had both women belted up in the back of his Range Rover.
‘Sorry for being tipsy and having to ring you, but my Raymond’s useless, you know that, Ed? You’re a far better son to me than he is and we’re not even blood-related, are we? It was the shock of finding out Queenie’s granddaughter might be going to give birth to her grandson’s baby what made us go to the pub in the first place, weren’t it, Queen?’
‘Yep! And where is my Vinny, by the way? Bet I can guess why Michael has his phone switched off. Fornicating with that Italian slapper, I dare say. More fool him, eh, Eddie? I bet you wouldn’t go back with a woman who’d had your brother’s dingle-dangle up her, would you? Makes me feel sick.’
‘Dingle-dangle! I love that bloody word. Used to call my Stanley’s a “tinky-winky”,’ Joycie shrieked.
Listening to his musical idol belt out a tune or two was far preferable to listening to two old-age pensioners discuss a man’s anatomy, so Eddie cranked the volume up as loud as it would go.
Queenie and Joycie knew all the words to ‘Maggie May’ and sang along quite happily.
‘Now Rod I could’ve quite easily fancied,’ Joyce shouted in Queenie’s ear.
Queenie ignored Joycie and instead tapped Eddie on the shoulder. Ed turned the music down and before Queenie could ask him the same question again, told her, ‘Vinny’s fine. I saw him earlier. But as I’ve already told you, I have no idea what his plans are for this evening.’
‘Yes, you do. I might be knocking on a bit, but I haven’t lost my marbles yet. My Vinny’s got a bird on the firm, can tell by the shady way he’s been acting recently. Nobody knows him better than his mother. So what’s she like then? Come on, spill the beans, Mr Mitchell.’
Georgie O’Hara was most impressed. After much persuasion from his father, Regan had finally agreed to sing and he had a superb voice. Georgie had heard many a travelling lad croon an Elvis tune, including her own boyfriend, but Regan’s version of ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ was truly captivating. That was Nanny Alice’s favourite Elvis song too.
Harry leaned towards his sister. ‘Put your tongue away. Flies might breed on it.’
Georgie punched her brother hard. Harry had been acting up today and was now grating on her immensely. ‘You sure you’re not a gay boy like Joey? Only you seem very obsessed with Regan yourself.’
Homosexuality was extremely frowned upon among travellers and when Harry lost his rag, like she knew he would, Georgie slapped him around the head before following her mother into the kitchen. ‘What’s a matter? You’re crying.’
Fiercely wiping her eyes with her sleeve, Frankie smiled. ‘Take no notice of me. Just having a weak moment. Been a nice day, hasn’t it? I’m so pleased you and Harry have made friends.’
‘We would’ve made friends ages ago if you hadn’t locked us up. And we love music. We used to sing regularly back home. Travellers don’t watch TV all the time like gorgers do. We sing and play music lots.’
Frankie knew the travelling way of life as well as anybody. Jed had loved to sing, and it was the norm that when families got together, everybody including the children would be urged to belt out a tune. ‘How about I ask your granddad to buy you one of those karaoke machines? You and Harry can have it in your bedroom and play with it whenever you want.’
Exasperated, Georgie snatched her hands away. ‘We’re not five! We don’t play with things. And how would you play with a karaoke machine anyway? You can’t! You sing along with the music. We don’t want one in our bedroom either. Other people need to join in to make it any fun and we live in the middle of nowhere with no friends.’
When her daughter stomped out the kitchen, Frankie topped up her wine glass. Then the tears came. Joey had told her last night that he needed to move back home next week and she had no idea how she would cope alone. Georgie was right: their house was in the middle of nowhere, but her dad had chosen it because its remoteness would make it more difficult for the children to escape. Now, however, it held far too many memories of Stuart and it was too big and cold. She realized she’d come to loathe the place with a passion.
‘Hey, what’s up?’ Little Vinny asked.
‘Everything. I can’t do wrong from right when it comes to my children, and I do try my best. Joey’s moving back home next week and I’m never gonna cope. Georgie and Harry hate it where we live and so do I. My youngest son doesn’t even want to come home, he’d rather live at my dad’s. And I keep expecting Stuart to walk in all the time. I even imagined I heard his footsteps the other day, coming up to bed.’
‘Perhaps you should think about moving. You’re only renting, aren’t you?’
Frankie nodded. ‘My dad’s paying the rent and he’s shelling out for those security blokes. I hate seeing them all the time too. They give me the heebies. But the lease isn’t due to end until next year, and I can’t stay there that long. Between me and you, once Joey goes home, I’m afraid I might get drunk one day and do something stupid. I don’t think I would, ’cause I love my kids too much, but then I get these dark moods and I just don’t want to be in this world any more. Life is shit, Vin, it really is. We must go to a better place when we die, surely?’
‘Things will get better, Frankie. I’ve been through dark times in the past – and I mean really dark – but I’ve managed to pull through. If it wasn’t for the boys, I could never cope with Sammi-Lou and Oliver dying. But I’ve got to be strong and so have you. We have children who rely on us.’
‘You might have. I don’t. I’m sure those two in there would celebrate if I died.’
Little Vinny sighed. He wasn’t very good with awkward hugs or sympathetic words, but he was good with advice. ‘That isn’t going to do you any favours, for a start,’ he said, pointing to the wine glass. ‘Neither is locking your kids up in that prison you call home. Your dad isn’t short of a few bob, Frankie, and I know he’d want you to be happy. If I were you, I’d try out the counselling thing, and move over this way. It’s nice round ’ere, and central. I’ll have a word with Finn if you like? His pal is a local estate agent and I’m sure he’d be able to help.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, ’course. Be nice for my kids to hang out with yours. I’ve also decided not to send Regan back to school, I’m gonna get someone in to teach him from home instead. He’s always got in trouble at school and I can’t risk him being sent away again. Not many schools will want to take him anyway, after what happened. Perhaps they can teach Georgie and Harry as well.’
‘Oh, Vin! That would be wonderful. Even if they could just learn to read and write, it would make me so bloody happy. And it will open up a whole new world to them. They’d love to live near Calum and Regan, I know they would. Shall I tell them the good news now?’
‘Whoa! Hold your horses. Let me speak to Finn’s pal first, and you can have a talk with your dad. Do ya want a coffee? I’m gonna make myself one.’
Frankie was about to reply when she felt the hair freeze on the back of her neck. Georgie not only had a voice like an angel, she was singing Tammy Wynette’s ‘Stand by Your Man’.
‘Wow! Your daughter’s got some voice on her. Let’s go back in the lounge,’ Little Vinny suggested.
Shaking her head, Frankie Mitchell held her face in her hands. ‘I hate this song. It reminds me of Jed. I even lost my virginity to him while it was playing. My life is such a mess, and it’s all my fault. Have you ever done something so wrong it eats away at you like a cancer? So much so, you can never forgive yourself. My mum would still be alive if I’d never met Jed.’
Overwhelmed by visions of himself strangling Molly, Little Vinny handed Frankie her bag. ‘Look, it’s been a long day and I think we should wrap it up now.’
‘But I thought we were going to order a Chinese?’
Little