Page 75 of Escape to the Country

Chapter 24

Hanging around the hall with Annie and Alex for the rest of the day, Eleanor found that she was still expecting Tom to appear at any moment. But if she was unsettled at that particular thought, it was nothing to the abandonment that Dylan felt. He kept sitting by the front door, refusing to budge until Tom came back. Nobody could distract him or make him move.

‘I’m sure he’ll be okay later on,’ Eleanor told Annie as she got onto her bicycle to head home. ‘He’ll definitely perk up when it’s time for his dinner.’

But that evening, she received a call from Annie. ‘You’ve got to come here and do something with Dylan. He’s howling and howling. He won’t settle with any of us.’

So Eleanor cycled back to Willow Tree Hall in the late evening sun, thinking that at least she was going to get fitter with all the exercise she was getting.

She could hear Dylan barking inside the house as soon as she drew up on her bike.

Annie opened up the front door before she could even reach it. Dylan rushed out and hurtled round her.

‘You silly thing,’ said Eleanor, reaching down to rub his head when he finally collapsed at her feet. ‘He’s not with me.’ She looked up at Annie. ‘Have you tried calling Tom? Maybe the sound of his voice will make Dylan settle a bit.’

Annie shook her head. ‘We tried that. It made him even worse,’ she said, turning to head back into the house. ‘What are we going to do?’

‘Well, at least he’s not howling any more,’ said Eleanor, realising that the dog was now walking alongside her as they went into the entrance hall. In fact, Dylan was so close that he was almost tripping her up.

‘Thank god,’ drawled Alex, heading across from the drawing room. ‘He obviously likes you. You’ll have to stay here. I need my beauty sleep.’

Eleanor was startled at the suggestion. ‘But I haven’t brought anything with me,’ she said.

‘You can borrow my stuff,’ said Annie. ‘Even if it isn’t very designer.’

Eleanor looked at Annie and caught her soft smile. ‘That doesn’t matter to me,’ she told her friend.

‘He does seem calmer now that you’re here,’ said Annie, nodding at the dog. ‘Come on. It’ll be like one of our old pyjama parties.’

‘But with a large amount of gin, hopefully,’ added Alex, grinning. ‘Anyone for strip poker?’

Eleanor rang her mum who was more concerned about Dylan’s unhappiness than sleeping on her own back at home. So Eleanor relaxed and found herself enjoying an evening at Willow Tree Hall, as they sat on the patio, drinking their gin and tonics.

‘It’s such a lovely setting,’ said Eleanor, looking out across the long grass to where the sun was slowly sinking behind the woods. With Dylan sitting on her feet, and a cold drink in her hand, she felt more relaxed than she had done in ages. She had had few moments of relaxation recently, she realised. Far too busy worrying about her job. She also knew from her mum’s experience with animals that if she felt calm, then Dylan would be as well. So she forced herself to not worry. Consequently, Dylan curled up and took an evening nap right next to her chair.

‘It would be even better if we were sitting on something more comfortable,’ said Alex, grimacing as he shuffled his bottom on the hard wooden seat.

‘We do need to get some cushions,’ agreed Rose, who had joined them, along with Arthur, after dinner. ‘And a large umbrella for any hot summer days. There’s no shade up here.’

‘What about a swimming pool?’ said Alex, his eyes gleaming.

‘I believe my grandson said something about a limited budget,’ said Arthur with a smile.

‘Spoilsport,’ said Alex, giving him a wink. ‘I was hoping to see Tom in his swimming shorts.’

Eleanor gulped as she wondered what that would be like as well.

They stayed outside in the warm air until the sun had set and the stars had begun to come out.

‘Time for bed,’ declared Rose, with a shiver as the cooler air began to drift over the grounds.

‘I hear you,’ said Alex, with a yawn. ‘I always sleep like a log here.’

‘It’s the peace and quiet,’ said Arthur, nodding in agreement. ‘And all this fresh air.’

‘And the lack of scary doll eyes staring at me all night,’ added Alex.

As Eleanor headed up the huge sweeping staircase, she realised she had never been up to the first floor.