Escape to the Country

by Sherlock, Alison

  Annie gave him a kiss on the cheek before exchanging a knowing smile with Eleanor. ‘Nope.’

  ‘Well, we’re going to need a friggin’ meringue to put over them if you insist on wearing them at your wedding. You look tired. Has Sam been keeping you awake all night?’ he winked.

  ‘Shut up,’ muttered Annie, blushing furiously. ‘Anyway, he’s in Glastonbury.’

  But Alex just laughed and hugged her. ‘Darling, I’ve missed you and your shy ways. And you must have missed me terribly!’

  Eleanor was agog. He was a real character.

  ‘Of course we have,’ Annie told him. ‘But it’s not our fault you’ve been in your love nest with Mario every hour of every day. By the way, where is he? I thought he was coming with you?’

  ‘Dumped, sweetie.’

  ‘No! Why?’

  ‘That china doll collection of his I told you about? I couldn’t deal with it any more,’ said Alex with a shudder. ‘The damn things stared at me all night with those glass eyes. Felt like they were giving my performance marks out of ten. Then I accidentally knocked “Josephine” off the dressing table when I was dusting and he went completely psycho. I was outta there.’

  ‘Poor you,’ said Annie, laying a hand on his arm. ‘I’ve got some lemon drizzle cake just for you. Shop-bought at the minute because of the lack of kitchen, I’m afraid.’

  ‘I can’t eat my way through heartache, darling.’

  ‘There’s coffee cake as well.’

  ‘Excellent. Lead the way.’ They headed across the hall and Alex locked eyes with Eleanor. ‘You’re new,’ he said, giving her a once-over. ‘But at least you’ve got some style, much like myself. I’d recognise those Primarni loafers anywhere. Thought they’d sold out. Who are you?’

  ‘Alex!’ muttered Annie, shaking her head. ‘You’re so rude.’

  ‘Italian,’ he snapped back. ‘There’s a difference.’

  ‘This is Eleanor,’ said Annie, sounding proud.

  ‘Blimey, I thought she was your imaginary friend after all this time,’ said Alex. ‘Where have you been hiding, lovely?’

  ‘London,’ Eleanor told him, feeling nervous under his scrutiny.

  ‘Civilisation indeed,’ said Alex, nodding. ‘This must all be a bit rural for you.’ Without waiting for an answer, he swept past and headed towards the kitchen.

  Annie and Eleanor exchanged a smile and then followed him.

  In the kitchen, the electrics, lighting and plumbing had now been completed. Brand new appliances were starting to arrive in enormous packaging and the whole room was slowly taking shape.

  ‘A dishwasher! A tumble dryer!’ said Annie, with a smile. ‘And no mice. Well, maybe not so many.’

  Alex shuddered. ‘I should think not. So have the plasterers finished upstairs as well?’ he asked.

  ‘Last week,’ said Annie. ‘All the guest bedrooms are just waiting for your magic touch.’

  ‘You wait until I tell you my ideas for these,’ said Alex, his eyes gleaming. ‘It’ll be like the best hotel in the area. Very upmarket but beautiful too. And free, natch. But, heaven help us, only housing crusty musicians. Oh, not gorgeous Tom, of course. I can’t believe my first weekend visit and he’s at bloody Glastonbury.’

  ‘Try and focus,’ said Annie, in a firm tone. ‘Now what about my kitchen? You haven’t told me what it’s going to look like.’

  ‘It’s going to be fabulous and that’s all you need to know,’ said Alex, his eyes gleaming. ‘Your fiancé has made you wait long enough, so we can go over budget by a teensy tiny bit.’

  Annie shook her head. ‘I daren’t. We’re so broke.’

  Alex made a face. ‘How dull. Leave it to me. I know how to get a bargain or two.’

  Annie led them outside onto the sunny patio where she planned to serve them tea.

  Alex glanced down to a pile of cuttings that had been hidden underneath her notepad on the table. ‘What’s all this?’

  ‘I was sorting out a few newspaper reports from the last couple of years,’ said Annie, with a grimace. ‘We’ve got to host the annual summer fete. It’s our duty as future earl and countess of Cranley.’

  Alex clapped his hands together in fake enthusiasm. ‘A summer fete! How very twee!’

