Chapters (48)
- Cover
- THEFEUD
- Dedication
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
Jessica hugged him. ‘Don’t rush back. You enjoy yourself, I’m sure I can manage to entertain Mum, Dad and the kids without you.’
Eddie kissed her on the forehead. ‘Oh, you’ve just reminded me, the kids want to go out tonight. It’s only round a mate’s house. It’s OK with me if it’s OK with you.’
Jessica was dubious. ‘I’m not sure, Ed. I want to have a drink tonight and I’m not drinking and driving. Anyway, I’m not sure I trust them any more.’
Eddie disagreed. ‘They’ll be fine. I’ll give ’em the money to get a cab. They’ve been stuck in for nearly six weeks, Jess, we can’t keep ’em locked up forever. We’ll tell ’em they’ve got to be back by eleven.’
Reluctantly, Jessica agreed. Ever since her trip to the school, Frankie and Joey had attended regularly and worked very hard. She had been in touch with Mr Redknapp, their headmaster, and he had organised a homework rota to enable them to catch up for their exams. They were still way behind their classmates, but Jessica couldn’t fault their efforts. They’d worked tirelessly most evenings, so a little break might do them good.
The roads weren’t as busy as Eddie expected them to be and it didn’t take him long to get to his aunt’s house.
‘How’s my favourite nephew? Come inside and warm yourself up by the fire. Bleedin’ taters out there, ain’t it? I’ve made you a nice bread pudding – it’s just cooling down,’ Auntie Joan said, thrilled to see him.
Eddie made himself comfortable. ‘What you doing tomorrow? You off to your friend’s, as usual?’
Auntie Joan spent every Christmas and Boxing Day at her friend Ada’s house. ‘Yep, Ada’s son is picking me up this evening. I’ve got me little case packed. What about you? Have you and Jess got a house full this year?’
‘Not really, no. Jessica’s parents are coming to stay and that’s about it. Gary and Ricky have sodded off to Tenerife and Raymondo is spending Christmas Day round his new girlfriend’s house. We’ll probably have a house full Boxing Day. Our friends Dougie and Vicki are coming over. They’re the ones that I told you about, the ones that have just got married abroad and I think Raymondo is bringing his posh bit of skirt round to meet us.’
Auntie Joan laughed. ‘I’ll go and pour you a nice cuppa. The bread pudding should be cool enough to cut now.’
Eddie smiled as she handed him a plate and put his tea on the table.
‘What’s your dad and brothers doing?’ Joan asked him.