Jed finally let go of her and stood over her as she slumped to the floor. And don"t even think of leaving me. You"ll never get custody, Frankie. Your mother"s dead, your father"s a murderer, your brother"s a poof, there"s no court in the land that would let you look after a child with your family history."
Frankie sat on the floor and put her battered face in her hands. Jed was right; she was trapped and it was all her own stupid fault. Her dad and Joey had been right all along.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
I"m just popping out the back to feed the pigeons, love."
Joyce nodded at her husband and looked out of the window once more. She was getting impatient now. Frankie still hadn"t come back and she was desperate to spend some more time with baby Georgie. She ain"t half been a long while, Joey. Are you sure she"s coming back?"
Joey felt uneasy as he glanced at Dominic. He"d had a bad feeling earlier about Frankie meeting Jed. Jed had seemed too nice, considering Frankie had disobeyed his orders and argued with his mum, and Joey didn"t trust him one iota. Being twins, Joey had always believed that he and Frankie were sort of telepathic. Today he felt edgy, and he was sure his sister was in danger.
Not wanting to worry his nan, Joey urged his boyfriend to follow him into the kitchen. Glad to have a couple of minutes together, Dom gave Joey a big hug.
What"s up? I know something"s on your mind."
Dominic was tall and strong and Joey always felt safe in his arms. I"m worried about Frankie. Something"s wrong, I know it is."
Back at the trailer, Jed O"Hara was full of remorse. He had meant to teach Frankie a lesson, but he hadn"t intended to hurt her as much as he had.
I"m so sorry, babe. "Ere, hold this against your face," he said, handing her a bag of frozen peas.
Frankie winced as she held the plastic bag against her sore skin. When her nose had bled profusely, she had originally thought it was broken, but having since looked in the mirror, she was now positive that it was just badly bruised.
When Jed had smashed her face into the car window, it was the right side of it that had taken the brunt. Her right eye and cheek were both swollen and Frankie was positive that she would end up with a big black eye.
Jed sat down next to her. Please forgive me, Frankie. I didn"t mean to hurt you. I don"t know what came over me."
Frankie had barely spoken to Jed since the attack. He had frightened the life out of her and she certainly wasn"t ready to forgive him.
Please talk to me, Frankie. We have to sort this out. I"m gonna ring me dad and tell him I ain"t going back to Norfolk. I"ll phone me Uncle Tommy he can pick the old man"s motor up and drive it back down there."
Just go, Jed. I need to be alone right now."
Jed had no intention of going anywhere. He knew he"d overstepped the mark and he was frightened Frankie might do a runner and take the baby with her. He squeezed her hand. Please forgive me. I swear on our Georgie girl"s life, I"ll never hurt you again. When Mum rang me and told me you was all done up with make-up on, I got jealous. I thought you were cheating on me with some other bloke."
Frankie glared at him. Don"t you dare swear on our baby"s life and don"t lie to me, Jed. You knew I was only going out with my brother and Dominic."
I swear on my own life, then. Honest, Frankie, I thought you"d met someone else, that"s why I lost it. I"m so sorry."
As Jed leaned towards her and tried to kiss her, Frankie turned her head.
Do you still love me?" Jed asked, cupping her bruised face gently in his hands.
I don"t know. I can"t believe what you did to me," Frankie replied honestly.
Jed took both her hands in his own and looked pleadingly into her eyes. Let me make it up to you. Give me one more chance I won"t let you down, I promise. I"ll buy you whatever you want, I"ll do whatever you ask, but don"t leave me, Frankie, please don"t leave me."
Frankie thought carefully before she answered. I"ll give you another chance on one condition."
What? I"ll do anything you want," Jed said sincerely.
I don"t want to live here any more, Jed. I feel like I"m living with your mum as well as you and it"s suffocating me. Can"t you find us a place where we can live on our own?"
Jed sighed. His mum wasn"t going to be happy with him moving, but he had to keep Frankie sweet. They might not have been getting on well lately, but Jed would hate her to meet another bloke, especially now they had Georgie. OK. I can"t afford to buy our own plot of land yet, though, but I can find us a place on a site somewhere and we can move our trailer there."
Frankie smiled. Alice was a troublemaker and once they moved away from her, Frankie was sure that she and Jed would get along much better. Another thing: I want to be able to spend time with my brother, Dom, and my nan and grandad. I want them to be a part of Georgie"s life."
Jed wasn"t amused, but had no option other than to agree. We"ll have to still come here and visit my mum and dad, though, Frankie, and they"ll wanna visit us. I know you and my mum clash a bit, but she loves Georgie girl, and she"s gonna be heartbroken when I tell her we"re moving."
I don"t mind visiting your mum and dad or them visiting us, I just don"t want to live with them, Jed. I want us to be a family, just me, you and Georgie, and when you"re at work, I want to look after Georgie on my own."
Relieved that she wasn"t taking his daughter away from him, Jed hugged her. Now what do you want me to buy ya? I"ll buy ya whatever you want to say sorry for what I did today."
