Escape to the Country

by Sherlock, Alison

  Annie stood in the middle of the room, staring in wonder at her reflection. The dress fitted her perfectly and glittered in the sunshine. As a tear rolled down her cheek, she stepped forward to give Rose a hug. ‘I love it. Thank you. It’s precious.’

  ‘Just like you, darling.’

  Annie looked across at her friends. ‘What do you think?’ she asked, beaming.

  ‘It’s beautiful. And I think that no dress you’ve ever tried on has made you look so happy,’ Eleanor told her.

  ‘You look absolutely stunning,’ said Megan.

  ‘And as a future countess, you’ll certainly look the part on your wedding day,’ added Rose. ‘She held Annie at arm’s length to look at her. ‘And just remember, my dear. Whatever happens today, you have the love of a great man whom you adore and cherish in return. Everything else is just bunting.’

  Then they were all hugging and crying before Rose declared they all needed a fortifying sip of champagne to overcome any last-minute nerves.

  As they drank, Eleanor took pleasure in her best friend’s wedding plans coming together. But she then felt a pang, wondering when her own love life would be as blissfully happy.

  Chapter 51

  Standing on the front doorstep, Annie glanced at her watch for the fifth time in as many minutes.

  ‘It’s two o’clock,’ she said to Eleanor. ‘What if nobody comes?’

  Eleanor smiled and pointed at the long driveway. The villagers were beginning to walk or drive into the estate.

  ‘They came!’ said Annie, looking relieved.

  ‘I don’t think there was any ever doubt, was there?’ said Eleanor, before heading off towards her stall.

  And so it began. The huge front lawn filled with people from every walk of life in the village. They walked, they stood, they chattered and lounged on picnic rugs.

  The children enjoyed the balloons, the face painting and the many stands of cakes. The cakes were also enjoyed by the grown-ups, as well as the drinks stands and old-fashioned games. The tug of war was won by a group of scouts, the croquet competition by the vicar.

  The sweet stalls and raffles were particularly popular and sold out quickly. The beer tent, run by the local pub, also did a roaring trade. Stick candy floss rivalled the ice cream sales and, later in the afternoon, Tom was busy with the barbeque, cooking sausages for something more substantial to eat.

  Eleanor’s stalls turned out to be one of the most popular. In fact, she had to rope in Megan to help out.

  She was grateful that the feedback from the customers was all positive.

  ‘We want local,’ said one woman. ‘It’s so important.’

  ‘I’m sick of chemicals,’ said another.

  ‘Me too,’ Eleanor told her, picking up a pot. ‘My eczema was bad before I started using this cream.’

  ‘And it’s all handmade here at Willow Tree Hall,’ added Megan.

  Eleanor smiled. Her friend was a natural saleswoman.

  ‘Do you do hand cream?’ someone asked.

  ‘This is a good all-round body cream,’ Eleanor replied, handing over one of the tester tubs.

  She glanced over at her mum’s stall nearby and was pleased to see her surrounded by customers as well.

  During a brief lull in the afternoon, when Annie was asking how it was going, Alex came to join them.

  ‘You did good,’ he said, giving Annie a nudge. ‘It’s…what’s the word? Charming, that’s it. It’s charming and country.’

  Eleanor looked at the colourful bunting and checked tablecloths, fluttering in a gentle breeze. ‘Yes, it is.’

  ‘I’m not saying there’s not a few fashion disasters,’ he carried on. ‘I’ve lost count of the socks and sandal combinations. But, darling, you’ll be a fabulous countess.’

  Annie beamed at the praise. Eleanor knew that she was still reeling from the discovery of her perfect wedding dress. And that Rose’s subtle timing had given Annie more confidence than ever before.

  The dog show was a huge success. Arthur had a marvellous time judging the dogs, his pocket full of treats meaning he was the most popular person there, as far as the entrants were concerned. And most of the entrants received a prize. But the winner of the ‘Dog I Most Want To Take Home’ was, of course, Dylan.

  ‘Because he already is,’ Arthur told everyone, beaming with pride.

