‘Much more attractive than any old umbrella,’ said Rose. ‘I shall have to have my friends over for drinkies.’
Tom felt a nudge by his knee and knew that Dylan was waiting patiently under the table to see if any food was dropped, accidental or otherwise.
‘What a good boy you are,’ said Arthur, rubbing Dylan’s head as he gave him a tiny piece of cheese.
‘Definitely the dog with the waggiest tail,’ said Sam, glancing down.
‘That’s it!’ shouted Annie, making everyone jump. ‘We should have a dog show at the fete!’
Eleanor frowned. ‘You mean like one of those agility things?’
Annie shook her head. ‘No, more daft than that. We should have awards for the dog with the waggiest tail. Saddest eyes. Things like that.’
‘Sounds good,’ said Tom, nodding.
‘How about best sausage catcher?’ Sam threw a small piece of sausage at Dylan who leapt up and caught it in his mouth. ‘He’s going to be a winner,’ he said grinning.
Dylan chomped on his titbit whilst Tom reflected that he would most likely be staying on for the fete now as well.
He tested his heart to see how upset it was about committing to yet another month at Willow Tree Hall, but, to his surprise, he was really pleased about it.
He looked across the table to where Eleanor was chatting with Arthur. She seemed to gleam in the soft fairy lights above.
Yes, he was definitely glad to be staying that bit longer.
Chapter 41
The following morning, Eleanor was back in the stables to check once more on her soaps. After many failed attempts, she was hoping that this batch might actually work.
Annie brought her up a flask of coffee once she had arrived.
‘I’ll have to bring you our old kettle,’ said Annie. ‘I haven’t thrown it away yet. It’s a bit ancient, but it works.’ Her smile faded. ‘I still worry that we should have noticed something was up with Megan before it all got out of hand the other night.’
‘It’s been a bit busy,’ said Eleanor. ‘You’ve been rushing around being a future countess, trying to find the perfect bridal dress as well and I’ve had all this going on.’ She waved her hand around the stable. With each passing day, it looked more like a workshop than the derelict room she had first stepped into. She could hear the sawing of wood outside as Tom worked on the other stables. She found his presence quite comforting.
‘Even so,’ said Annie. ‘We’ll have to think of something, some way of getting her involved in the fete.’
‘Definitely,’ replied Eleanor, even though she couldn’t think of anything at that moment.
‘And don’t mention the dress,’ said Annie, with a heavy sigh. ‘If I can’t find the right one soon, I’ll end up wearing the curtains that your mum’s making.’
Annie headed back to the house. Eleanor, for once, was grateful to be alone. She was about to test her next batch of soaps and didn’t want to show herself to be a failure in front of Annie. Having failed at her job in London, it would be too much to bear if she was to fail in Cranley as well.
Bracing herself, she slowly turned over the plastic and gently pressed on the first soap. With a soft thud, it landed on the counter. Eleanor picked up the cream-coloured bar and turned it over in her hands, peering closely at it. In shock, she carried it outside where Tom had just stopped to stretch his back.
‘Look,’ she said, quickly heading over to show him. ‘I think I’ve made soap.’
He looked down at her hands briefly. ‘It is definitely soap,’ he said, his eyes crinkling up at the edges as he smiled at her.
She suddenly felt stupid. She hadn’t cured cancer, for god’s sake. It was only soap.
‘Anyway, I just needed to share with someone,’ she said, turning to hide away back in her workshop.
But he grabbed her arm. ‘Hey, don’t rush off. I was just about to take Dylan down to the river to cool off. Come with us.’
Eleanor wasn’t sure but she did feel hot and sweaty, so in the end agreed to go with them.
As they walked along the path through the woods, Tom said, ‘I need to ask your advice about Dylan.’
‘Has he been chewing your favourite Nikes again?’ she said, with a grin.
‘Well, yes,’ he said. ‘But I can forgive him for that. We’re well past the limit on anyone claiming the dog, so I was thinking about getting him microchipped. And adopting him.’
