Jed nodded, kissed her and left the room. His mother was not going to be happy, that was for sure.
As Jed shut the door, Frankie lay back on the bed and shut her eyes. She"d had to put up with Jed"s cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers; even that horrible Shannon had sat beside her bed for ages.
They"d brought nice presents, mainly gold, and Frankie had been given loads of money. The clothes they"d got for Georgie were a bit over the top, but Frankie had been polite and thanked them.
As the door opened, Frankie"s heart went over. If it was Alice, she would scream.
All right, sis?"
Frankie immediately sat bolt upright. She cried as she hugged both Joey and Dominic. I"m so pleased to see you. I"ve been lumbered with Jed"s family all day and they"ve done my head in."
Joey handed her two big sacks. These are from me and Dom," he said.
As Georgie started to cry, Frankie urged Joey to pick her up. Joey rocked Georgie, rubbed her back and spoke gently to her. I"m your uncle Joey, your mummy"s twin brother," he whispered in her ear.
Dominic smiled as the baby stopped crying. You"re a natural, Joey. Don"t you leave me and go straight, will you?" he said jokingly.
Frankie was thrilled with the presents Joey and Dominic had brought with them. Babygros, rattles, dummies, a little ski-jacket, booties, a ma.s.sive teddy bear, they had literally thought of everything. Their presents were so much more practical than any of the others she"d received.
Thanks so much for all this," Frankie said gratefully.
What did Jed"s family buy for the baby?" Joey asked, still staring at Georgie. He was unable to take his eyes off his niece; she was the cutest little thing he"d ever seen in his life and he was so proud to be her uncle.
Most of "em gave money and gold. Jed"s dad gave us a thousand pounds, and other people brought necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Georgie even got a sovereign off Jed"s brother, Billy."
Joey looked at Frankie in amazement. Strange presents for a baby. How"s she meant to wear a sovereign and earrings?"
Frankie laughed. I think they"re meant to be for when she"s older. She got some clothes as well, but I don"t like the dresses. They"re way too frilly and she"ll look ridiculous in them."
Joey handed the baby to Dominic and sat down on the bed next to Frankie. I popped round Nan and Grandad"s earlier and told them."
What did they say?" Frankie asked hopefully. She was secretly hoping for a reconciliation.
Joey shrugged. You know what Nan"s like, but I reckon she"ll come round in time."
Dominic handed the baby back to Frankie. I"m busting for a wee and a coffee. I"ll be back in a bit," he said diplomatically. He wanted Frankie and Joey to spend some time alone together.
Frankie lay Georgie back in the cot, sat back on the bed and held Joey"s hand. It was like old times, just the two of them. Joey immediately took the mickey out of Frankie"s not-so-fashionable nightdress and Frankie returned the compliment by slating her brother"s new red leather jacket.
I don"t half miss you, Joey," Frankie said honestly.
I miss you, too, and I"m really worried about you, Frankie."
Why? I"m OK," Frankie replied abruptly.
Joey had tears in his eyes as he held both of her hands. I"m worried about the situation you"ve got yourself into. I was horrified when I met Jed"s family. They"re not like us, Frankie, they"re a different race. I"m not slagging off Jed, so please don"t think that, but his mum"s really awful and the way she was speaking about Georgie was as though she belonged to her, not you."
Frankie explained Alice"s predicament. She miscarried a daughter herself recently and she"s always craved a little girl. All the other kids in the family are boys. Georgie"s the first girl, so she"s bound to be a bit over the top with her."
Joey shrugged. It"s not just that, Frankie. It"s the way they speak, the way they live. Truth be known, I"ve always wanted better for you. Look at me and Dom, we"re living in a nice flat in Islington, we"re both working up town, we have a great social life. These are the things you should be doing. I know you"ve got Georgie now, and she"s absolutely gorgeous, but you can always leave Jed and come and live with me. I"ve already spoken to Dominic; he knows how worried I am and he said you and the baby can live with us for as long as you want. You can"t bring your child up around them people, Frankie, you just can"t."
But I love Jed. I can"t leave him, Joey. He"s my life, he"s all I"ve got."
As they hugged one another, both twins wept.
I hope it works out for you, Frankie, I really do, but if it don"t, you know where I am," Joey said.
