The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (25 page)

Eddie nodded. ‘Well look, here’s Roy
with Sammy. Why don’t we get his opinion, too?’ He told them about Vinnie’s
suggestion.

‘Why not,’ Roy
said. ‘Can we leave it to you and Rosa though? We’re a bit bogged down with
promotional stuff at the moment.’

‘That’s the idea,’ Vinnie said. ‘Rosa
said we need a monthly news-sheet, official autographed photos and membership
badges. We’ll get onto it this week.’

As Jane chatted to Sammy she
heard her name being called. She looked round. ‘Won’t be a minute,’ she said,
hauling herself off the chair. ‘Rosa wants me.’

On her return she flopped back
down next to Eddie, letting out a lengthy sigh.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked,
lighting a cigarette. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

She bit her lip to stop it
trembling and took a deep breath. ‘Rosa said she saw
Mark’s girlfriend yesterday,’ she began, watching Eddie’s face tighten. ‘Vicky
told her he’s flipped his lid. He’s been sectioned.’

‘Fucking Hell!’ Eddie drew on his
cigarette. ‘I knew there was a screw loose.’

‘Ed, don’t. He’s had a bad time
of it lately. He found out Maude’s not his real mum. He got a girl pregnant.
She
had an abortion. That’s probably why
he was so weird with me on Christmas Eve. But what’s really scary is he thinks
Vicky’s me and we’re married. I hope they don’t let him out.’ Jane swallowed before
continuing. ‘I need to tell you something, Ed, but please, don’t go mad.’

‘What?’ he stubbed out his
cigarette and stared at her.

‘He was at the first gig when you
started drumming again. He said me and him were far from finished. I didn’t
tell you because I didn’t want to spoil the night. Then Angie died the
following day and I pushed it to the back of my mind.’

‘For fuck’s sake, Jane! You
should have told me. I’d have laid him out good and proper.’

‘That’s precisely why I
didn’t
tell you,’ Jane said. ‘Anyway, he’s locked away now, so it’s all over. You told
him at Christmas to stay away and he has done. All that other stuff is just in
his head. Perhaps I should talk to Vicky and Tony.’

‘I don’t want you anywhere near
them. Come on, I’m taking you home, you look worn out.’

‘I don’t want to go yet. Roy and
Sammy have only just arrived and we might disturb Sean and Tina. Give them a
bit longer, at least.’

‘An hour and then that’s it,’ he
said.

***

The Raiders
second single, released in May, shot up the charts to
number one. TV appearances and radio interviews helped promote
You Give Me That
Feeling
, which was a favourite with the Radio
Caroline disc jockeys.

By the time Jane gave birth to
seven-pound-four ounce Jessica on June fifth, the day before Eddie’s
twenty-second birthday, his marriage was no longer a secret. Local fans were
privy to the fact and it hadn’t taken much sniffing around by the press to seek
out Jane and Jonny.

The News of the World had run an
inaccurate story, claiming that Raider Eddie had cheated on his late wife with
his schoolgirl sweetheart who was expecting his child.

Jane was furious when she read
the report. ‘How dare they print lies? I left school three years before we got
back together and Angie was already dead before I got pregnant. This story
makes you sound like a right bastard, Ed.’

Frank thought it in everyone’s
best interests for Eddie to give a press interview and put the facts right. Far
from losing fans he gained further popularity.

***

When Eddie collected Jane and one-week
old Jessica from hospital, it suddenly dawned on him their lives had changed
forever. There were groups of reporters and photographers outside the hospital,
jostling for news and shots.

Eddie put his arm around Jane’s
waist as they stood posing beside the car. ‘Smile,’ he said through gritted
teeth. ‘Then we can get home.’

Hoards of young girls were
milling around outside the flat and more were camping out on the landing by the
front door. They screamed, pulling at Eddie’ clothes and hair as he tried to
shield Jane and the baby.

‘I don't believe that,’ Jane said
when they eventually got inside.

‘If I’m honest,’ Eddie said, ‘the
novelty of fan adoration’s wearing a bit bloody thin. We’ve got to move from
here. We need more space anyway. If we’re to get any peace at all to enjoy this
baby we need a secret address.’

‘I just want to rest and enjoy
the first precious moments alone with you and Jessica,’ Jane said wearily. In
the bedroom she flopped down on the bed and Eddie laid Jessica beside her.

‘She’s so beautiful, so perfect,’
he said, as the baby’s tiny fingers curled around his thumb. He touched her
cute button nose and her face wrinkled in an almost smile. Her mop of thick
dark hair and heart-shaped face were like Jane’s, but she had the bluest eyes
with long dark lashes that fanned her cheeks, just like his.

