Page 111 of Escape to the Country

Chapter 37

Eleanor stared in shock at her boyfriend.

‘What are you doing here?’ she spluttered.

‘I was in the neighbourhood and thought I’d see how you are,’ said Lucas, laughing at how ridiculous that sounded. He was dressed in his best jeans and leather jacket, despite the warmth of the evening. In the street was a fancy convertible sports car which she presumed was his.

‘Do you want to come in?’ she asked, opening the door wide. The sound of girly laughter filled the hallway and front garden.

Lucas shook his head. ‘No,’ he replied. ‘I think we’ll be able to talk more privately out here, don’t you?’

That was no surprise given his normal reaction to her mother’s house. So Eleanor closed the front door and wandered down the path with him.

‘How are you?’ she asked.

‘Great,’ he replied. ‘Got a promotion. Excellent timing on my part. I should be VP by next summer.’

‘Wow,’ she told him. ‘That really is good news.’

‘There’s no chance of any more VIP tickets, are there?’ he asked. ‘It would help me out greatly with the directors.’

Eleanor sighed. Was that the only reason he had come to see her? She shook her head. ‘Sorry. I gave all that up when I left London.’

‘Shame. I really can’t believe you stayed in this place for so long,’ said Lucas, glancing up at The Forge with disdain.

‘Why not? My mum lives here.’

‘I just thought you’d head back to London as soon as possible,’ he replied, with a shrug. ‘What is there for you to do in a dump like this?’

‘Plenty, and it’s not a dump,’ she said, frowning. ‘It’s a charming village where people care about me.’

Lucas’ eyebrows shot up. ‘Well, you have changed.’

She looked up at his sneering face and suddenly felt very defensive. What did he know? How would he understand about the warmth and community of a place like this?

‘What’s wrong with your hair?’ he asked. ‘And your face looks different too.’

Eleanor knew that was Lucas speak for ‘you look a bit of a mess’. He was just like her Dad, she realised. He wanted her to look perfect all the time too.

She suddenly remembered Tom telling her how much he preferred her to look natural. And that she felt the same way.

‘I’m having a spa evening,’ she told Lucas. ‘I’ve been making hand and face creams actually.’

He scoffed. ‘Seriously?’

‘Yes. Why not?’ she snapped. ‘I like helping people with their skin problems. What did you ever do to help people?’

‘Make them rich,’ he replied with a wide smile.

Eleanor had had enough. ‘You know what, I think we both needed this break from each other. I for one was really glad of it.’

He frowned. ‘You mean, absence makes the heart grow fonder?’

She shook her head. ‘No. I mean, absence has made me realise that I think our break should be a permanent one.’

‘Wait!’ Lucas looked panicked. ‘Are you sure there really is no way you can get hold of any more VIP tickets?’

She stared up at him coldly. ‘Quite sure.’