Be honest with me, Joey. You don"t like Jed, do you?"
Joey looked at his feet. He didn"t want to upset Frankie, but he loved her so much, he couldn"t lie to her. No, I don"t like Jed, Frankie. Call it brotherly intuition if you like, but I don"t trust him and I"m positive that one day you"ll agree with me."
Frankie shook her head vehemently. You"re so wrong, Joey. Jed"s a good person. He"s generous, he"ll make a fantastic father and he loves me, I know he does."
As Dominic reappeared, Joey lowered his tone. For your sake, I hope you"re right, sis."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
As Eddie was driven to the Old Bailey for the first day of his trial, his mood wasn"t a good one. He"d found out only yesterday, via Raymond, that Frankie had given birth to a daughter the previous week, and the thought of that made him feel sick to the stomach.
Eddie had said a silent prayer many a time that Frankie would miscarry the child. G.o.d hadn"t listened and now his beautiful daughter was tied to that O"Hara mob for life.
Eddie had tried to banish good memories of Frankie and Joey from his mind. Frankie had given him the ultimate kick in the teeth by shacking up with Jed O"Hara. As for Joey parading around town with his boyfriend, he"d caused Eddie humiliation beyond belief.
Ed wasn"t completely heartless and deep down he missed Frankie and Joey something rotten. They were half of him and half of Jessica and, as much as he would never let himself admit it, a part of him would love them whatever they did or became.
In prison, the only way to cope was by distancing yourself, therefore Eddie would never allow himself to remember the twins" childhood. The happy times he"d spent with the kids and Jess together were locked away in a box in his heart, a box that would only be reopened on his release. The same applied to his father. He tried not to think of the brutal way his dad had been murdered. If he did, he"d drive himself doolally.
Eddie wasn"t stupid. Whatever happened at this trial, he knew he was looking at a lengthy stretch. The one thing he was sure of was that he"d sort things in his own way once he was released.
As the meat wagon came to a standstill, Eddie took a deep breath. His whole future depended on this trial. Larry, his solicitor, had found him the best QC money could buy and between the three of them, he hoped they had the power to get the jury on their side.
Little Georgie O"Hara had been living in Rainham for just over a week now. She was a contented baby and only cried when she was hungry. Frankie, on the other hand, felt like crying constantly. Visitors came and went on a regular basis and Alice was stuck to Frankie and the baby like a leech.
Jed had taken a week off work. He hadn"t left Frankie"s side, but even this was making her unhappy. Between him and his mother, she felt as if she was being slowly and surely suffocated. All Frankie wanted was some time alone with her daughter. She wanted to nurture and bond with her child, but whenever Georgie wanted feeding, changing or comforting, Alice took over and Jed encouraged her to do so.
We"re only young ourselves, Frankie, we need me mum"s help," he insisted.
Frankie felt differently. She might only be seventeen, but she sensed what her baby wanted and needed. She was Georgie"s mother, for Christ"s sake, but no matter how much she complained, she didn"t get a look in.
Breast-feeding had been totally out of the question from the start. Frankie had always been shy when it came to flashing her bits, and because the hospital and now the trailer were always packed out with Jed"s family, she"d opted to bottle-feed instead.
It"s not natural. The best milk for that chavvie is your own milk," Alice insisted daily.
Frankie ignored her. The nurses at the hospital fully understood and told her to feed her child however she felt most comfortable. I wouldn"t fancy getting my b.o.o.bs out in front of your in-laws either," one of the nurses joked.
Jed was going back to work later today and Frankie couldn"t wait to have her freedom back. Obviously, Alice would still be stuck to her like glue, but Frankie had some plans of her own.
She was going to get back in contact with her old friends, for a start. She had hardly spoken to Stacey, Demi or Paige since her mum"s funeral and she wanted them to be part of her life with Georgie.
Frankie also planned to pay her grandparents a visit in the near future. She wasn"t going to tell Jed. They were only down the road, living in her old house, and she was going to turn up there unannounced with the baby. If they turned her away, there was little Frankie could do, but she was positive that once her nan and grandad laid eyes on baby Georgie, they would want to be part of her life.