  Eleanor looked at the photographs and was dismayed by what she saw. The Queen’s garden party, it certainly wasn’t. A few stalls, mostly bric-a-brac and other rubbish. Some flowers in pots for sale. A few balloons. ‘Where’s the bunting?’ she asked. ‘If it’s going to be a proper fete, it should at least be pretty.’

  ‘Everything should be pretty to look at otherwise it’s too depressing to contemplate,’ said Alex.

  Annie shrugged her shoulders. ‘I think people came because their parents did and it’s sort of carried onto the next generation.’ She brought out a large notebook and stared down at the blank pages once more, as if seeking inspiration.

  ‘You’d better put Portaloos at the top of that list,’ Alex told her, tapping the blank page. ‘I’m not having all and sundry traipsing through this beautiful home that I’ve made for you.’

  Annie grimaced. ‘God, I hadn’t thought of that.’

  ‘What had you thought of?’ asked Eleanor.

  Annie sighed as she handed over the photographs of the previous fetes. ‘Just that it had to look better than that.’

  Alex grimaced as he looked over Eleanor’s shoulder at the pictures. ‘It couldn’t look much worse. Where the hell’s that cake? We need sugar for the shock.’

  Annie served the tea and cakes on the rickety patio furniture. To make it a bit more pretty, she had arranged some pink sweet peas which had been plonked into a jam jar.

  ‘Bert grows them. Don’t they smell wonderful?’ said Annie, sniffing the air. ‘They’re my favourite.’

  ‘It’s like we’re in a frigging time machine,’ said Alex, shaking his head. ‘Albeit a cute, countryside one.’

  ‘We’re not that bad,’ Annie told him, cutting a slice of cake. ‘We’re just in the country, that’s all.’

  ‘That’s it!’ exclaimed Alex with a start.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ said Annie.

  ‘The fete, dumbass!’ said Alex. ‘I’m thinking old-fashioned but pretty. Classic. Very English.’

  Eleanor stared at him as he grabbed the notebook and started writing down his ideas as he said them out loud. ‘Stalls, yes. Lots more than in previous years. But mainly cakes, vegetables, flowers and that type of thing. Home-made cakes. Definitely bunting. Did I mention cakes? People can’t get enough of the things. Mary Berry eat your heart out. It’s got to be old-fashioned. Pin the tail on the donkey type of thing.’ He broke into a wicked grin. ‘I’m very good at that.’

  ‘What about a merry-go-round?’ said Annie, grabbing the pen from him. ‘For the children?’

  Alex shook his head. ‘Absolutely no way. You don’t want the smell and mess of fairground rides. And definitely not a cheap burger van either. It’s got to be classy. Croquet. Cocktails. Nice old-fashioned games. Gentrified. A proper country village fete.’

  Annie’s eyes widened. ‘Crikey,’ she said, looking at Eleanor for guidance.

  But Eleanor was nodding her approval. ‘He’s right,’ she said. ‘Bunting everywhere. Pretty rugs and cushions. Tea light holders in jars. Old bottles. Lots of floral cloth.’

  ‘It’s got to look like a Cath Kidston advert,’ said Alex. ‘It’s gonna be flippin’ gorgeous.’

  Eleanor nodded enthusiastically. She knew exactly what he was talking about. It was going to look beautiful on the front lawn, especially with Willow Tree Hall as a backdrop. But he was right about that too. The house would definitely stay closed.

  Portaloos, she wrote, grabbing the pen from Annie and underlining the word three times.

  ‘What’s the entertainment?’ said Alex.

  Annie frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘You need stars, sweetie,’ said Alex, rolling his eyes. ‘That draws the punter
s in. Presumably you want to make money for your charity, don’t you?’

  Annie broke into a smile. ‘Well, stars we can probably get hold of, thanks to my fiancé.’

  Chapter 24

  Hanging around the hall with Annie and Alex for the rest of the day, Eleanor found that she was still expecting Tom to appear at any moment. But if she was unsettled at that particular thought, it was nothing to the abandonment that Dylan felt. He kept sitting by the front door, refusing to budge until Tom came back. Nobody could distract him or make him move.

  ‘I’m sure he’ll be okay later on,’ Eleanor told Annie as she got onto her bicycle to head home. ‘He’ll definitely perk up when it’s time for his dinner.’

  But that evening, she received a call from Annie. ‘You’ve got to come here and do something with Dylan. He’s howling and howling. He won’t settle with any of us.’

  So Eleanor cycled back to Willow Tree Hall in the late evening sun, thinking that at least she was going to get fitter with all the exercise she was getting.