‘Wow,’ said Eleanor, stopping briefly in amazement. ‘That’s amazing. What are you going to do with him back in London? I mean, you’re going to need a garden, aren’t you? What about when you’re on tour?’ She made a face. ‘Sorry. Lots of questions. I must get that from my mother.’
‘That’s okay,’ he told her. ‘I appreciate that I need to think it all through properly. But by law he ought to be microchipped.’
She nodded. ‘I think that’s a great first step.’
‘Do you have the details of that vet we went to? I can’t remember his name.’
‘It’s Ben. And as it happens, I need to talk to him about something anyway. How about I get us an appointment and we’ll go there together?’
‘That would be great.’
As they headed into a clearing, they found Dylan leaping about in the long grass, disturbing the insects as he sprang about. Butterflies flew up in the air in his wake. The meadow was certainly looking very pretty. The blue of the cornflowers matched the many poppies. She picked a bunch for her mum to take home with her later.
Dylan came charging out of the long grass as soon as Tom called him.
Eleanor began to laugh as she realised that the dog was almost completely covered in grass balls. ‘You look like some kind of alien,’ she told him, reaching down to remove the sticky buds from his fur.
‘Do you need a hand?’ asked Tom.
Dylan collapsed onto the ground, rolled over and showed them both his tummy.
‘He seems pretty relaxed about the whole grooming thing,’ said Eleanor.
‘Perhaps it’s just your gentle touch,’ said Tom.
They both locked eyes for a second before Dylan leapt up and carried on towards the river.
Seeing the glistening water through the trees, Eleanor was seriously tempted to follow Dylan into the water to cool down. She was just considering kicking off her flip-flops when she saw a movement on the other side of the river. Expecting perhaps to see a deer, instead she saw a couple of teenage girls trying unsuccessfully to hide behind some trees.
‘Tom,’ she murmured. ‘We’ve got company.’
She could feel him immediately become alert, his whole body tense. ‘Who is it?’ he asked, glancing around as he came to stand next to her.
‘Behind the other riverbank. A couple of your fans, I think.’
He looked across and made eye contact. They could both just about hear a gasp as the girls realised that they had been spotted. The snapping of many twigs and blur of school uniform confirmed that they were moving away, anxious not to be seen.
‘What is it that they want?’ he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
Eleanor laughed. ‘They want to see our amazing romance, of course.’
He looked across at her and raised his eyebrows. ‘Really? Well, if they want to see romance,’ he said, stepping forward to stand right in front of her. ‘Let’s show them some, shall we?’
Before she could register what was happening, his lips were coming down onto hers.
‘It’s all for show,’ he murmured against her lips as they met.
But somehow, it turned into something else altogether. Time stopped still. It built into a passionate kiss that assaulted her senses until she couldn’t think of anything but him. She couldn’t stop herself from reaching for Tom to bring him closer to her.
Eventually they broke apart. Eleanor and Tom stared at each other, both breathless and wide-eyed, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
Eleanor stared up at him, still trying to steady her bre
ath. ‘Well, that showed them,’ she said, her voice sounding husky.
‘Exactly,’ he told her, looking equally stunned.
And then he broke into a warm smile and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.
At the sound of nearby splashing, Tom turned away to play with Dylan, leaving Eleanor standing beside the river on her own, feeling more confused than ever.
This was bad, she told herself. She shouldn’t have kissed him back. But it had felt so good. And he had kissed her first, after all.
She tried to tell herself that it was just a crush. It had begun before Glastonbury and their accidental kiss had just made it worse. That was all.
And yet, she knew it wasn’t that at all. She looked out for him every day. She enjoyed his company. She had told him things about her dad that only her best friends knew about.
He was just a friend, she decided.
A gorgeous, handsome, good-looking friend.
But she knew deep down that it wasn’t a crush. That she had to stop lying to herself.
Because she was pretty certain that she was falling in love with Tom.
Chapter 42
Eleanor awoke with a start.
