After the deaths of Matthew and Emily in April 1997 Susannah was devastated and almost had a nervous breakdown, but with support from husband Max she gradually came to terms with her loss.
In June
Max persuaded Susannah that they should take holiday
together, a second honeymoon. Earlier in the year Susannah
persuaded Max to attend a clinic for a vasectomy so when she
revealed that she would liked to have had more children Max
announced that he did not go through with the operation and
there is nothing to stop them trying for a baby.
They tried for several months but to Susannah’s dismay she seemed unable to become pregnant, so she decided to have some tests done just to make sure there were no medical reasons why she shouldn't conceive. When the test results came through it was discovered that it would be very unlightly that she could become pregnant due to an infection caused by the car accident.
The Farnham's decided the best option would be for them to adopt, but when they approached an adoption agency they were told that they wouldn't be considered for some time due to there recent bereavement.
Susannah took the news very badly as she desperately wanted a baby. Max realised that he must find a solution and after a great deal of thought suggested that surrogacy could be the answer. Susannah agreed to this idea and they decide to ask Susannah’s sister Lisa if she would be their surrogate mother. With this in mind they invited Lisa over for a meal, expecting her to agree to their proposal but she was horrified at the idea.
After Lisa’s rejection Susannah had to think of another suitable candidate and thought that Jacqui Dixon, a young un-attached successful business woman would make a perfect surrogate mother. The Farnham’s invited Jacqui to their house to put the idea to her but once again they were disappointed when she rejected their offer of payment if she were to agree to having Max’s baby.
However
Jacqui was having problems at Bar Brookie paying a
protection racket run by Callum Finnegan. In desperation she
turned to Barry Grant for help who agreed to get rid of
Finnegan providing she paid him £30,000 in two
instalments. There is only one way Jacqui could raise the
money so she reluctantly agreed to the Farnham’s surrogacy
deal.
Jacqui tried for several weeks to become pregnant while Barry became increasingly impatient for for the monEy owed to him. Another way of rasing the money occurred to Jacqui, by selling her partner Peter a larger share in the hairdressing salon for£15,000. He agreed to do this but after collecting the money from the bank he was mugged and the money stolen.
Jacqui decided to continue with the surrogacy deal when she realised how much it meant to Susannah but was unhappy with her frequent visits to check if she were pregnant. One morning when Jacqui does a pregnancy test it proved positive but she was unsure whether to tell the Farnham’s. After telling Barry Grant how she intended raising the money, he said instead of paying him the money she could sign over Bar Brookie to him while continuing to work there as manager.
Jacqui
decided this was her best option, as she would no longer
need the money she could have an abortion. Jacqui booked
herself into an abortion clinic but when she arrived for the
appointment she couldn't go through with it, deciding
instead to tell the Farnham’s. Max and Susannah were
absolutely delighted with the news and took her out for a
meal to celebrate.
Over the following weeks Jacqui found it increasingly difficult to hide her pregnancy from her friends and family, although she had already confided in her best friend Katie Rogers about the surrogacy arrangement. Meanwhile the Farnham’s had invented a cover story for the arrival of a new baby having told neighbours that they were to adopt a baby in a few months time.
Tragedy almost struck when Jacqui was caught in an explosion at Brookside Parade. Max Farnham was visiting Jacqui at her flat when they were both trapped by the blast. When they were released Jacqui was taken to hospital for a check-up and put in a maternity ward, she managed to explain this to her brother by saying they were short of beds.
A few weeks later Jacqui collapsed in pain at Bar Brookie while lifting some boxes, this time Mike accompanied her to the doctors where he discovered that she is pregnant. Jacqui told Mike that a boy she met at a bar was responsible, knowing that Mike also had something to hide from their father Ron made him promise to keep quite about her pregnancy.
Later
when it was no longer possible to hide her condition, at
Susannah’s suggestion Jacqui went to stay with Lisa until
the baby was born. While staying there Jacqui received some
disturbing news from Katie who told her she believed
Susannah was pregnant. Jacqui found this hard to believe and
decided to confront the Farnham's when they returned from a
short break.
Her
worst fears were realised when they confirmed that against
all odds Susannah was pregnant but tried to reassure Jacqui
that they still wanted her baby. Jacqui remained unconvinced
and later arranged to meet Max to find out the truth. They
met at a local restaurant where Max eventually convinced
Jacqui that he and Susannah really did want her baby.
Unfortunately they were spotted together by Mike who now
suspected that Max was the father Jacqui’s baby.