  She could hear Dylan barking inside the house as soon as she drew up on her bike.

  Annie opened up the front door before she could even reach it. Dylan rushed out and hurtled round her.

  ‘You silly thing,’ said Eleanor, reaching down to rub his head when he finally collapsed at her feet. ‘He’s not with me.’ She looked up at Annie. ‘Have you tried calling Tom? Maybe the sound of his voice will make Dylan settle a bit.’

  Annie shook her head. ‘We tried that. It made him even worse,’ she said, turning to head back into the house. ‘What are we going to do?’

  ‘Well, at least he’s not howling any more,’ said Eleanor, realising that the dog was now walking alongside her as they went into the entrance hall. In fact, Dylan was so close that he was almost tripping her up.

  ‘Thank god,’ drawled Alex, heading across from the drawing room. ‘He obviously likes you. You’ll have to stay here. I need my beauty sleep.’

  Eleanor was startled at the suggestion. ‘But I haven’t brought anything with me,’ she said.

  ‘You can borrow my stuff,’ said Annie. ‘Even if it isn’t very designer.’

  Eleanor looked at Annie and caught her soft smile. ‘That doesn’t matter to me,’ she told her friend.

  ‘He does seem calmer now that you’re here,’ said Annie, nodding at the dog. ‘Come on. It’ll be like one of our old pyjama parties.’

  ‘But with a large amount of gin, hopefully,’ added Alex, grinning. ‘Anyone for strip poker?’

  Eleanor rang her mum who was more concerned about Dylan’s unhappiness than sleeping on her own back at home. So Eleanor relaxed and found herself enjoying an evening at Willow Tree Hall, as they sat on the patio, drinking their gin and tonics.

  ‘It’s such a lovely setting,’ said Eleanor, looking out across the long grass to where the sun was slowly sinking behind the woods. With Dylan sitting on her feet, and a cold drink in her hand, she felt more relaxed than she had done in ages. She had had few moments of relaxation recently, she realised. Far too busy worrying about her job. She also knew from her mum’s experience with animals that if she felt calm, then Dylan would be as well. So she forced herself to not worry. Consequently, Dylan curled up and took an evening nap right next to her chair.

  ‘It would be even better if we were sitting on something more comfortable,’ said Alex, grimacing as he shuffled his bottom on the hard wooden seat.

  ‘We do need to get some cushions,’ agreed Rose, who had joined them, along with Arthur, after dinner. ‘And a large umbrella for any hot summer days. There’s no shade up here.’

  ‘What about a swimming pool?’ said Alex, his eyes gleaming.

  ‘I believe my grandson said something about a limited budget,’ said Arthur with a smile.

  ‘Spoilsport,’ said Alex, giving him a wink. ‘I was hoping to see Tom in his swimming shorts.’

  Eleanor gulped as she wondered what that would be like as well.

  They stayed outside in the warm air until the sun had set and the stars had begun to come out.

  ‘Time for bed,’ declared Rose, with a shiver as the cooler air began to drift over the grounds.

  ‘I hear you,’ said Alex, with a yawn. ‘I always sleep like a log here.’

  ‘It’s the peace and quiet,’ said Arthur, nodding in agreement. ‘And all this fresh air.’

  ‘And the lack of scary doll eyes staring at me all night,’ added Alex.

  As Eleanor headed up the huge sweeping staircase, she realised she had never been up to the first floor.

  ‘I love these stairs,’ she told Annie, as they went past all the paintings of the previous earls and their families.

  ‘It’s very Scarlett O’Hara, isn’t it?’ said Annie, smiling. ‘I can’t wait to come down here in my wedding dress.’

  ‘You’re going to look so glamorous,’ agreed Eleanor. ‘It’ll make a great photo.’

  ‘Just as soon as I find a dress to wear,’ Annie told her, biting her lip in concern. ‘We must go shopping soon.’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  At the top of the stairs, there was a beamed gallery which overlooked the entrance hall below. ‘That’s the east wing bedrooms,’ said Annie, pointing down the corridor. ‘Rose and Arthur’s bedroom suites are down there. As well as a couple more, soon to be finished, guest bedrooms.’ They turned in the opposite direction. ‘I thought you two would be happier in the west wing,’ said Annie, glancing down at Dylan who still wouldn’t leave Eleanor’s side.

  As they went along the corridor, Eleanor glanced into room after room but they were all empty.