  There was a teddy bears picnic storytelling in one corner. Mick was doing Jackanory which went down a storm.

  ‘Although I’m pretty certain he’s making up most of the stories,’ said Sam, looking concerned.

  ‘Just don’t listen too closely,’ Eleanor told him.

  By late afternoon, both Eleanor and her mum’s stalls were empty. They had completely sold out of every single item.

  Eleanor knew then that this could work as a business. She was thrilled. But it would mean no more London. She waited for the pang of regret but it never came. She had made the right decision after all.

  With the stall empty, it meant that she could wander round and enjoy the fete as well.

  Early in the evening, it appeared that nobody was making any moves to leave even though the fete was supposed to officially end at six o’clock.

  So Arthur, in his laid-back attitude, let everyone stay on. ‘Why not?’ he said to Sam. ‘After all, the idea is that everyone should enjoy themselves.’

  As the sun began to set on the horizon, the tea lights and candles were lit. There were hundreds of them, in old jam jars and bottles placed on every table and stall. Sam switched on the fairy lights that were wrapped around the trees and strung from stall to stall. The estate began to twinkle and took on a softer, gentler feel in the dusk.

  Annie stood on the stage, after all the prizes had been given out, and thanked everyone for coming. ‘You’ve raised so much money today for the local hospital,’ she told the audience, to a rousing cheer. ‘The oncology unit will benefit hugely from today’s event.’

  Eleanor clapped and cheered along with everyone else. But she found she was also glancing around for Tom. She hadn’t seen him for at least an hour and was beginning to wonder where he was.

  ‘And now,’ continued Annie, breaking into a wide smile. ‘As a little extra treat for you all, I’ve persuaded some of our dearest friends to come up here and play some music on this lovely summer’s evening. So first please give a huge welcome to Tommy King!’

  Eleanor was amazed. She didn’t even know that he had volunteered to play.

  Tom stepped up to the stage, waving to the audience who had surged forward to see the global superstar. But once he had begun to sing in his soft voice, accompanied by only his guitar, they all settled down onto the grass to watch and listen.

  Standing nearby, Eleanor was entranced and couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Nobody had ever kissed her like he had. Nobody had ever made her crave the next kiss as much as he did. She didn’t need her armour of make-up and designer clothes around him. Nobody had ever helped her relax and be herself around them. She knew, right there in that moment, that she was desperately, hopelessly in love with Tom.

  As they went into another song, Eleanor kept watching Tom. He was so different to the reserved, almost gruff man she had first met in the kitchen all those weeks ago. She had let her guard down towards him. He had seen her innermost thoughts and fears and still she felt as if she could trust him.

  After about half an hour, Hazy Memory came onto the stage to join Tom and together they all sang some Frank Sinatra songs. Accompanied only by Tom’s acoustic guitar, their strong voices held the notes well and they were given a rousing response by the crowd.

  Then, with a soft smile, Tom announced the next song. ‘This one is for someone special.’ And they launched into an a cappella version of ‘Elenore, Gee I think You’re Swell’. Eleanor smiled but blushed like crazy, especially when both Annie and Megan looked over and grinned at her.

  When they had finished, the band and Tom stepped down from the stage, leaving Sam and Annie to announce
the end of a wonderful fete.

  Tom wandered over to where she stood in the dark shadow of a tree.

  ‘That was, unexpected,’ she told him. ‘But really good. I can’t believe you sang that song.’

  He stared down at her before reaching out to take her hand into his. All around them, people drifted past. Most had walked from the village or had parked in the lane so headed down the driveway and out the front gates. Their excited chatter and laughter filled the night air, confirming what a special day it had been. But Eleanor and Tom stayed silent, only their eyes telling each other what they needed to hear.

  In unison, they both began to walk across the grass away from the crowd. Around them, everyone was making sure that all the candles had been extinguished. With the fairy lights also switched off, only Willow Tree Hall remained lit up from inside. Eleanor thought that she had never seen it more beautiful than at that moment.

  They carried on walking hand in hand towards the stables. At first, Eleanor thought that was where they would stop, but Tom kept going. It was then that she realised where he was leading her to.

