’

‘Course I do. I never thought I’d
want more kids. But thinking of having them with you is wonderful. I’d like at
least two more. Think of the fun we’ll have practising making them!’ He grinned
lustfully and slipped his arms around her waist.

Jane laughed. ‘Do you men ever think
of anything else?'

‘Now and again,’ he teased,
running his fingers through her hair.

‘I told Mum and Dad this morning.
About your proposal, I mean,’ she said.

‘Honestly? What did they say?’

‘We have their blessing. It was
as simple as that.’

‘Blimey! Right, tomorrow
lunchtime we’ll go to Winters Jewellers and choose your ring. Make it official.
Is that okay?’

‘Perfect, Ed. Now let’s go home
and tell
your
parents our good news.’

***

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

MAY 1964

Preparations for the new store’s
opening were in full swing. For the last few days Eddie, Carl and John Grey had
taken delivery of the stock.

‘How’s that?’ Eddie leapt out of
the window and ran outside for a quick look at his handiwork. ‘Just the piano
to shove into the corner and we’re done.’

‘Looks great, Ed.’ Carl joined
him on the pavement, nodding his approval. The display of guitars, drums, brass
and wind instruments was set against a midnight blue velvet backdrop. A
selection of electric organs on stands at the front.

They hurried back inside to help
John slide the piano into place.

‘Thank Christ it’s the display
model,’ John said, catching his breath. ‘We very nearly did ourselves a
mischief hauling the bloody thing up.’

Carl ran his hands over the keys.
‘It’s got a really good sound. I can use it to give demos.’

‘We’ll be calling on your talents
soon enough,’ Eddie said, smiling at Carl's enthusiasm. ‘That classical
training won’t go to waste. Though God knows what your mum would make of you
playing like Jerry Lee. Right, let’s see how Jane and Stuart are getting on
with the record department.’

***

‘This looks amazing,’ John said,
admiring the colourful montage of posters and album sleeves that Stuart had
created. ‘You can tell he’s an art student, can’t you?’

Jane popped up from behind the
counter where she was sorting through boxes of records. ‘He’s been very
arty-farty tonight. Wouldn’t let me help him at all.’

‘You’ve been filing records.
That’s your talent, Jane,’ Stuart said, laughing as she poked out her tongue.

‘Only because you can’t remember
the alphabet,’ she said. ‘He was placing Russ Conway on the shelf before Perry
Como.’

‘I’d rather shove ’em both in the
bin!’

‘Now, now, each to his own,’ John
said. ‘Perry Como and Russ Conway fans pay your wages as much as
The Beatles
and
The
Rolling Stones
fans
do.’

‘Everywhere looks fabulous.’
Eddie looked proudly around his new store. ‘Me and Carl are gonna love working
here.’

‘I hope my new assistant is as
good as the one Ed’s pinching from me,’ Jane said.

‘I’m sure he will be,’ John
reassured her. ‘Sean Grogan’s a nice lad, very into music. Anyway, come next
Monday you’ll find out.’

***

The Raiders
celebrated the official opening day with a live
appearance, Eddie taking Kris’s place on drums. The shop was packed to the door
with fans.

As he sat behind the kit, Eddie
realised how much he missed drumming. A shiver ran through him. His hands shook
as he picked up the sticks. Singing with
The
Raiders
was good, and he’d be forever grateful to Roy,
but drumming was in his blood, under his skin. It was time to buy another kit. Roy
told him the other night that Kris had boasted of an offer from another group.
He was thinking of leaving
The Raiders
next month anyway, so it was only a matter of time.

***

Carl tapped his feet to the
music. He caught the eye of Tina Pickles and grinned. The junior sales
assistant flashed him a smile, her green eyes sparkling. With her long hair
caught up in a swinging pony tail and her shapely hips swaying in time to the
music, Carl thought she was the sexiest red-head he’d ever seen. He moved to
stand by her side. ‘What do you think of the band?’

‘They’re brilliant. I’ve never
seen them play before, but my friend saw them at The Roulette Club recently and
she’s
a big fan.’

‘Err, can I take you to the club
next time they play?’ he stammered. ‘That’s if you want to, of course.’

She smiled. ‘I’d like that,
Carl.’

‘Might as well see them while
they’re still around. John Grey says they’re destined for bigger things.’

Tina nodded. ‘I’m sure he’s
right.’

***

‘Are you entitled to a few days
off work?’ Eddie’s mother asked as he and Jane joined his parents for what had
become their regular Monday evening meal. ‘We promised Aunt Celia we’d go to Brighton
to check on her house while she’s away. But your dad’s lumbago’s playing up and
he can’t face the long drive. Do you and Jane fancy a little holiday? Perhaps
you could ask Roy and Sammy to go with you.’