  ‘We’ve managed to clear out most of the rubbish and at least they’ve all been plastered now,’ Annie told her. ‘And the whole place is watertight. But the only spare guest room that’s actually got a bed you can use is…’ Annie finished the sentence as she opened up a door. ‘My old bedroom.’

  It was a beautiful room, light and airy. Three of the walls were painted a pale cream. The fourth wall, behind the bed, had been covered with the most beautiful cream wallpaper, decorated with tiny turquoise butterflies. The furniture was also pale, but the whole room felt modern and warm, thanks to the turquoise and gold accents dotted about.

  ‘Didn’t Alex do a lovely job?’ said Annie, smiling. ‘I love this room.’

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ agreed Eleanor, nodding her approval. ‘So pretty.’

  Then she noticed that amongst the new lamps and candlesticks were some sheets of music. The odd book. Some aftershave.

  She turned around to face Annie and raised her eyebrows.

  ‘Yeah, sorry,’ said Annie, looking abashed. ‘Tom’s been using this room. But it’s the only one with a bed in it. He seems quite clean and tidy, you know, for a bloke. And Dylan sleeps up here with him, so I figured he might be more settled here with you.’

  They both watched as Dylan went over to what looked like a brand new, soft leather dog bed and curled up inside it.

  Eleanor could see that Annie was waiting for her reply. ‘It’s fine,’ she told her friend. ‘Better than fine. I haven’t slept in anywhere this gorgeous for ages.’

  ‘Since your own flat, I suppose,’ said Annie.

  ‘That wasn’t mine, it was Lucas’s,’ Eleanor told her, making a face. ‘And it wasn’t pretty like this. It was all a bit cold and sterile. Not warm and welcoming.’

  ‘Poor you,’ said Annie, touching her arm.

  Eleanor smiled and shrugged. ‘I just needed somewhere to stay. My own flat got condemned so I had to move in with him for a while. Turns out that was the beginning of the end for our relationship, I think. I haven’t had a single text from him since I came here. So much for our so-called break.’ She turned to her friend. ‘Whereas you moving in here was the absolute right thing, especially when Sam moved back in too.’

  Annie blushed. ‘It was,’ she said, nodding happily at the memory.

  They hugged each other goodnight before Eleanor settled into the
bed. A soft breeze was wafting the curtains at the front, but other than that it was very peaceful and still in the house. As she snuggled deeper into the very comfortable bedding, Eleanor realised that she could smell the traces of Tom’s woody aftershave on the pillow. With one last check that Dylan was happily curled up in his bed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  Chapter 25

  Eleanor took Dylan for a walk the following day but he would only head out into the grounds when he had exhausted his search in every single room for Tom.

  Having decided to stay for the weekend to stop the dog from howling, she quickly cycled home to pick up some clothes and help her mum with the animals.

  Finally, in the middle of the afternoon, she staggered back into the drawing room and slumped on a chair. ‘Well, that was fun.’

  ‘It doesn’t look like fun,’ Alex told her, peering over his coffee cup. ‘It looks hot and sweaty and not in my favourite kind of way.’

  ‘Although that skirt is so pretty,’ said Rose, giving her a once-over. ‘Chanel?’

  Eleanor shook her head. ‘Topshop.’

  ‘They’re so clever,’ said Rose, nodding her head in approval. ‘It’s only the quality and the workmanship of the seams that tells the difference.’

  ‘It looks okay to me,’ said Annie.

  Rose stood up. ‘Darling, let this be your first lesson in fashion. Follow me.’

  So Eleanor, Annie and Alex followed Rose up to her bedroom. It was a proper lady’s boudoir with luxurious carpets and decadent trimmings such as silver candlesticks and ornate mirrors. Alex had done a tremendous job designing the whole room, which suited Rose perfectly. Eleanor marvelled at the three huge wardrobes all bulging with designer clothes.

  ‘This is amazing,’ she said, running her hand along the rail.

  ‘When you work in the fashion industry, there are so many freebies,’ said Rose. ‘And I never could bear to throw anything away. Now, where’s that Chanel?’

  Eleanor sat down on the end of the bed with Alex and Annie.

  Rose closed one set of wardrobe doors and opened the next one along. ‘Ah, here we are,’ she announced. ‘This is the 1960s and 70s closet. Here’s some Chanel, of course.’ She brought out a black and white checked suit.