‘Put her in the cradle and come
and hold me, Ed.’

He picked Jessica up, kissed her
forehead tenderly and placed her in the cradle. He lay down beside Jane and
took her in his arms. ‘That feels better,’ he said, wriggling closer. ‘Not that
I didn’t like you pregnant. You were all ripe and erm, womanly. But I love
being able to fit right up to you again.’

‘It’s wonderful,’ she said. ‘The
baby felt like a mountain between us. Anyway, what you just said about moving.
Where would we go? I realise we can’t stay here, not just because of the fans,
but because we’re bursting at the seams.’

‘Ah well,’ Eddie said, ‘When we
went to wet Jessie’s head and have a drink for my birthday, Roy was having a
moan about the flat being too small and all the fans and stuff. Vinnie told us
that his dad bought Hanover’s
Lodge at auction. You remember it, Jane, that derelict old farmhouse near Ashlea
Village. Well it’s been totally
renovated and Mario’s looking for tenants.’

Her face lit up as he continued.
‘Vinnie’s gonna ask his dad if we can rent it for a while. I’d like to buy a
house of our own, but I can’t do that until I get some royalties. The LP’s
being released next month. We should be laughing if it does as well as the
singles.’

Jane nodded. ‘Will the house have
enough room for all of us?’

‘Plenty,’ he said. ‘Vinnie says
there are four bedrooms, two bathrooms and loads of rooms downstairs. It’s on a
private lane, there’s a big garden for Jonny to play in and it’s surrounded by
woodland. So it’s quite isolated. What do you think about that?’

‘It sounds like a dream come
true. Can we talk about it tonight with Roy and Sammy?’

‘Of course. Roy’s
definitely interested, and I’m sure Sam won’t need much persuading. Right, I’ll
call my folks; ask them to bring Jonny home later. I don’t fancy venturing out
again just yet and I’m not leaving you two alone.’

The phone rang out in the lounge.
Jane went to answer it.

‘We won’t come over today, Jane,’
her mother began. ‘We’ll let you get settled in first.’

‘Don’t come at all, Mum, it’s
chaotic,’ Jane said. ‘There's fans outside the flats and all over the stairs. We’ll
come and see
you
later in the week
when things quieten down a bit. I’d better go now. I can hear Jessica crying.’
She hurried back into the bedroom. ‘Pick her up, Ed, while I mix a feed.’

Jane’s eyes filled with tears
when she took the bottle into the bedroom. Eddie was on the bed, cuddling his
daughter, singing
My Special Girl
.
This precious child meant so much to them, making up for some of the heartache
of the last three years. She hoped Jonny would like the new arrival and not
feel pushed out.

When Eddie’s parents brought
Jonny home, Jane’s fears seemed unfounded as he gazed at his sister with
adoring eyes. He carefully stroked her hair and kissed her forehead,
announcing, ‘I like that baby.’

‘Perhaps as well, son,’ Eddie
said, hugging him. ‘Because she’s here to stay. So you’ve got to be a good big
brother and
always
look after her.’

Jonny nodded solemnly. ‘Sweeties
now, Nana.'

‘There are girls twenty deep on
those stairs,’ Lillian grumbled, handing Jonny his bag of jelly babies. ‘What
on earth do they want?’

‘Me, of course,’ Eddie teased
from the kitchen as he poured her a cup of tea.

‘Well I hope you’re not encouraging
them,’ she said. ‘You’ve quite enough responsibilities on
your
plate, my lad!’

Jane laughed at his mum’s
disapproval. ‘It’s all part and parcel of being a pop star. Now relax and enjoy
your tea before you brave the stairs again.’

‘We’re going to move somewhere
more private for the sake of our sanity,’ Eddie said. ‘Mario’s bought and
renovated Hanover’s Lodge, so
we’re hoping to rent it for a while.’

‘It’s a big house that,’ his dad
said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. ‘Can you afford it, Ed?’

‘I think so, Dad. Roy and Sammy
will pay half towards the rent and bills. We’ll manage fine between us.’

‘Well, if you come unstuck you
can always ask us for help. I won’t see you struggle now you’ve these two
nippers and Jane to look after.’

‘Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate
that.’

***

When Sammy and Roy arrived home, Roy’s
black satin shirt was ripped from his back, shreds dangling.

‘This is fucking ridiculous.
We’ve gotta get out of this mad house. Get on the blower to Vinnie, Ed. See if
he’s asked Mario about us moving into Hanover’s
Lodge.’

‘Why on earth those mad girls all
want souvenir bits of Roy’s tatty old shirt, God only knows,’ Sammy said. ‘It’s
seen better days!’