‘Sounds great, Mum,’ Eddie said
as she placed heaped plates in front of them. ‘I’ll ask John if we can have a
couple of days off. It’s Bank Holiday next week so we’re closed Monday. What do
you reckon, Jane?’

‘Yeah, that’ll be lovely. I’ve
never been to Brighton. I’ll have to check with mum and
dad.’

Eddie nodded. ‘If they agree, we
can set off straight after Saturday night’s gig. Just drop our gear at Roy’s
place and go.’

‘Where are you playing Saturday?’
his mum asked, sitting down next to him.

‘The Manor Lounge Club.’

‘Well at least it’s local, so you
won’t be too late finishing. The groups’ playing all over the place these
days.’

‘Well there you go, Mum, fame at
last. All we need now is a good agent.’

‘Roy
said Frank James definitely wants to sign
you,’ Jane said, helping herself to carrots from the large dish Eddie’s mother
pushed towards her.

‘He does, but he told Roy
to get rid of Kris and replace him with me.’

‘Well Kris is leaving
The Raiders
anyway, so what’s the
problem?’ Jane asked.

‘He hasn’t actually given Roy
a firm date,’ Eddie said. ‘I won’t take his job from under his nose. That
wouldn’t be fair.’

‘
The Beatles
got rid of Pete Best and brought Ringo
Starr in,’ Jane said.

‘That’s what Roy
keeps telling me. Anyway, get a move on with your Shepherd’s Pie, or I’ll have
to finish it for you. What’s for pudding, Mum?’

‘Apple Crumble and custard.’

He licked his lips. ‘My favourite.
Best cook in the world, my mum. Notice I’ve put most of the weight back on that
I lost during my marriage?’ He patted his tummy, grinning at Jane.

‘Yes.’ She raised an eyebrow.
‘Don’t get too porky. I like my men nice and slim.’

‘Men? You mean man, singular, I
hope.’

‘Of course.’ She twisted her
engagement ring around on her finger. ‘I’ve had enough of these. This ring’s
here to stay.’

***

Roy
slumped forward in the passenger seat, snoring softly, the map he’d been using
on the floor by his feet. Eddie swung into Dorset
Gardens and pulled up outside Aunt
Celia’s Victorian villa. Jane and Sammy were asleep on the back seat, heads
touching.

‘Good job one of us managed to
stay awake,’ Eddie muttered and clambered out. ‘Or we’d have been wrapped
around a bloody lamppost.’

He opened the front door, stepped
into the hall and flicked on the light. He passed an occasional table at the
bottom of the stairs, where family photographs were displayed in silver frames,
and picked up a pre-war photo of his parents, smiling as he looked at his
father, smartly attired in military uniform, his mother in a two-piece with a
fox fur round her neck, looking up with adoring eyes.

There was one of himself in
school uniform. He remembered that it had been taken almost five years earlier,
the last year of school. He looked carefree, with a hint of rebellion in his
eyes. He’d had the world at his bloody feet then, but with all that had
happened since it seemed a lifetime ago.

He wandered into the spacious
lounge. It felt good to be here again and although Aunt Celia had recently
re-decorated the room in a fashionable shade of light orange, the brown leather
suite, leafy patterned carpet and cluttered shelves were familiar to him,
evoking memories of childhood holidays he’d spent in Brighton.

The door opened and Roy
sauntered in, bleary eyed and yawning. ‘God, I’m absolutely knackered by that
long drive!’

Eddie burst out laughing. ‘What
long drive? You slept most of the way. Anyway, go and wake the girls and bring
the bags in while I stick the kettle on.’

***

‘I can’t believe how sunny it
is.’ Eddie shaded his eyes from the glare of the sun and stared up at the
cloudless blue sky.

‘I’m roasting in these jeans,’
Jane complained. ‘I wish I’d brought my shorts with me.’

‘Me too,’ Sammy said. ‘I wasn’t
expecting the weather to be so nice.’

After a long lie in the foursome
had strolled through The Lanes and down to the beach. They were sitting close
to the sea, watching the waves lapping rhythmically over the pebbles. Gulls
swooped and dived, grabbing leftovers from picnickers.

Roy
whistled at a couple of golden retrievers who ran out of the sea. They stopped
by his side, tails wagging. ‘Mucky pups,’ he said as they shook their coats
over him before shooting off down the beach.

‘Serves you right for whistling
them,’ Eddie said, grinning as Roy
jumped up and wiped his face on his shirt sleeve.

‘I’m hungry. Fancy fish and chips
on the pier?’ he said, smacking his lips.

