Page 36 of Escape to the Country

Chapter 13

Ten days later, Eleanor found herself standing in the warmth of the late afternoon sun. It was nearly the middle of June and with the summer solstice just around the corner, the air was finally warming up. Which was quite handy given the fact that she was wearing one of her prettiest and most expensive satin bras and nothing else on her top half.

Well, at least it’s a different outfit to try out on Tommy King, she thought. Heaven knows, nothing else had worked over the past week. She had accidentally on purpose bumped into him three times up at the Hall during that time but to no avail. She had merely received a grumpy nod of his head in greeting before he had disappeared.

She was beginning to think that the charity walk might be her last time to make any kind of connection with him before he left Cranley, taking the chance of her exclusive story with him.

She glanced down the long driveway towards Willow Tree Hall, but there was still no sign of anyone else appearing, especially famous singers on crutches.

Smothering her irritation, she fixed on her most positive smile as she looked around the small crowd of people that had gathered at the front gates.

She recognised the WI members who had been at the meeting just over a week before. Female family members and friends had also all been roped in so that there were at least fifty of them ready to walk around the village. With the event being timed after the last lessons of the day, the children were also able to join in.

As per her idea, most people had either their bra or knickers over their normal clothes, apart from the younger participants who, like Eleanor, were wearing just their bras or, in some cases, just a pair of frilly knickers on their bottom halves.

A few enterprising souls had wrapped themselves in bandages to indicate bone cancer and there were a few heads bandaged up as well.

But the air was humming with good humour and anticipation.

‘Even in your bra, you still look good,’ moaned Megan, glancing down at her own black bra and leggings.

Eleanor checked that her white shorts were not marked. Of course she had made an effort. She didn’t want Tom to see her and flinch, although she had no idea why she wanted to impress him. She patted her head to make sure that no loose strands had come away from her French plait. She also had on her best and most waterproof make-up, in case she became hot and sweaty.

‘Don’t you ever act like a slob?’ asked Megan. ‘Eat ice cream out of a tub? Lounge around in the oldest sweatshirt you own watching soppy movies? Or is that just me?’

Eleanor shook her head. ‘I’m out every night for work and I always have to look good.’

‘We’ll have to have a girls’ night in whilst you’re still here,’ said Megan.

‘Definitely,’ said Eleanor, smiling. She had found herself growing ever closer to her friends the longer she stayed in Cranley.

The route of the charity walk that had been agreed upon would take them around the fringes of the hamlet and then along the river until they were in the grounds of Willow Tree Hall. Although it had been classed as a marathon, a distance of about five miles, all in their outfits, had been agreed upon to assist the more mature walkers.

It had only been a short time, but word had spread like wildfire about the walk and there was a huge buzz about the village. Sponsorship was, apparently, very high.

A young male journalist from the local newspaper headed over to Eleanor.

‘So?’ he asked. ‘Who’s this rumoured star that’s going to start the proceedings?’

Eleanor watched as his eyes flickered down to her bra and remained there until she felt the urge to slap him.

‘It’s a surprise,’ she replied. ‘Any minute now!’ She quickly turned her back away from his gaze at her chest and walked away. She glanced back down the driveway but there was definitely nobody in sight.

Annie shuffled over to stand next to her. ‘I’ve just called Arthur,’ she murmured. ‘He says Tom’s not in the house.’

‘Where the hell is he then?’ muttered Eleanor. ‘It’s not as if he can get lost on the way. He only had to come down the driveway. He said he would do this.’

Worse still, she had believed him. On reflection, she had thought it would take an enormous amount of persuasion to encourage Tom to start the charity walk, but it had been so easy.

Too easy, she thought with a grimace. She should have known someone as famous as Tommy King would let her down.

‘What are we going to do?’ asked Annie, her eyes wide and anxious. ‘Everyone’s expecting someone to start them off.’

Rose came over to stand by them. Eleanor was struck by how she was covered up with a dark silk shirt. Perhaps she felt too old to be wearing a bra in public.

‘What’s going on?’ she asked. ‘The natives are getting restless.’

‘Tom’s a no-show,’ Eleanor told her. ‘We haven’t got anyone famous to start them off.’