Vinnie told Eddie that his father
would be proud for them to live at Hanover’s
Lodge. They agreed on ten pounds a week rent, and, as a favour to Mario, Eddie
promised
The Raiders
would perform at
the club on Christmas Eve for old time’s sake.

‘I’m game for that,’ Roy
said. ‘We owe Mario big time for believing in us.’

***

CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE

JULY 1965

‘Oh wow, it’s wonderful,’ Jane
said, gazing at Hanover’s Lodge
for the first time. Confined to barracks with Jessica, she’d been itching to
see her new home, and as she and Eddie bumped down the private lane in their
laden car, she felt the mellow stone farmhouse, with its lofty chimneys and
Gothic style windows, reaching out to welcome them.

‘You like it, then,’ Eddie said,
helping her from the car. He took Jessica from her and she snuggled into him,
sucking hungrily on her fingers. He unlocked the front door and carried her
through to the kitchen, Jane following.

She spun round, gasping. ‘Ed,
it’s fabulous. This kitchen’s bigger than the whole of the Westlow flat put
together. And I love the table,’ she added, running her hands over the waxed pine
surface.

She plonked herself down on one
of the chairs and he handed the baby over.

‘Sammy chose the table and chairs
to match the kitchen units,’ he said. ‘Actually, she’s chosen everything. Roy
and me just dipped our hands in our pockets when she asked.’

Jane nodded. Decisions like those
were best left to Sammy. She had the knack of knowing just what looked
right.
 
‘There’s more cupboards in here
than you can shake a stick at and I love the beams.’

‘It’ll be cosy in the winter with
that Aga thing blasting away,’ Eddie said. ‘Right, I’ll leave you to sort out
Madam. Roy and Sammy are here. I can hear the van pulling up. I’ll go and help
Roy unload.’

Sammy carried a box in and joined
Jane in the kitchen. ‘First things first,’ she said, rooting in the box. ‘I’m
sure I thought to put in a jar of coffee. Ah, here we are.’ She filled the
kettle and placed it on the Aga hob as Eddie struggled into the kitchen, arms
laden.

‘I’ll put Jess down when Eddie
brings her pram in. Then I’ll help you get sorted, Sammy,’ Jane said, sitting
her daughter forward to wind her. Jessica obliged with a loud burp. She closed
her eyes with a contented sigh as Eddie pushed the pram indoors.

‘That’s her settled for a few
hours.’ Jane tucked the baby under the knitted blanket. ‘I’m going for a wander
round; see what you’ve all been up to behind my back.’

‘I’ll come with you while we wait
for the kettle,’ Sammy said. ‘We need to measure the lounge windows. I haven’t
had time and I’ve seen some lovely curtain fabric in Habitat.’

Sammy sized the windows while
Jane jotted down the measurements. Overwhelmed with the spacious house after
the overcrowded flat, she couldn’t wait to make the place a home.

The beams and floors had been
stripped and polished throughout and in the airy lounge, two red leather Chesterfields
were positioned either side of an inglenook fireplace. Rolling out a large
cream rug, Sammy arranged it between the sofas and tossed several cream and red
cushions at Jane.

‘Sam, this looks fabulous,’ Jane
said, tweaking the cushions into place. ‘I love the sofas.’

‘Thought you would,’ Sammy said,
grinning at Jane’s delight. She unpacked new chrome lamps and placed them on
the side tables. ‘The fabric I’ve seen has a cream background with huge jazzy
flowers in purple and red; should look great in here. The windows are so big
they’ll take a bold pattern. Put the plants in place, Jane, then we’ll go and
have that coffee.’

Jane gathered up several lush
plants in fancy pots that were standing in the corner, and placed them at
strategic points. Sammy had already hung colourful framed prints on the ivory
painted walls. Jane put the last plant in place and stepped back to admire the
room. Sammy called out to Eddie and Roy to come and view the finishing touches.

‘Wow, this looks superb.’ Eddie’s
jaw dropped as they strolled into the lounge.

‘Very trendy,’ Roy
said. ‘Are we allowed to walk on that rug, or what?’

‘Probably
what
,’ Eddie laughed bawdily. ‘Sammy called it shag pile.’

‘Oh well, in that case, it’s
definitely
what!
’ Roy
said. ‘We’ll try it out later, Sam!’

‘For God’s sake, Roy,
do you
ever
think about anything
else?’ she said, rolling her eyes.

‘Eddie started it,’ Roy
said, grinning like a schoolboy. ‘It’s fabulous, girls. You’ve done us proud.
It’s the sort of place that really befits a couple of rising young pop stars.’

