The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (27 page)

‘Since I had Jessie she’s gone
all broody.’

‘What about her business? She’s
only just getting off the ground with it. Has she really thought this through,
or is it a whim?’

‘She’s given it a fair bit of
thought,’ Jane said. ‘She’s been really quiet lately. I assumed she was tired,
what with working on her collection and moving house.’

‘I’m gob-smacked! But if it’s
what she wants, let’s hope Roy
does, too. Actually I’m quite concerned about Roy.’

‘Why?’ Jane pulled a brush
through her hair.

‘Tim said he bought loads of dope
and pills today. Being hooked on drugs isn’t an ideal start to raising a
family.’

‘I didn’t see what he bought and some
of it was for Eddie,’ Jane said. ‘But I have to admit, having drugs in the
house bothers me. The boys are so well known now, I can imagine the police
hammering on the door and raiding the place. Then we’ll
all
be in the
shit, like Mac.’

Pat nodded. ‘Heaven forbid.’

‘Oh well, you make your bed, as
my mother’s so fond of saying,’ Jane said. ‘By the way, talking of Mum, she saw
Mark and Vicky in Pickford the other day. Mum said he was asking questions.
What bothers me though, she can’t remember if she told him our new address.’

‘What did Eddie say?’

‘He didn’t. He was outside with
Jonny. I asked her not to tell him.’

‘Why, for God’s sake?’

‘Oh, you know, just to keep the
peace. We’d better go back to Tim and Eddie or they’ll think we’ve left them.
Come over tomorrow night for dinner. Cathy’s coming. She’s home from London.’

‘Thanks, we will. Can we stay
over? I’m off work for a few days and I want to spend them with Tim.’

‘Course you can,’ Jane said as
they walked back into the club.

Tim and Eddie had disappeared
from the table. Nudging Pat, Jane pointed. ‘They’re on the dance floor.’

The pair was surrounded by a
crowd of mini-skirted girls, dancing for all they were worth.

‘Show-offs! Shall we leave them
to it or join them?’

‘Join them of course.’ Pat arched
an amused eyebrow. ‘Why should
they
have all the fun?’

Eddie spotted Jane. He reached
out and pulled her close.

‘I was accosted by these women
the minute your back was turned,’ he said. ‘Sorry, ladies, I’m spoken for. Meet
the wife!’

‘I can’t leave you on your own
for five minutes,’ she said.

‘It was Tim’s fault, he wanted to
dance.’

‘Oh yeah?’ She looked across at
Tim who was holding Pat, his cheek resting on top of her head, as they swayed
in time to the music. ‘Pull the other one.’

‘Got you a drink, it’s on the
table. I could do with a ciggie.' He waved to his admirers, leading Jane off
the dance floor.

She sat down and picked up her
glass. ‘Me and Pat have just been talking about Roy and Sammy,’ she began.

‘The baby thing, you mean?’ Eddie
lit a cigarette and took a long drag.

‘And the drugs. Roy
has a problem.’

He narrowed his eyes. ‘What makes
you say that?’

‘He’s always stoned. He even
smokes dope for breakfast. It can’t be doing him any good. It worries me with
the kids around.
I
feel light-headed
when he’s been smoking near me, so God knows what it’s doing to Jessie. Will
you ask him to smoke outside or up in the music room, please?’

Eddie looked away and was silent
for a moment before nodding. ‘Of course. I never gave it a thought about the
baby. I’ll talk to him tomorrow, I promise.’

‘Thanks, Ed; I don’t want to be a
misery and I’d hate for you and Roy to fall out. At the end of the day we all
have to live together.’

‘You were right to bring it up. Roy’s
problem is boredom. Everything he’s ever wanted for the group’s happened almost
overnight. He’s okay when we’re touring or recording. It’s sitting at home all
day that’s doing his head in. Unless he’s drunk or stoned he says he can’t find
the inspiration to write songs. Maybe having a kid would give him a focus.’ He
drew on his cigarette again. ‘I’ll finish this and then we’ll go.’

***

Mark stifled a yawn and sat up,
alert now that the headlights were coming towards him. He nodded as the taxi
swung round and entered the private lane. In the dim light he could just make
out that the two people seated in the back were definitely Mellor and Jane.

He waited until the taxi returned
and shot off down

As soon as Vicky had gone to bed
he’d left the house. He’d parked close to the club and waited for the couple to
leave. He watched Eddie hail a taxi and had overtaken the vehicle. Earlier in
the week Jane’s mother told him they’d moved from the Westlow flat to a new
home, but she’d only given away that it was a refurbished farm house in Ashlea
Village.

Taking a lucky guess it was Hanover’s
Lodge, his hunch had paid off. Now he could check on Jane and the baby every
day until they returned to him. The house was bordered by fields and woodland
he’d often played in as a boy. He knew the layout like the back of his hand and
there were plenty of bushes and trees to hide his presence.

