‘Come on, let’s go and find Mr Blobby,’ Jed said, grinning.

Georgie and Harry held hands and skipped along. ‘Blobby, blobby, blobby,’ they chanted happily.

Gina hugged Stuart and told him to sit down, put his feet up and make himself at home. ‘I’ll crack open some champagne, shall I?’ she said.

‘I ain’t much of a champagne drinker to be honest. Do you mind if I just have a lager?’ Stuart asked. He loved the cottage. He had always lived with his mum in council accommodation in Hackney and he was already liking the serenity of Rettendon.

‘Of course you can have a beer, love, but trust me, it won’t be long before you get a taste for the bubbly stuff, especially if you’re going to be working with Champagne Charlie over there,’ Gina joked, pointing at Ed.

Eddie smiled. ‘So, whaddya think of the place?’

‘Oh, it’s lovely, Ed. I’ve never been to this sort of area before.’

Eddie chuckled. Stuart was very blinkered, like Ed’s Auntie Joan, and had rarely ever set foot outside London.

‘Do you wanna see some photos, boy? I got the albums out ready for ya.’

Stuart thanked Gina for the lager and nodded. ‘I can’t wait to see the photos, but do you mind if I give my mum a quick ring first?’

‘You take your time. There’s a phone in the hallway and you can shut this door so you’ve got a bit of privacy.’

When Stuart left the room, Eddie turned to Gina. She’d seen Stu in the nick before when she’d visited Ed, but she’d never really had a chance to speak to him properly.

‘Whaddya think? He’s a nice kid, ain’t he?’

‘He seems lovely and he’s so handsome, bless him. I bet he’ll have girls falling at his feet in no time.’

Eddie grinned. Being a bloke, he’d never really taken much notice of Stuart’s looks, but he had to admit that since he’d toned up, he looked like a man rather than a boy, which is what Ed had always classed him as.

‘Well, he’s tall, dark and muscly, so once I get him in a suit and show him a bit of the old Mitchell charm, I’m sure he’ll do all right with the chicks,’ Eddie said, laughing.

Stuart grinned as he came back into the room ten minutes later. ‘My mum’s fine and she’s so relieved that I didn’t go back to Hackney. She asked me would it be OK if she comes and visits me in a week or so?’

‘Of course. She can stop over, there’s enough room. You can even invite her over for Christmas, if you want. Now, you gonna look at these photos or what?’