Frankie didn"t want presents, all she wanted was to be loved, but suddenly she thought of something that she desperately wanted. Driving lessons! I want to have proper lessons with a driving school. Then once I pa.s.s my test and you"re at work, I can take Georgie out shopping and take her to visit my nan and grandad."
Jed hated the thought of Frankie being independent. He could imagine other men looking at her at the traffic lights or trying to chat her up as she stopped for petrol and the thought made him feel sick. If she ever left him and another man tried to take over his role as a father, he"d kill the f.u.c.king geezer.
OK. I said I"d buy you anything to make up for what I did and I meant it. I"ll find us a place to live first, and then I"ll book your driving lessons."
Frankie threw her arms around his neck. Even though Jed had been violent towards her today, moving away and having driving lessons made her feel happier than she had in ages.
Jed stood up. I"d better ring my Uncle Tommy and get him to pick me dad"s Merc up."
Can I borrow your phone after, Jed? I left mine at my nan"s and they"re gonna be worried sick. I told them I was going back."
What you gonna say to "em?"
Don"t worry, I ain"t gonna tell them what happened. I"ll tell "em that I"ll pick my phone up tomorrow. I"ve got to have it because that policewoman needs to contact me about the court case. I"ll just say that you didn"t have to go back to Norfolk after all and you wanted to take me out tonight."
Jed looked concerned. He"d forgotten about the poxy court case and Frankie"s eye was looking worse by the second. You"re gonna have to make up a story, Frankie. Say you tripped down the steps of the trailer and fell flat on your face or something. You won"t tell anyone what really happened, will ya? Don"t even tell my mum and dad."
Frankie had no intention of telling a soul. A, she was far too embarra.s.sed and B, she would look a right mug for giving Jed another chance.
What I"ll say is we"re going to a party tonight and then tomorrow I"ll tell everyone that I got drunk and fell over."
Jed nodded. He"d tell his cousin Sammy the truth, but he didn"t want anyone else to know. He rang his Uncle Tommy, spoke to him, ended the call, and handed the phone to Frankie.
I"m gonna pop over to the house, make sure Mum"s all right. I"ll only be five minutes and then I"ll shoot up the road, get us a takeaway and some booze. What do you want, babe Chinese, Indian or shall I get a Macky D"s?"
Frankie wasn"t particularly hungry. Her face was hurting like h.e.l.l and the pain was making her feel queasy. I"ll just have a little bit of whatever you"re having, Jed. I don"t fancy McDonald"s, though. Can you get me a bottle of vodka and some cartons of orange juice?"
Jed kissed her gently. I love you. Won"t be long."
Frankie stared at Jed"s phone. She had to plan her story properly before she rang her old home number. Minutes later, she took a deep breath and picked up the phone. Her nan answered.
Hi, Nan, I"m so sorry I never came back. Jed had to pick up something in Southend and by the time we got back Georgie was grizzly, so I put her straight to bed. Jed"s mum"s gonna look after her tonight, so me and Jed can go to a party. What I"ll do, Nan, is pop round tomorrow and pick my phone and bag up. I"ll bring Georgie with me and you and Grandad can spend a bit of time with her."
Joyce had been annoyed earlier when Frankie hadn"t returned, but the thought of seeing baby Georgie the very next day made her happy again. What time will you be here, Frankie? Do you want a bit of dinner?"
No, Nan. I"ll pop round about fourish, if that"s OK?"
That"s fine. Joey wants to talk to you now, Frankie."
Frankie"s heart went over as the phone was pa.s.sed to her brother. Her nan she could fool, but Joey knew her too well. Are you OK?" Joey asked his voice full of concern.
Frankie began to gabble as she repeated the same story she had told her nan. Joey listened intently. They were twins for Christ"s sake did she think he was stupid? He ended the call, and not wanting to worry his grandparents, urged Dom to accompany him to the garden so he could have a smoke.
Joey shielded his lighter from the wind and lit his cigarette. He took a deep puff and turned to Dominic.
Frankie"s lying. Something"s happened, I know it has. I think we should stay here tonight. She"s coming round at four tomorrow to pick up her phone and bag and I need to see her, Dom."
Dominic immediately agreed. He adored Frankie himself and he was obviously well aware of how close Joey was to her.
Joey smoked half his cigarette, stubbed it out, and him and Dominic went back into the house. Is it all right if me and Dom stay here tonight, Nan? It"s late now and if we stop over we can have a bit of dinner with you and Grandad tomorrow. It will also be nice to spend more time with Frankie and the baby."
Joyce was thrilled. She loved company. Sometimes it got boring when it was just her and Stanley. Yous boys stay as long as you like. I"m cooking a nice leg of lamb tomorrow and we"ll have some homemade bread-and-b.u.t.ter pudding for dessert."
Joey smiled as Dominic yawned. He was so fortunate to have him. Dom was the best boyfriend in the world and so understanding. He turned back to his nan.
Where do you want us to sleep? Would you rather we slept in separate rooms?"
Joyce stood up. Don"t be so b.l.o.o.d.y stupid. You"re a gay man now, Joey, and I"m proud of what you are. You and Dom sleep in the spare room with the nice big double bed."