***

Eddie unlocked the front door and
Jane followed him in. The house was in darkness, except for the kitchen light.
A note, propped against the teapot, declared,
Jessie fed and changed, Jonny asleep. Gone to bed to make babies! Love,
Roy and Sammy.

Jane grinned. ‘The beef
bourguignon obviously did the trick.’

‘Obviously!’ Eddie laughed. ‘You
know what they say, if you can’t beat ’em.’

‘Minus the baby bit, I think,’
Jane said.

‘Oh most definitely, Mrs Mellor!’

***

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Jane dithered between two
christening robes laid out on the counter of Jumping Jacks store. The young
assistant asked Eddie for his autograph and fussed over Jessica who wailed
miserably in his arms.

‘Which one, Ed?’ Jane fingered
the delicate satin and lace. ‘Long or short?’

‘You choose,’ he said, shifting
Jessica onto his shoulder.

‘I’ll have the long one then, and
I’ll take one of those, please.’ She pointed to a delicate white cobweb of a
shawl that was draped over a stand.

‘Is that it?’ Eddie asked as the
assistant wrapped the purchases in tissue paper and placed them in a box. ‘Do
we need anything for Jonny?’

‘Not today,’ Jane replied. ‘I got
his outfit from Lewis’s last time we were in Manchester.’

‘Right then, what’s the damage?’

The assistant gave him a
hand-written bill. He gave Jessica to Jane and pulled a roll of notes from his
pocket, peeling off two fivers.

The girl popped the box in a
carrier bag and gave him his change. He signed a page in her diary and she
thanked him, grinning with delight.

‘I think Jess is hungry,’ he
said. ‘We’ll call on Sean and Carl next and you can feed her in the shop.’

***

Carl was working alone and was
pleased to see them

‘Where’s Sean?’ Jane asked,
taking a pew behind the counter. She took a bottle of baby-milk from her bag
and Jessica from Eddie.

‘He’s taken Tina to Blackpool,’
Carl said.
 

‘Come over tonight, Carl,’ Eddie
invited. ‘We’re having a bit of a dinner party and you’d be more than welcome.’

‘Brilliant, I’d love to. I’m
dying to see your new place.’

‘Roy
bought a Vox Continental last week. We’ll have a jam session and you can play
with us,’ Eddie continued. ‘Come about seven thirty. We’ll eat early then make
some music. I’ll nip and get some fags, Jane, while you finish feeding Jess.’

‘Okay,’ she called as he shot off
up the stairs.

Jane looked at Carl’s gentle,
smiling face as he watched Jessica polishing off her milk. He’d make a great
dad someday, she thought. Pity it hadn’t worked out with he and Tina. Jane knew
he was lonely and wished she could fix him up with a new girl, but there wasn’t
a single female amongst their friends at the present time.

‘You okay, Carl?’

He nodded. ‘Yeah, I s’pose so. I
get a bit fed up spending every night stuck in with Mum. I got used to hanging
around with Tina and her mates and I miss all that, so it’ll be nice to come to
your place.’

Eddie reappeared and tossed a
Mars bar in Carl’s direction.

‘Keep you going ’til lunchtime.
If Jess has finished we’d better make tracks, Jane. Go and prise Roy
out of his bed.’ He smiled as Jane sat Jessica forwards to wind her. The
contented baby obliged with a loud belch. ‘Just like Daddy, eh, Jess? Come on,
sunshine. Let’s get you home.’

‘We’ll see you later, Carl,’ Jane
said and handed Jessica to Eddie.

‘Thanks for the chocolate and
I’ll look forward to tonight,’ Carl replied.

***

Sammy and Roy were sitting at the
kitchen table, eating toast and gazing into one another’s eyes.

‘
Hello young lovers, whoever you are’,
Eddie sang, waltzing through
from the hall. He placed a sleepy Jessica in her pram.

‘You have to stop listening to
The King and I,
Ed,’ Roy
quipped. ‘Feel like an old lover this morning. Sammy’s worn me out!’

‘So, what’s new about that?’ Jane
said, pouring coffee for her and Eddie.

‘Ah, but she’s a woman with a
mission now. Aren’t you, my love?’ Roy
looked at Sammy who was beaming.

‘I hope you’ve got the energy to
write some songs,’ Eddie said. ‘Frank’s baying for blood. We need to finish the
next batch by the end of the week.’

‘Yeah, I’m fine. I may be tired,
but I feel loved and inspired. There’s a melody buzzing round my head. Let’s go
and make a start.’

‘Ed, take Jess upstairs with you
and put her in the cot,’ Jane said. ‘And don’t forget, you’ve got to pick Jonny
up from your Mum’s no later than four.’