Driving lessons was another idea Frankie had come up with. She hadn"t mentioned this to Jed yet, but planned to ask him today. He controlled the purse strings and would obviously have to pay for them.
The trailer door opened and, as Jed walked in, Frankie decided to take the plunge. Alice had popped back to her own house to make Jimmy some lunch and she wanted to ask Jed before his mother returned and intervened.
How"s my two favourite girls?" Jed said sitting down on the sofa next to Frankie.
Frankie handed him the baby. Get us a beer out the fridge, Frankie," Jed ordered, his eyes firmly on his beautiful daughter.
Frankie leaped up, got him his lager and decided to have one herself. She hadn"t had any alcohol for ages and was hoping a can would give her the courage to ask the all-important question.
As she drank the lager in record time, Jed tore his eyes away from his daughter and stared at her. f.u.c.king h.e.l.l! You thirsty or what? Don"t start drinking like that while you"re looking after the baby, Frankie."
It"s only one can, and you"re drinking," Frankie said stubbornly.
Yeah, but you"re Georgie"s mother. It"s different for men."
Frankie ignored his chauvinistic comments, took a deep breath and started her speech. She"d already devised what she was going to say. I was thinking, Jed. It"s so remote here and if you"re going back to work and I"m here alone, I"m gonna need a way to get out and about. As Georgie gets older, it"s not good for her to be stuck here all day with just me and your mum, so I was wondering if you would pay for me to have driving lessons."
Jed looked at Frankie in amazement. If she thought she was going out gallivanting while he was out grafting, she could f.u.c.king think again. Trying to be as diplomatic as possible, Jed kept the annoyance out of his voice as he answered. I don"t think that"s a very good idea, Frankie. There"s so many nutty drivers out there and these lanes are well dodgy. If you and the baby had an accident, it would break my heart, babe."
Frankie was determined to argue her point. But Jed, when Georgie"s older I want her to go to a nursery and stuff. She has to mix with other children her own age. I also want to be able to go out shopping. I"m sick of having to ask you or your dad to drive me to Tesco"s; I need some independence."
Jed wasn"t silly. Frankie was going nowhere, but he had to be tactful and he"d always been a master with words. I tell you what, babe. Wait till Georgie"s a bit older, then I"ll give you driving lessons meself. I"m the b.o.l.l.o.c.ks behind the wheel and if I teach ya, it"ll put me mind at ease."
Why can"t you just pay for me to have lessons, Jed? I know you"re a good driver, but you haven"t even got a licence."
Jed laughed. Never had an accident though, have I?" he said c.o.c.kily.
Frankie sighed. She knew when she was beaten. When can you start teaching me, then? I mean, why do I have to wait until Georgie"s older?"
Jed smiled as he handed the baby back to her. Because it"s sensible, Frankie. Look, I promise I"ll teach ya, right? But don"t get on me case, because if you do I might change my mind. Right, I"m off to earn us some wonga now. Me and the old man have gotta pick up a motor in Grays."
Frankie felt deflated as he slammed the door. She felt like a prisoner in her own home and she hated it.
Jed hid behind the trailer and peeped through the net curtains. He could see that Frankie was crying and he was glad. She was going nowhere on her own, the silly little cow. How dare she even have the cheek to ask? As he strolled towards his parents" place, Jed smiled. Now Frankie had his kid, she was his property for life and the quicker she realised that, the better.
As Eddie stood in the dock, he was surprised by the number of familiar faces he could see. He"d fallen out with his two brothers, Paulie and Ronny, a good few months before he"d been imprisoned and even though they"d written to him, he hadn"t expected them to attend his trial.
Reg and Albert, his uncles, were there, along with Joan and Violet, his two favourite aunts. He"d known Gary and Ricky, his boys, couldn"t sit in the gallery until they"d stood as character witnesses for him, but he hadn"t expected Pat Murphy or Flatnose Freddie to turn up. Raymond, obviously, wasn"t in court, as he was also giving evidence. The same applied to his old pals Dougie and John, the old guvnor of the Flag in Canning Town, who had offered to stand as character witnesses for him.
