There was no other word for it Jacqueline was livid. Warning her daughter, expressing her upset had not done a single thing to make the girl listen.

And now 'Mister Gordon' had been corresponded with. Every single letter before was addressed 'Missus' as was the instructions in the personal details reflected on Beth's school record.

Where it had questioned

'Where to direct correspondence?'

It was written: Missus Gordon.

With a frown and a sigh Jacqueline flopped dejectedly onto the couch and covered her face.

This was it, this was the moment everything started to unravel. This was the day her ruse of not having a husband would come and bite her on the bum.

A woman raising a child alone...
And what would happen when the school board found out Missus Gordon had hidden such information.. tarred and feathered she would be and all this...

All this, this new life, this tiny Lilliputian flat with old furniture, oddly stained rugs, narrow stairs and leaky faucets would disappear from view. Her perfectly lovely job, her independence shattering around her as she hurried off north to Norfolk for her father to say in a deep gruff voiced I told you so. I told you not to go to London, told you it wasn't safe, told you it was best to stay close to hearth and home, close to family.

No more London.
No more Pattie.
No more independence....

Mister Gordon was addressed this time and as such the school would soon learn there was no Mister in this abode. And with no mister there was no place for Bethany at the posh Catholic institution.

It had been an internal struggle. Jackie hadn't wanted to put a mans name on the forms nor should she have had to. But what could she do otherwise? When it was a requirement.
What was she to do- put nought and be rejected as was the case up north when a younger Beth had needed to attend school.

So Jackie made it all up, well not completely made it up, she just put her fathers name on the documents and had everything addressed to herself. Easy.

Yes easy until the Headmaster came calling a third time!

The ensuing weeks had been a battle waged. Katie's time in the house was severely restricted which had Bethany at war with a under prepared mother every evening.

Walking her to school, when she could, saw her daughter deposited safely, and more importantly, on time, at the school's massive wrought iron gates.

But it wasn't always so and the days when Jackie tore off to the other side of the city for a advertising shoot with Pattie saw Katie's return and the girls triumphant shrieks as they cleared off back to Abbey Road. Jackie imagined those youthful squeals could be heard for many, many miles around.

Yes, Jackie could visualise them as she caught the morning bus, as she settled in her seat. As she checked her watch at nine o'clock...

It was inevitable that Jackie would crack, need a way to fix things, permanently. She sat on the bus and mulled, and mulled, over what to do. A good hour of wondering and thinking culminating in a shaky plan but what else was she to do. Desperate times called for desperate measures and if she couldn't stop the yearning of a young girl wanting to race to Abbey Road every morning perhaps she could go at this from the other end of the stick...

Speak to the parties responsible for causing such utter chaos in the streets and school girl crushes in Jackie's home.

She would speak to those four princes of Abbey Road.

~~~~~

"George -Jackie... Jacqueline I mean" Pattie bounced out of the agency laughing in delight. She was heady in love and it was gorgeously delicious to see. Jackie held back not wanting to intrude on their being reunited after his tour of Wales. "Jackie meet Georgie. See isn't she delightful and she puts up with all my moods Georgie!"

" 'ello luv" He wasn't saying much, he couldn't. Her lips pressed against him, fingers in his shirt pulling him half over her body as she took every piece of him available "Pattie, Pattie! Whoa. Did you miss me or somethink?!"

"Oh I did, I did. Never ever do that again!" Pattie looped her hands around George's narrow waist and kissed him furiously, over and over. Jackie imagined her clinging a bit like a baby koala would cling to it's mother. George hadn't a chance to shake hands with Jackie so raised an eye brow or two over Patties head in silent conversation instead. Pattie still had her wits about her though and proceeded to begin entertaining George with all Jackie's problems between welcome home kisses "Georgie, Jackie's got a problemo and I think you and she shoul-"

"Oh look is that the parking inspector?" Jackie pointed down the street a ways and George turned about twice in his hurry to get back into the drivers seat of his new E-type Jag "You'd best be off. See you Monday Pattie!"

"Alright but you need to talk to George"

"I think you need to talk to George, Pattie"

"You're such a mother hen Jack. Stop mothering me"

"Take her home George and give her a good kissing. She's been sending me bonkers all day" Jackie grinned down at George as he tried to hold Pattie back from bounding into his lap.

"Oh I think I'll be giving her a bit more than kissing miss Jackie" George winked then wiggled his famous eyebrows, sending a wicked smile Jackie's way as he turned the car key. A Chuck Berry song began blaring from the radio, his foot sank deeply onto the accelerator pedal and without so much as a tar-ah they were gone.

" Well that was more than I needed to know, Mister Harrison" Jackie mumbled after them. She glimpsed the car round the bend of the street, disappearing into the London traffic.