Jane laughed at his modesty and
looked around with pride. ‘We’ve Sammy to thank for her good taste, you two for
paying, and Habitat for the rest.’

‘I’m picturing how fantastic we
can make this house look for Christmas,’ Sammy said, eyes dreamy, already
planning months ahead. ‘I noticed loads of holly bushes on the lane as we drove
up. I’ll decorate the wooden banisters with holly and red ribbon garlands and
we can have a tree in the hall as well as the lounge.’

‘Are we tossing a coin for who
has the en-suite bedroom?’ Roy
asked, taking half-a-crown from his pocket. ‘Otherwise we’ll be dithering all
day. I want to get the beds upstairs before we go back for our other stuff. And
we need to load up the old sofas and take them to the tip. Then we'll pick
Jonny up from your folks place, Ed.’

‘Heads,’ Jane called as the coin
landed tail side up.

‘Not to worry,’ Eddie said,
slinging his arm around her shoulders as she pulled a disappointed face. ‘The
front bedroom will be better for us. It’s next to the bathroom and it’s
opposite the room I chose for the kids’ nursery.’

***

‘Wow, look at this.’ Eddie stared
at a cheque that had arrived in the morning post. ‘Ten grand!’

‘What’s that for?’ Jane grabbed
the cheque and looked at it wide-eyed.

‘It’s our share of the bank job
we did last week,’ he teased as she smacked his hand. ‘It’s song-writing
royalties for me and Roy. Fantastic! Told you we’d be rich one day, Jane. This
is only the start.’

He waved the cheque in Roy’s
direction as he and Sammy strolled into the kitchen. ‘It’s arrived,’ he
announced gleefully.

‘Brilliant,’ Roy exclaimed. ‘You
can set up your own design business now, Sam.’

‘Oh, fantastic! Can I pinch a
corner of your music room for my studio?’

‘Course you can,' Eddie said.
‘It'll be nice for Jane to have you working at home while we’re away touring.’
He stared again at the cheque. No more struggling to get by. Now he could give
Jane and his kids everything they deserved.

***

Busy writing new songs, Eddie and
Roy were thrilled by the release of the groups’ first LP. Simply called
The Raiders
, it went straight to number
one on the album charts.

‘I can’t believe it!’ Roy
held up a copy of Melody Maker.
 
‘Listen
to this review:

The Raiders long awaited debut album has stormed the charts in a manner
only previously achieved by The Beatles and Rolling Stones. With a mix of
Rock’n’Roll favourites and self-penned ballads, including the hit single,
My Special Girl,
this masterpiece
proves the group is a serious contender for the title of Princes of Pop.

‘Hmmm, not too sure about Pop
Princes, I’d rather be King!’

‘Not a chance, Roy,’
Sammy said. ‘Elvis is King. Always has been, always will be, so there.’ Then
seeing his frown, she added, ‘But you’re not doing
too
badly for a lad from Pickford.’

***

‘We’ll be away on tour for ten
days before we get a day off,’ Eddie told Jane as they curled up together on
the sofa. It was a cool evening for August, he’d lit a log fire in the lounge
and the room was bathed in a cosy glow from the lamps. ‘We’ve got to promote
the album.’

‘I know.’ She looked at him,
pushing his floppy fringe from his eyes. ‘I hate you being away, Ed, and Jonny
misses you, too.

‘It’s my job, love. We wouldn’t
be living in this nice place if I was still managing the store.’ He kissed her
and lowered her down onto the rug. ‘Anyway, you’ll have Sam for company. You
should think about coming on the European tour. I’m sure my folks will look
after Jonny and we could take Jess with us.’

‘I don’t need to think,’ she
said, stroking his cheek. ‘I’m coming with you.’

‘Great,’ he murmured undoing the
front of her top. ‘It’s so nice to have the place to ourselves.’

He kissed her again as a loud
wail reached their ears. ‘I don’t believe it!’ he sighed, rolling onto his
back. ‘Right on bloody cue.’

Jane sat up, smiling. ‘It’s time
for her
ten o’clock
feed.
She
doesn’t know Daddy’s feeling randy.’

He jumped up, laughing. ‘I’ll
bring her down while you warm her bottle. So much for romance!’

***

Jane handed Sammy a mug of coffee
and took an admiring glance at the pastel sketch of a jacket she was working
on.

‘I’m so glad you’re here, Sam. I
hate it when the lads are away. We never see a soul because nobody passes by.’

‘It’s what we need though, a bit
of privacy after that mad flat,’ Sammy said, looking through the music-room
window at the rolling Cheshire
countryside behind the house. ‘It’s a beautiful day. I’ll take a break in a few
minutes. Fancy a walk down the lane with the kids?’