‘I’ll take Jess,’ Roy
offered. Sammy raised her eyebrows behind his back and smiled as he bent to
lift the baby from her pram and followed Eddie.

‘So, come on, tell me all,’ Jane
said. ‘I presume from the note it was yes.’

Sammy nodded, eyes shining. ‘Yep,
no objections whatsoever. He said he’d always wanted kids but thought I didn’t
because of my career. He wants to get married. He said if we’re starting a
family then we’ll marry straight after the European tour. I’m so happy, Jane, I
could burst.’

Jane leapt up and flung her arms
around Sammy. ‘I can’t believe it. I just can’t imagine you and Roy
married
and
parents as well. I’m so
thrilled for you.’

‘I’m sure it’s the right thing to
do. Roy needs a focus other than
the group. I’ve been so worried about him recently, he’s not sleeping
or
eating properly and he’s always
stoned. He’s promised to cut down so fingers crossed. It’s a start and all I
can do is support him.’

Jane nodded. ‘We all will, Sam.’

‘You can help me to organise the
wedding, Jane, seeing as you know what to do. I want a no fuss, quick five
minutes at the Registry Office, type of do. I’m gonna phone Mum in a minute.
She’ll have such a surprise.’

‘She’ll be thrilled to bits for
you,’ Jane said. ‘We’ll cook a special meal tonight to celebrate. Pat, Tim and
Cathy are coming over and Eddie just invited Carl.’

‘Great, we’ll make a party of it
then. I’ll take a quick shower, throw on some clothes, and we’ll nip out and
buy some nice food and drinks. The boys can look after Jess for a while. Roy
can put in some practice.’

***

Eddie cracked open a bottle of
champagne as Roy announced to the happy crowd
 
around the dining table that he and Sammy were planning to marry as soon
as the European tour finished.

‘A toast to the future Mr and Mrs
Cantello,’ Eddie said. ‘Raise your glasses, please.’

Everyone took up the toast and
Eddie winked at Jane. He’d told her earlier that he’d spoken to Roy
about smoking dope in front of the kids. Roy
said it was his intention to cut down anyway, because Sammy was worried about
him. They’d finished their song-writing session on a happy note, with two of
the new songs completed.

‘Would you girls mind if we go
upstairs, so Carl can have a go on the new organ?’ Eddie asked as they finished
their meal.

‘No, go on. We’ll wash up and
bring you coffee later,’ Jane said, gathering up the dishes. ‘Make sure the
kids’ bedroom door is closed before you start.’

***

‘Come and sit in the lounge,
Cathy,’ Jane invited as melodies old and new drifted downstairs.

‘It’s a good job the children are
sound sleepers,’ Cathy said, following Jane down the hall.

‘They’re not really, especially
Jonny. But he’s getting better. What do you think of him? Hasn’t he grown
tall?’

‘He certainly has. He’s lovely,
such a polite little boy. Jessie’s gorgeous too. You’re very lucky, Jane.
You’ve got this beautiful home, a nice lifestyle, and I have to say this to
you; I’ve never seen Ed looking as happy as he does now. He’s like a different
man.’

‘Thank you,’ Jane said, knowing
how difficult that complement must have been for Cathy.

Sammy brought a tray of coffee
through to the lounge and Pat took a laden tray up to the music room. She came
downstairs, chuckling.

‘You’ve got an admirer, Cath,’
she said.

Cathy choked on her coffee. ‘An
admirer! Who?’

‘Young Carl. He’s asking Ed all
about you. You know what that lot are like for teasing. The poor lad’s beetroot
red.’

‘They’re an insensitive bunch,’
Jane tutted.

‘Where do you know Carl from?’
Cathy asked.

‘Me and Ed used to work with him
at Flanagan and Grey’s,’ Jane replied. ‘He’s lovely. You wouldn’t go far wrong
with Carl. He’s a really decent lad.’

‘I’ve never had a boyfriend,’
Cathy confessed.

‘What, never in your life?’ Sammy
exclaimed.
 
‘Bloody hell, Cath, you’ve
never had sex? You don’t know what you’re missing, girl!’

‘I’ve always been shy,’ Cathy
said, blushing at Sammy’s directness. ‘Angie was the one who pulled the lads.
She was very pretty and I was always the plain one. Still am in fact,’ she
finished eyes downcast.

‘No you’re not,’ Sammy said.
‘You’ve got lovely hair and eyes and you’ve lost a lot of weight lately.’

‘I’ve no confidence. That’s why I
wouldn’t stay in London. My cousin
wanted me to go to wild parties and clubs and I couldn’t stand it. In the end
we fell out and I came home. I’m hopeless with makeup and can’t do my hair
nicely. I never know what to wear, or which clothes suit me.’ Cathy’s lips
trembled and Jane could see she was verging on tears.

