Page 21 of Escape to the Country

‘Yay! You’re here at last!’ said Annie, grinning. She stepped forward to envelop Eleanor in a warm hug. It wasn’t quite as crushing as Megan’s but it was just as genuine.

‘Hi there, your majesty,’ said Eleanor, breaking into a cheeky grin.

‘Shut up,’ muttered Annie, a red blush spreading across her cheeks. She looked radiantly pretty as always. Her eyes lit up with happiness at having her friends all together at last.

Although dressed in skinny jeans and pale yellow T-shirt, Annie looked relaxed in her elegant surroundings. After all, she was home now. This countess-to-be was more Primark than Harrods, but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing, thought Eleanor. She could bring some humility to such an intimidating place.

‘Right,’ said Eleanor. ‘First things first. Show me your ring!’

Annie automatically held out her hand, the square diamond solitaire engagement ring flashed in the sunlight.

‘Wow, that’s gorgeous! Very classy,’ said Eleanor, nodding in approval.

She also noted Annie’s soft, smooth hands which were in marked contrast to her own red, flaky ones. But then again, her friend probably had no stress to deal with. After all, she was the one living in a huge mansion with the man she loved.

‘It was very expensive,’ added Megan. ‘That’s where your new kitchen went.’

‘Shurrup,’ said Annie, grinning. ‘So? Do you want to look around?’

‘Of course I do,’ Eleanor told her, in an eager tone. ‘I’ve never ever been inside, I think.’

‘Why would you?’ said Megan with a wink, as they headed towards the front door. ‘We’re only the country peasants after all.’

Annie rolled her eyes. ‘If you two are going to carry on like this, I’ll shut you in the servants’ quarters. And they haven’t been renovated yet.’

Eleanor couldn’t stop smiling. It was so lovely to be back in their threesome once more. She was always more relaxed when she was with her friends. She had never felt like this at any time during her years in London. But that’s because no one knew her as well as Annie and Megan.

They stepped inside and Eleanor stopped to stare around the vast entrance hall in amazement. ‘Wow,’ she murmured. ‘It’s so elegant.’

‘That’s one of my favourite bits too,’ said Annie, following her gaze high up to the huge chandelier hanging overhead.

‘If this had been a year ago, you wouldn’t want to have been standing underneath it,’ said Megan with a grimace. ‘Unless you wanted a trip to A&E.’

‘That’s true,’ said Annie, nodding. ‘The whole place was falling apart.’

Eleanor remembered the frantic texts and calls from Annie at that time. ‘It’s hard to believe it never looked as lovely as this.’

‘Ugh, honestly, some days she was covered from head to foot in dust,’ carried on Megan.

‘And you could see the sky through the patches in the roof,’ said Annie, with a smile of remembrance. ‘Happy days.’

‘Seriously?’ asked Eleanor.

Annie nodded.

‘When the builders arrived so did Sam,’ cooed Megan. ‘She had a crush on him from the moment they met.’

As she and Annie grinned at each other, for a second, Eleanor felt a little out of the loop. They had obviously gone through quite a bit together.Without her.

She felt a jolt of worry about being left behind. But then, whose fault was that?

Annie must have picked up on something in her friend’s face. ‘You wouldn’t have wanted to be here in all that dust and dirt,’ she said. ‘Not in those lovely clothes of yours. Come on, I’ll show you the rest. We’ll start with the west wing.’

‘You have separate wings?’ muttered Eleanor, still looking around in amazement.

‘Doesn’t mean either of them aren’t still a mess,’ said Megan, with a knowing smile.

Eleanor’s disbelief in her friend’s new home continued past the elegant drawing room and into the library. A long wall was covered from floor to ceiling with a vast number of bookcases filled with numerous classics. There was also a full-size snooker table which looked to have been used recently, although one end was propped up with more books.