  Finally, they were back at their favourite, magical spot in the woods by the river. Only the moonlight lit the rugs and cushions on the ground.

  Eleanor stopped and turned to say something to him but the words died in her throat as she faced him.

  Then, as one, they both stepped towards each other. With a groan, he pulled her against him and dropped his mouth onto hers. The kiss was one of the sweetest she had ever known.

  She wasn’t sure how long they stayed wrapped in their embrace. Minutes definitely. Hours possibly. The kiss had deepened and grown until she was sure she could never think about anything else.

  ‘I did warn you that one day there wouldn’t be an audience here to watch us,’ Tom murmured, as he ran his lips along her jaw and down to her neck.

  ‘So what happens next?’ she asked, gasping at the feeling of his lips on her skin.

  He drew his head up briefly. ‘That’s up to you,’ he said, his voice unsteady.

  Her mind was already made up. Had probably been made from the first time that he had kissed her all those weeks ago.

  Eleanor took his hand in hers once more and drew him down to lie with her on the blanket.

  Chapter 52

  Eleanor woke up to find herself in the woods, surrounded by soft cushions and birdsong but no Tom. She sighed to herself in the soft morning light. Was that true what she had felt last night? Did she love him? But as she stared up at the sky high above the trees, she realised she did.

  She was totally and utterly in love with Tom. She had never felt like this before about anyone. Any past loves had been fleeting and slight. This was all-encompassing.

  She found she couldn’t stop smiling as she realised that Tom was now standing next to the blanket, facing the river.

  ‘Good morning,’ she said, her voice husky.

  But when he spun round, he was holding his phone and staring at her with hard eyes, his face white with shock.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ she gasped. ‘What’s happened?’

  ‘Is this you?’ he said. ‘Is this really you?’

  She finally registered that he was holding up the screen to that she could see it.

  ‘I’m plastered all over the front page of Hot Gossip! Magazine,’ he told her. ‘That is the one you work for, isn’t it? At least, that’s what the story says.’

  ‘No, I…’ she began.

  But he was too cross to listen. ‘You lied to me. It says here that you’re a journalist. And not for some money magazine.’

  She groaned, shaking her head. ‘No. I’m not,’ she told him with a sigh. ‘Well, yes, I was but I left a long time ago.’

  But he wasn’t listening. ‘Is this what all this was about? Did you sleep with me just for the story?’

  ‘No! Of course not!’ she told him, desperate for him to believe her. ‘I don’t know anything about a story. I haven’t written anything about you.’

  ‘Is your real name Eleanor?’ he asked.

  He looked so furious, with eyes so full of hatred that she was shocked.

  ‘Yes, of course it is,’ she replied.

  ‘And you never gave them a story about me?’ He was looking at her as if she was the lowest possible lifeform.

  She sat up, knowing that she had to tell him the truth. ‘That was the idea at first,’ she told him. ‘But then you weren’t what I expected at all. None of this was. And I stopped it, a long time ago because I fell in love with you.…’ She gulped. ‘I love you.’

  Finally, for the first time since her father had walked out, she was able to say it. She thought the words would be hard to say. But the fact that it felt so right meant that she believed every word. She truly loved Tom.

  She wanted so much to hear him say that he loved her too. But instead, he snatched the phone from her.

  ‘You’re lying. It’s all lies.’

  ‘No! It’s not,’ she said, quickly getting up to grab hold of his arms. ‘I really do. I love you, Tom. You have to believe me.’

  ‘Of course I don’t believe you!’ he shouted at her. ‘I should never have trusted you. Just go. Leave. Go on, get out of here.’

  But she stood still. She couldn’t leave him. Not like this. Not when she loved him so much. ‘No, Tom, I…’

  ‘Fine,’ he finally snapped. ‘If you won’t leave then I will.’

  He stormed off through the woods, marching away from her and taking her heart with him.

  For a second, she just stood there, reeling from all that had happened.

  And then she sank onto the ground, crying for the love that she had briefly shared and just lost.