But Sammy’s observations were
right, she thought. Cathy’s hair was a warm caramel shade, although her
unflattering topknot was an old fashioned style. She had big blue eyes, clear
skin and was tall and slender. Her outfit of a knee length, black skirt and
baggy grey sweater did nothing for her figure at all, and her shapely legs were
crying out for a mini.

Jumping up, Sammy said, ‘Come
with me. I’ll sort you out, come on,’ she cajoled, pulling Cathy to her feet.

Cathy looked hesitantly at Jane
who nodded her head. ‘Go on, Cathy.’

‘What do you think of that?’ Pat
said as the pair left the room. ‘Carl would be ideal for her. Launch her gently
into the world of men.’

‘Yeah!’ Jane agreed. ‘They’d be
perfect for one another. Carl’s a few years younger, but I don’t suppose it
matters that much.’

‘Imagine trying to fix her up
with Phil Jackson?’ Pat said, laughing. ‘It would put her off men for life.’

‘Half an hour with Phil and she’d
definitely lose her virginity,’ Jane giggled. ‘She wouldn’t have a say in the
matter.’

***

‘Where are Sammy and Cathy?’ Roy
said, as the boys strolled into the lounge. He sank onto one of the Chesterfields,
plonking his feet on the coffee table.

‘Upstairs, they won’t be long
now,’ Pat replied, smacking his feet down.

Eddie sat down next to Jane and
slung his arm around her shoulders as Sammy and Cathy walked in. He stared at
Cathy, mouth open.

‘You look stunning,’ he said.

‘Bloody hell, for a minute there
I thought Sandie Shaw had walked into the room!’ Roy
exclaimed as Eddie started to whistle
Long
Live Love
.

Dressed in a purple and white,
swirly patterned mini dress and white tights, hair and makeup immaculate, Cathy
had been transformed.

Tim, Pat and Carl stared in
amazement. Carl jumped up. He took Cathy by the hand.

‘Come and sit beside me,’ he said
as she blushed prettily. ‘You look fabulous. And Roy’s
right, you
do
have a look of Sandie
Shaw.’

‘Thank’s for the compliments, all
of you,’ Cathy said, accepting a glass of cider from Jane.

***

‘More drinks, anyone?’ Jane asked
as the clock struck
midnight
.

Carl shook his head and sighed.
‘I’d better get off home. I’ll never get up for work tomorrow. Can you call me
a taxi, Ed, please?’

‘I’ll give you a lift home,
Carl,’ Cathy offered.

‘Thanks,’ he replied as Jane
caught his eye and smiled.

‘You’re well in there, mate.’
Eddie nudged him, as Cathy went off upstairs to change back into her own
clothes. ‘I bet you were hoping she’d offer you a lift. Tell her to park up at Norman’s
Woods and get your leg over.’

‘Eddie, not everybody’s like
you,’ Jane said, rolling her eyes.

‘What have I said wrong now?’ He
turned to Jane, raising an innocent eyebrow.

She pushed him away, annoyed with
him for embarrassing Carl. ‘Well if
you
don’t know,
I’m
not going to tell
you.’

After waving Carl and Cathy off,
Sammy said, ‘Now wasn’t that nice? I feel like cupid.’

‘I think they make a lovely
couple,’ Pat said.

‘So do I,’ Jane agreed, pleased
that she’d asked Cathy to join them tonight. ‘I bet he’ll send her flowers and
buy her chocolates. Carl’s romantic like that, he used to buy them for Tina.’

‘Are you two staying over?’ Eddie
looked at Tim and Pat.

‘Yeah. Pat’s got a few days off,’
Tim said. ‘We thought we’d camp out here for a while. I’ll nip out and get our
bags from the car.’

‘Come on, Jane,’ Eddie said.
‘We’ll sort out the bed settee for these two then hit the sack, seeing as the
kids will have us up early.’

The music room window was wide
open and Jane shut it, shivering. ‘It’s chilly in here, why was the window
open?’

‘Roy’s
very conscious of what we discussed earlier. We shared a couple of joints and
he made us stand by the window. He was horrified when he thought he might be
affecting Jess.’

‘I’m glad he wasn’t upset,’ she
replied. ‘But you shouldn’t leave the window open when you’re not in the room.
One of the fans from down the lane might get in. I’ll put extra blankets on for
Pat and Tim. No doubt they’ll soon warm one another up. I hope something comes
of Carl and Cathy; they’re perfect for one another. I don’t know why we never
thought of it before.’

Eddie smiled and pulled her into
his arms. ‘Stop yapping, you little matchmaker!’ He helped her make up the bed
and then scooped her up and carried her into their bedroom. He dropped her onto
the bed and knelt beside her. ‘Don’t you dare tell me you’re too tired now.’

‘I’m not,’ she said, unzipping
him. ‘But you’d better be quick before Jess wakes for her next feed.’

***