As Joey and Dominic said their goodnights, Stanley waited until they"d climbed the stairs before he turned to his wife. I don"t care what they do in their own home, but you shouldn"t be encouraging "em to start fornicating here, Joycie. It ain"t right and I don"t feel comfortable about it."
Joyce had had a few gla.s.ses of sherry earlier and was in no mood to put up with Stanley"s old-fashioned behaviour.
Stop bleedin" complaining. We"re nearly in the 1990s now. Get with it times have changed, Stanley. Just because our Joey likes a bit of winkle doesn"t make him a bad person. I mean, look at me and you, we ain"t had s.e.x for donkey"s years, but I don"t complain, do I?"
The thought and mention of s.e.x with his wife was too much for Stanley to bear. Goodnight," he shouted as he shot up the stairs.
Gertcha, you old git," Joyce giggled. She was glad he was gone. She had recorded Dallas earlier and fancied another gla.s.s of sherry. Shame Stanley didn"t resemble JR, Joyce thought mischievously. She"d love to have her wicked way with him.
The following morning Frankie was up at the crack of dawn. She immediately looked in the mirror and gasped. Her right eye was black and blue and she had a lump on her forehead like a table-tennis ball.
Jed got out of bed and stood behind his girlfriend. He put his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. I know your face looks bad, but it"s only bruised, babe. It"ll go down in a couple of days, you"ll see."
Frankie nodded and turned away from the mirror. She felt like the b.l.o.o.d.y elephant woman and she dreaded facing her grandparents.
Jed gently tilted her chin and planted a kiss on her lips. You see to Georgie girl and I"ll cook us a nice breakfast. I"m sorry Frankie, really sorry."
Joyce was in a jovial mood as she washed up the plates from lunch. Her roast and dessert had gone down a storm and she loved having Joey and Dominic around the house. Wiping her hands on the tea towel, she glanced at the clock. The time was quarter to four and Joyce was getting more excited by the minute as she thought of baby Georgie.
Jed pulled over at the bottom of the drive. He left the engine running, got out the driver"s side and opened Frankie"s door for her. Now, are you sure you"re gonna be OK?" he asked, as he handed her the baby.
I"ll be fine. I know what to say," Frankie replied.
Jed smiled. I"ll pick you up here at seven. In the meantime, I"m gonna see if I can find us somewhere to live, babe, and as soon as we move, I"ll book your driving lessons for ya."
Frankie pecked him on the lips and began walking up the driveway.
Joyce, who had been glued to the window for the past ten minutes, saw her granddaughter in the distance.
She"s here," she yelled excitedly as she ran to the front door.
As the welcome committee ran out to greet her, Frankie was horrified to see Joey and Dom were still there. Pulling the wool over her grandparents" eyes was one thing; trying to pull it over her brother"s was a different kettle of fish.
As she clocked Frankie"s face, Joyce screamed. Oh my G.o.d, what have you done to yourself?"
Joey ran over to his sister. Did Jed do that to you? I knew it you ask Dom. I f.u.c.king knew he"d hurt you."
Frankie shook her head furiously. Of course Jed never did it. What do you think he is, Joey? We went to a party last night and I haven"t really had a proper drink for months, have I? Well, I got so drunk, I don"t remember anything. Jed said that I fell down the steps of the trailer. He said that I pa.s.sed out at the party, he got me home, but I got up in the middle of the night and tried to go outside."
Joyce and Stanley automatically believed Frankie"s story and, not wanting to create a scene or worry his grandparents, Joey pretended to believe it as well.
As soon as Frankie went inside, Joey grabbed Dominic"s arm. She"s lying. I know she"s lying. I told you yesterday that something was wrong and I was right. Jed did that to her, I know he did. He"s a f.u.c.king animal."
Dominic nodded in agreement. What are we going to do? How can we help her?"
There"s nothing we can do personally, but I tell you something that I can do: I can ring Gary and Ricky or, even better, I can write to my dad and tell him," Joey replied.
Dominic shuddered at the mention of Joey"s father. Do you think that"s wise? I mean, what can your dad do if he"s locked up?"
Joey shrugged. It doesn"t matter that he"s locked up, my dad will still sort it. I have to do something to help Frankie, and as much as I don"t want to contact my old man, with Frankie"s safety in question, I have no choice."
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
Frankie Mitch.e.l.l sat in the trailer and nervously chewed at her fingernails. Realising that her thumb and both index fingers were bleeding, she sat on her hands to stop herself gnawing them down to the bone.
DI Blyth was picking her up at nine o"clock. and every minute that pa.s.sed felt like an hour. Frankie was dreading going to court and petrified at the thought of seeing her dad again.
Obeying her orders, Jed had gone to Southall horse market this morning. I"m gonna sell that mare and foal, Frankie. You know, the mare that"s always lame. I won"t take "em this week, though, not with you going to court," Jed had told her only yesterday.
Frankie had insisted that he went to the market. She had sort of forgiven him for the injuries he"d caused her at the weekend, but seeing as her face was still black and blue, what he had done was proving very hard to forget. Jed had given her a big hug this morning before he left.
Good luck, babe. All you"ve gotta do is tell the truth about your dad. Remember to tell the court that he hated me and my family, won"t ya?"