The biggest relief for Eddie was that Frankie hadn"t been called up. She"d been there on the night of the murder but, thanks to Raymond"s intervention, she"d given a statement saying she knew nothing. At one point, Ed had fully expected Frankie to be issued with a subpoena, but his solicitor, Larry, had worked wonders in keeping Frankie out of it. A letter a couple of months ago from a top doctor had confirmed that Frankie was so traumatised by the death of her mother that she was contemplating suicide, and as she was also pregnant, it would be best for the well-being of herself, as well as that of the baby, if she did not give evidence.
Eddie would always be indebted to Larry for this, whatever the outcome of the trial. Facing his daughter in a packed courtroom while having to speak about her mother"s death was something he could not have dealt with.
As the jury were ushered in, Eddie felt the beginnings of nervousness. Three looked like total nutters and if they were picked to decide his fate, he"d need a f.u.c.king miracle.
In a pub in the Ess.e.x countryside, Stanley and Joyce sat opposite one another in silence. They had ordered lunch, but barely even nibbled at it. Neither was hungry; both were well aware that today was the start of Eddie"s trial.
It had been Stanley"s idea to go out for the day. Let"s take our minds off things, Joycie. We"ll go to a nice pub in the country and have a bite to eat, shall we?"
Joyce had agreed, but wished now that she hadn"t. Not only could she not eat a morsel, she didn"t even feel like talking. Neither Stanley nor she had felt up to attending the trial. If Jessica had been murdered by some maniac, they might have felt differently, but what had happened was a terrible accident, so what was the point? There was no way in the world that Eddie had meant to kill Jessica. Their beautiful daughter had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Raymond had told them that Eddie was pleading not guilty to murder. Stanley had been extremely upset, but Joyce fully understood. Joyce knew she should hate Eddie, but she didn"t and couldn"t. Stanley was bound to feel differently. He"d never liked Jessica"s choice of husband in the first place.
Desperate to go home, Joyce broke the silence. Neither of us is hungry, Stanley, so why are we sitting "ere like two of eels?"
Stanley shrugged. I thought it would do us good to go for a drive and get out for the day."
Joyce stood up and held out her hand. Let"s just go home, eh, love?"
Sick of the sight of Alice O"Hara, Frankie stood up. I"m going for a walk. You"ll be OK looking after Georgie for ten minutes, won"t you?"
A besotted Alice rocked the baby and nodded. Take as long as you like," she mumbled.
Grabbing her mobile phone, Frankie opened the door of the trailer. She was desperate not only to get away from Alice, but to also make some phone calls in private. She needed to speak to normal people and have some familiarity back in her life.
She called Joey first.
You OK, sis? How"s Georgie? I can"t talk for long, I"m at work," he told her.
Yeah, me and Georgie are both fine," Frankie lied. Joey had never liked Jed and she was too embarra.s.sed to tell him how she was really feeling.
What"s up? You don"t sound yourself. Is Alice driving you mad again?" Joey asked.
A bit. She means well, though, I think. How"s Dom, and when you gonna come and see me next?"
Joey sighed. Both he and Dominic were sick of Jed"s family spouting h.o.m.ophobic innuendo and had come to a joint decision. Look, sis, me and Dom will come and see you whenever you want, but we ain"t coming to the trailer any more. It"s obvious that Alice has a problem with what me and Dominic are, and Jimmy and Jed both take the p.i.s.s out of us in their own way. Me and Dom feel really uncomfortable around them, so we"d rather pick you and Georgie up in a cab and spend some time alone with you. Or, if that"s a problem, we can always meet you somewhere."
OK, I understand," Frankie replied. She felt too choked up to say anything else.
Frankie, I don"t know if you know, but Nan told me yesterday that Dad"s up in court today. It"s the start of the trial. Listen, I"ve got to go, my guvnor"s just walked in. I"ll call you back later, yeah?"
Frankie sat on a bale of hay and put her head in her hands. She hadn"t known that it was her dad"s trial and the thought of it made her feel sick. She forced herself not to cry. Perhaps she just had the baby blues or something.
Frankie stared at her phone. What she needed were her friends back in her life. Since she"d moved in with Jed she had hardly spoken to Stacey, Paige or Demi. She decided to ring Stacey first. None of them had mobiles and she hoped at least one of them was at home.
h.e.l.lo. Is Stacey there?" she asked as her friend"s mum answered the phone.
No, love. Is that you, Frankie?"
Yeah."