With the sun having moved around to shine through the front window, it had to be mid-afternoon. She suppressed a yawn. She must have fallen asleep whilst researching wild flowers and their healing properties on her phone. The heat of the day didn’t help. It was slowing everyone down.
She stretched out on the sofa and enjoyed her sleepiness. But gradually she slowly came to the leisurely conclusion that she wasn’t alone in the room.
Expecting it to be her mum, and hoping she was bearing a cup of tea, Eleanor turned her face.
‘Hello,’ she mumbled.
And was startled to find herself face to face with Buttercup the goat.
Shrieking, she leapt up from the sofa. ‘Get out!’ she shouted. ‘Out!’
Buttercup bleated at her in protest before casually wandering out into the hallway towards the back of the kitchen.
Once her heart had stopped hammering in her chest, Eleanor ushered the goat outside and followed it into the sunshine.
Where she came face to face with the next surprise. Tom was fiddling with the latch on the back gate.
‘Hi,’ he said, smiling at her stunned face.
‘Hello,’ she replied, nonplussed. ‘What are you doing?’
‘You mentioned your mum needed a new gate,’ he said, as she realised he had his tool bag with him. ‘I thought it might be best if, er, well, these fellas didn’t get out.’
He gestured behind him to where his captive audience of the donkey, chickens and goat were watching.
‘Oh, well, thanks,’ she replied. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
‘Your mum said you were asleep on the sofa.’
Great, she thought. ‘Yes, well, it’s been a bit busy since…’ Her voice trailed off.
‘Since three days ago,’ he said, finishing off the sentence.
Across the garden, his eyes bore into hers.
When you kissed me, she silently added. That kiss by the river. The feel of him against her. The realization that she was falling in love with him. She had thought of nothing else since then which was why she had found every reason under the sun not to go back to the hall since then
She desperately wanted to check what she looked like. Had she been drooling in her sleep? Was her hair sticking up in all directions? How much mascara gunk did she have in the corner of her eyes? But it would have been too obvious, so she just stood there, not knowing what to do next.
Thankfully her mum arrived at that moment.
‘All done,’ said Tom, picking up his screwdriver and tool bag.
‘Oh, you are wonderful, isn’t he, Ellie?’ Her mum beamed at her.
Eleanor nodded. ‘Yes, he is,’ she croaked.
‘Can I get you a drink?’ asked her mum.
‘Thanks, but I’d better get back to the hall,’ Tom told her. ‘Otherwise Dylan will have chewed up the place. Talking of which, you seem to have a few less animals these days.’
Her mum nodded. ‘Just these ones to go,’ she said, looking around the back garden.
Eleanor was pleased that she didn’t seem too sad when she told him. Perhaps she really was moving on.
‘Are you coming up to the hall today?’ asked Tom.
‘Tomorrow,’ she told him, avoiding eye contact. ‘I’ve got the girls coming over later. But I’ve managed to arrange the vet’s appointment for tomorrow.’
‘Okay,’ she heard him say. ‘It’s a date. I’ll see you in the morning.’
She started at the word ‘date’ and looked back to find him giving her a smile before walking away.
This was bad. She was like some kind of awkward schoolgirl around him.
She was grateful for the distraction of her friends coming over that evening.
*
‘So what’s the big news?’ she asked Megan, who had teased them both with a text earlier that morning.
‘Yeah, what gives?’ asked Annie. ‘Is it another baby?’
‘No!’ said Megan, laughing. ‘I think three really is enough for the time being.’
‘Well, you are positively glowing,’ said Eleanor, noting her friend’s smiling, relaxed face.
Megan leaned back on the chair with a wide smile. ‘That’s because my gorgeous, wonderful husband announced last night the reason he’s been working so many extra hours. He’s booked us a surprise holiday to Majorca!’
‘Wow!’ said Annie, leaping up to give her a hug. ‘That’s amazing!’
‘Isn’t it?’ said Megan, laughing.
‘When?’ asked Eleanor.
‘We go in a ten days’ time. And we’re going for two weeks! To a hotel! With a kids’ club! Bliss!’ Megan’s face dropped a little. ‘Which makes me feel even more guilty for what happened the other night.’