  *

  Eleanor had only managed to get as far as her workshop by mid-morning. Weak from crying, she couldn’t have moved much further anyway. She stayed huddled in a corner, trying to call Tom over and over on his mobile. But he had turned his phone off.

  Sometime later, Annie and Megan appeared at the door.

  ‘Thank god you’re here,’ said Megan, sighing with relief. ‘We’ve been looking for you everywhere.’

  ‘Is he still in the house?’ said Eleanor, looking up at Annie with pleading eyes.

  Annie shook her head. ‘He left about an hour ago. He’s catching a last-minute flight to New York. Says he needs a change of scenery.’

  Eleanor bit her lip as more tears spilled down her cheeks. ‘It’s all my fault.’

  ‘You didn’t really write that article, did you?’ asked Annie, the tears glistening in her eyes.

  ‘No, of course not,’ said Eleanor, her voice breaking. ‘It’s that bitch editor of mine. She made the whole thing up. With Lucas’ help, of course,’ she added bitterly.

  She had read the whole wretched story in horror and disbelief. Various quotes from ‘a close friend’ only confirmed what she had guessed. That her ex-boyfriend had spoken to Theresa. She hoped the VIP tickets he no doubt received in exchange would choke him.

  Her friends were still looking at her with worried faces.

  ‘Anyway, I wouldn’t do that to you. To either of you. I promised,’ Eleanor told them. ‘Besides, I love you, you know that.’

  Annie and Megan looked at each other in shock.

  ‘You never say that,’ said Annie, her eyes wide.

  ‘Not after your dad left,’ added Megan, equally astonished.

  ‘Well, I do. I really love you guys.’ Eleanor began to sob again. ‘And… and I love Tom. He’s the love of my life and he hates me. I’m never going to love anyone ever again.’

  ‘You love him?’ asked Annie gently.

  ‘I do! I really love Tom!’ wailed Eleanor.

  ‘We know,’ said Megan, stepping forward to give her a hug. ‘We just wanted to hear you say it out loud at last.’

  ‘What do I do now?’ asked Eleanor, frantic. ‘He won’t answer his phone to me.’

  Her friends sat down on the floor next to her.

  ‘I don’
t know,’ said Megan, with a shrug of her shoulders. ‘We’ll just take it one day at a time, okay?’ She paused for a second. ‘You might not want to hear this right now, but there is some actually quite amazing news this morning.’

  ‘What’s that?’ sniffed Eleanor, hardly caring.

  ‘You won’t believe it,’ said Annie. ‘Rackelle has gone into Celebrity Big Brother. Apparently she’s been raving about your products and now Megan says the brand new internet site she’s built for you has crashed!’

  Eleanor was stunned. ‘You’re kidding,’ she gasped.

  ‘Nope,’ said Megan. ‘Isn’t it great? Well, you know. Apart from losing the love of your life and all that, obviously.’

  Eleanor began to cry again.

  ‘I don’t know what we can do about all this,’ said Annie, drawing her into a hug.

  ‘Nothing,’ said Megan. ‘Except be here for you.’

  They all leaned forward into a group hug.

  ‘You jump, we jump, okay?’ said Annie.

  And Eleanor nodded through her tears, pleased that their friendship was whole again despite her broken heart.

  *

  The fete was hailed as a huge success in the local newspaper later that week.

  Annie took full credit as the future countess, which helped her self-esteem rocket. ‘If I can do this, I can do anything,’ she said, beaming. ‘What about holding a Christmas fete?’

  ‘Er, what about your wedding?’ said Megan.

  Annie shrugged her shoulders. ‘I can do both!’

  ‘Remember that I’ll be busy with Eleanor’s website,’ said Megan, in a warning tone.

  Ironically, although her personal life was in free fall, Eleanor’s new career was on the rise. Thanks to Rackelle’s television recommendation, she was inundated with orders for her products.

  And she wasn’t the only one who was doing well.

  ‘Have you seen this?’ said Sam, his eyes wide, as he crossed the main hall one day.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Eleanor, bracing herself for a photo of Tom.