~~~~

"Hasn't Pattie gone home?" Gary leaned against the door frame. It was well past five and Jackie was almost finished assembling her costume.

"Yes shes gone I've a few more things to sort then I'm off too"

"Fancy a drink?" Gary watched Jackie through hooded eyes, he had tried previous to do this and she always fobbed him off with 'more errands', 'more appointments to set', 'need to get the garments ready for tomorrow' excuses. He knew there was nothing on tomorrow and also knew the front office was locked tight, so a few easy excuses were null and void for Jackie today. "At the Alfred just across the street"

"Arrrr" Jackie stood to straighten and rubbed her neck, scanning the bits and bobs as she placed them in her large carry bag, she felt Gary's breathe as he leaned by her to pick up the glasses on the table.

"Prop glasses?" He popped them in the outstretched hand offered and gave her the once over. With her cute frame and sandy hair she measured up to Pattie, simply put they both were 'every-mans' mate. And Jackie wasn't pushy and never spruiked like some of the other assistance's wanting their own taste of fame. Because that was the usual occurrence -be an assistant if you can't be the model.. perhaps some one will notice the girl behind the girl... She exuded something not many had- poise; or perhaps it was a inane knowing in a package of youth. Her lips sealed silent as Gary ran a photographers eye over her.

"I want to photograph you Jacqueline"  Fingers reached out to her wisps of stray hair floating in dance as she moved "Just a few, just for you and maybe a test"

It was unusual to be here without the hubbub of activity, the place was a hive most days. Sometimes turning into a party atmosphere of an early evening. And, with the Alfred just across the street, the parties present drift forever between the two for drinks and socialising.

"I'm no model Gary" He was so close and his fingers were soft, never an ounce of proper work undertaken. All he did was press a little button and call out random words to pretty birds dressed in gorgeous dresses. "Pass me the scarf, there on the chair"

"Gee where'd you get this piece of Edwardian cloth?!" It was more suited to Oliver twist then a young lady but then again what was he to know her weekend consisted.

"Props room, like the glasses"  The sheer ugliness of the fabric didnt bother Gary much as he smoothly draped it around her neck holding either side and drawing her to him slowly "Gary I best be going. Please stop" It was too intimate this. Him her together like this, so close to each other and she hardly knew him. He was a colleague not a suitor, are they called suitors now?  God so close.

"Say yes to the Alf, luv"

"No and step back Gary... please" Her whine of worry caught him off guard. This world was his, the birds would line up to be snapped in finery and given opportunity to develop a career portfolio. Gary lifted her chin and slid his finger along the fine bones of her cheeks. "Please stop"

"I could take you places, make you famous... would you like that? Wouldn't you like more money then you ever dreamed Jacqueline"

Jackie scoffed rather rudely, he had rocks in his head. She wasn't as pretty as Pattie, she was plain. Never wore makeup and never ever could work out how to mix and match like the other girls. City girls just seemed to have 'it' the famous 'it' and Jackie had blah. Work clothes, one pair of comfortable footwear and not very much more.

Anyway clothes, fancy clothing, cost money and she hadn't the change for a fresh loaf of bread let alone new clothes. She glanced up at the clock- ten to six, the bus would be by anytime soon. "Right I'm packed let me by so I can catch the Number Seventeen, thank-you muchly"

"I'll shoot you one day. I've already a few of you" He skited loudly from behind her as she pushed on the outer door to escape to the street. Her body turned in one fluid swirl.

"Pardon?" Jackie's eyes narrowed instinctively, how dare he just snap pictures of her. It was plain rude to do so.

"A dozen or more. Come to the dark room and I'll show you" Gary grinned with all the charm of a used car salesman, wanting to capture attention and hold it undivided.

Taking the less high tensile route she dropped the guard and rolled her eyes with a little less indignation that seemed to have settled in her stomach prior  "Oh please. Does that line even work!?"

"Most usually- yes" He smirked now, cheeky and boyish, rubbing a hand almost shyly over his smooth dome.

"Well today's your unlucky day. Pack up the photos and bin them Gary. They'll be shite, the lot of them. See you Monday" And with that Jackie was done. Her footsteps sounded hollow as she made the bus stop in seconds flat, the rain was falling, the mist rolling in, a chill moving over her to invade her bones.

Climbing aboard, and before she fell into a vacant seat, the bell chimed and the bus lurched forward with a jump. Before she knew it, the pillarbox red monstrosity was swung precariously around the exact same corner that George and Pattie had driven earlier, and Jackie's plans for the next day were now set in action.