‘Okay,’ Jane nodded. ‘I’ll sit in
the garden and wait for you while Jonny runs some energy off.’

Jane took her coffee and Honey
magazine outside and sat in a deckchair on the patio. Jessica was asleep in her
pram under the old apple tree in the middle of the lawn and Jonny was zooming
up and down on his pedal car, making engine and beep-beep noises.

She took a sip of coffee,
glancing around and thinking what a lucky girl she was to have such a lovely
home and a safe garden for the children to play in. She thought briefly of
Angie for some reason and although there’d been no love lost between them, she
felt sad for a moment, thinking of what she’d missed.

Seeing her little son growing up;
the joys of holding her new baby and the loving she would have shared with
Richard. She wiped a sudden tear from her eye. Why on earth had she thought of
Angie at all, she wondered and then remembered. It was almost the first
anniversary of her death. She must remind Eddie to take flowers to the grave
with Jonny.

Sammy strolled outside and sat
down on the steps leading to the lawn. ‘This is the life,’ she said. ‘Being my
own boss and knocking off whenever I feel like it. You need to learn to drive,
Jane. Ed’s Beetle’s stuck out here for days on end. I’ll give you a few lessons
up and down the lane if you like, to get the feel of the car. Then you can book
in with a driving school.’

‘I fancy that,’ Jane said. ‘
You
learnt easily enough, so it can’t be
that difficult.’

‘I was okay once I got a proper
instructor. Roy was hopeless. He
kept grabbing the wheel and frightening me to death. I’m surprised we didn’t
end up in a ditch. So whatever you do, don’t let Ed teach you.’

‘I’ll get a provisional licence
then and we’ll get cracking,’ Jane said. ‘I’ll book the lessons after Jess’s
christening.’

***

Word filtered through to the fans
that half
The Raiders
were living at Hanover’s
Lodge. Most of the girls who hung around the gates were harmless enough, but
the odd rough element pulled at the boys’ clothing and hair, flinging
themselves hysterically onto the cars as they drove past.

‘Frank thinks you should have a
minder stay at the house while we’re away,’ Eddie said to Jane and Sammy on a
quick visit home between shows. ‘It might help ward off unwanted attention.
What do you reckon?’

Sammy frowned and shook her head.
‘I don’t really fancy a strange man around the place.’

Jane agreed. ‘Where would we put
him? The bedrooms are all in use and I don’t want a stranger dossing on our new
sofas. Although I suppose he could sleep on the bed settee in the music room at
a push.’

‘It’s up to you two. I told Frank
you wouldn’t be keen. It’s a bit isolated, but I think you’re safe enough and
we can get a guard dog if you feel the need.’

‘We’ll see,’ Jane said. ‘But tell
Frank thanks for the thought.’

***

The promotional concerts behind
them, the boys were struggling to finish a batch of songs they couldn’t agree
on. Frank was hoping time at home would give Eddie and Roy some inspiration.

‘The invites have gone out for
Jess’s christening,’ Eddie told Pat, Sammy and Tim over breakfast. ‘Will you
lot be godparents? I’ll let Roy
sleep off his hangover and I’ll ask him, too.’

‘According to this leaflet of
christening etiquette, it’s supposed to be two godmothers and one godfather for
a girl,’ Sammy said.

‘It is, normally,’ Jane said.
‘But the vicar said there was no reason we couldn’t have two of each. We didn’t
like to leave one of the boys out.’

‘Seeing as you and Ed never do
anything by the book, that’s just about right,’ Pat said, jumping to her feet.
‘Thanks for the bed and breakfast. C’mon, Tim, you can drive me to work. See
you all later.’

‘Have you sorted out the catering
arrangements, Jane?’ Sammy asked, buttering a slice of toast. She yawned loudly
as Pat and Tim made their escape. ‘Oh, excuse me. I didn’t sleep too well last
night. Roy was talking in his sleep.’

‘I’ve ordered the cake from the
bakery in Westlow,’ Jane replied. ‘Mario’s given me the number of a caterer he
uses for functions so I’ll give them a call.’

‘Tell you what, babe,’ Eddie
said, pulling Jane onto his knee. ‘Why don’t I take you out tonight? Would you
and Roy baby-sit for us, Sam?’

‘Yeah, why not. I can give Jessie
a bottle. Jonny’s no trouble. It’ll do you good to go out and it’ll give me
some practice, just in case.’

‘Just in case what?’ Eddie raised
an enquiring eyebrow. ‘Is there something you’re not telling us?’

‘Not yet. But Jessie brings out a
maternal need in me that I didn’t realise I had.’