‘Roy,
it’s only a couple of hours since you ate a mountain of bacon butties,’ Sammy
said. ‘You’re always hungry, you gannet!’

Eddie got up and pulled Jane to
her feet. They followed Roy and Sammy up to the busy promenade.

‘Hang on a minute,’ Eddie said,
staring at a crowd of leather-clad youths who were congregating near the pier
head. ‘Something’s going on up there. The place is swarming with Rockers.’ He
placed a protective arm around Jane’s shoulders and turned at a roaring noise
behind them.

‘Fucking hell! Look at that lot.’
He pointed to a convoy of parka-clad Mods who were riding their fur and mirror
be-decked scooters slowly up the promenade towards the Rockers.

‘What’s happening?’ Jane said, as
several families, making their way along the prom with prams and picnic
baskets, grabbed hold of their children. Elderly couples, who'd been sitting on
deckchairs, began gathering their belongings and hurried to the safety of the
beach and Esplanade below.

‘I think we should make ourselves
scarce,’ Roy said. ‘There’s trouble
brewing here. Remember those Mods and Rockers riots in Clacton
at Easter? I bet this is a repeat of that.’

Eddie grabbed Jane’s hand and
pulled her across the road. He looked back, gasping as Roy and Sammy
disappeared in the sea of scooters and Mods, who were advancing with menacing
chants of -
Down with the Rockers!
And -
We want blood
!’

Spotting them, Jane waved
frantically. Sammy was white faced as she and Roy
reached the safety of the pavement.

Eddie pointed as two Rockers,
trying to escape on a Harley Davidson, were pulled to the ground by the
screaming, chanting Mods. ‘Jesus, the poor buggers!' he said as the steel
petrol tank crunched against the road. 'Let’s get back to Celia’s, quick.’

Each corner they turned Mods and
Rockers appeared from nowhere.

‘This is gonna be nasty,’ Roy
said as they hurried into Dorset Gardens.
‘Try not to catch anyone’s eye, or we’ll end up getting caught up in it and
it’s not even our bloody fight.’

Jane unlocked the front door and
they fell inside, slamming it behind them. Eddie shot the bolts in place.
‘Thank God my mum and dad stayed home. They’d never have coped with that lot.’

‘Go and sit in the lounge, girls
and I’ll make us a drink,’ Roy
said.

Jane and Sammy sank thankfully
onto the sofa and five minutes later Roy
carried in a tray of coffee, followed by Eddie with plates of toast and
chocolate biscuits.

‘Have these for lunch and Roy
and I will go for fish and chips later. I don’t want you girls going out for a
while, until we’re sure it’s safe.’

Sammy pulled a disappointed face.
‘Jane and I want to go back to The Lanes. That nice orange and white striped
dress I saw earlier will be sold if I don’t buy it soon.’

‘You’re not going out and that’s
final.’ Roy put his arms around
her. ‘I don’t want anything happening to you.’

‘I love it when you think you’re
being masterful, Roy.’ She planted
a kiss on his cheek.

Roy
tucked into the toast and chocolate digestives then yawned and winked at Sammy.
‘That’s filled a hole. I’m so tired. It must be the sea air. I could do with a
kip. How about you, babe?’

‘You’re so bloody obvious,
Cantello!’ Eddie said as Sammy smirked.

‘Don’t know what you mean.’ Roy
raised an innocent eyebrow. He took Sammy by the hand and led her out of the
room, both yawning loudly.

***

Eddie turned to Jane. ‘I’m glad
they’ve gone off to bed. I want to ask you something.’

‘What?’

He knelt on the brown furry
hearthrug in front of her. ‘That flat above the new shop,’ he began, lacing his
fingers through hers. ‘It’s still vacant. I’m thinking seriously about taking
the tenancy.’

‘Won’t it be really expensive?’

‘Probably, but I’ve got my wages
and the gig money. I’m not paying the rent on my old flat for Angie anymore. If
you move in with me we can manage the rent between us. Do you think your
parents will have any objections?’

‘They’ll have plenty. It took a
lot of persuading for them to agree to these few days away.’

‘Why? Your mum knows we sleep
together.’

‘Yeah, but Dad doesn’t. He made
me promise to share a room with Sammy and no hanky panky.’

‘I can just imagine,’ he said.
‘But you will ask them though? They might just say yes.’

‘I’ll ask, but don’t hold your
breath. Anyway, I thought you liked living back at your mum’s.’

‘I do
.
But we’ve nowhere to be alone, except when they’re out. There’s
the groups’ van, but Phil’s usually got some bird in there. We hardly get a
chance to use it.’

‘Why not ask Roy and Tim to share
with you?’ she suggested. ‘Split the rent and bills three ways, then we’ll all
have somewhere.’