‘Nothing happened the other night,’ said Eleanor in a firm tone.
‘Exactly,’ said Annie, nodding fiercely.
‘Okay,’ said Megan, looking relieved. ‘The thing is, I don’t really have any clothes to take.’
‘Well, that’s not a problem,’ said Eleanor. ‘Come upstairs. I’ve got loads of stuff that you can borrow.’
‘Really?’ said Megan, looking amazed.
Eleanor smiled. ‘What else are friends for?’
So they spent a happy few hours bringing out all of Eleanor’s designer clothes and having a trying on session. Megan found quite a few tops and skirts that suited her colouring and fitted her.
‘What if the kids spill tomato ketchup on any of it?’ she asked, looking worried.
‘Then it’ll either wash off or we’ll throw it away,’ Eleanor told her. ‘It honestly doesn’t matter. Look at it all,’ she said, waving her arm around at the piles of clothes all over the bedroom. ‘I’ve wasted so much money and I hardly wear any of it. I’d rather you went out and enjoyed yourself, feeling good and confident about how you look. That’s better than having all of this stuck away in some suitcase.’
‘Don’t you want to keep some of it just in case Tom asks you out on a date?’ asked Annie in a sly tone, holding up a slithery piece of satin.
Eleanor blushed and shook her head, suddenly tongue-tied.
‘This is so lovely of you to lend me all of this,’ said Megan, stepping forward to give her a hug. ‘I’m so grateful. But I will make it up to you, I promise.’
‘Just have a fantastic holiday,’ said Eleanor. ‘That’s enough thanks for me.’
But the conversation obviously played on Megan’s mind because the following day she rang Eleanor.
‘I’ve been looking up all the rules and regulations of selling beauty products at the fete,’ she said. ‘Because people are going to be paying you money, hopefully, and then putting your stuff onto their skin, we need to be able to comply with the law.’
Eleanor sighed as she looked around the workshop. ‘That all sounds very
complicated and I’m rubbish with stuff like that.’
‘I know you are, but luckily I’m not,’ said Megan. ‘Leave it with me. I just need the full list of ingredients from you to upload it onto the assessment site. It all sounds very straightforward. I’ll get it done before I go on holiday.’
Eleanor was astonished. ‘Wow, really?’
‘Of course. That’s what friends are for, stupid.’
Eleanor was still smiling when she came off the phone. It was lovely to hear her friend sounding much more relaxed and happy. And perhaps between the holiday and the paperwork, maybe Megan would become more confident as well.
Which just left her mum needing a gentle nudge in the right direction.
Later on, as agreed, she took Tom along to the vet’s to have Dylan microchipped.
She felt herself tongue-tied sitting in the car as he drove and was actually quite relieved by the time they arrived at the vets. But at least it gave her time to think up a plan to talk to Ben about moving on his relationship with her mum. In the surgery, Ben checked the dog over.
‘Well, it’s great to see Dylan looking so well,’ said Ben, smiling as he stroked his head. ‘And getting him microchipped is vital, of course. We’ve not had anyone contact us regarding lost dogs. So it looks as though if you want him, you’re likely to be able to adopt him.’
Tom nodded. ‘I just need to sort through a few things first to make sure it’s the best thing for him.’
Eleanor felt a flutter in her stomach. Maybe he might even settle out in the countryside now that he was hoping to keep the dog. But she shook her head to herself, knowing that she was galloping ahead of herself.
‘Mum’s moving around much better without her plaster cast on,’ she said.
‘Glad to hear it,’ said Ben, as he washed his hands in the nearby sink.
‘In fact, she was beginning to go a bit stir crazy in the house,’ she carried on. ‘You know, having been stuck inside all of these weeks.’
Ben wiped his hands dry and looked across at her. ‘If you’re suggesting that I take her out for dinner one night, you can come right out and tell me, you know.’ He smiled. ‘She and I are old friends.’
Escape to the Country Page 25
