Page 85 of Escape to the Country

Chapter 28

Eleanor was still admiring her less inflamed neck when Annie sent her a text late that morning, asking her up to the hall for a coffee.

She put on her favourite casual outfit and some light make-up, feeling ridiculously excited to be seeing Tom again. Not that she was only interested in seeing Tom, of course. She would be seeing Annie and the family as well.

Now that July had begun, summer was in full swing. The sky was blue and the trees were alive with the sound of birds singing as she cycled her way down the long driveway at Willow Tree Hall. Butterflies floated from one wild flower to the next. It was a great day to be outside.

‘Hi,’ she said, as Annie opened up the front door. ‘Isn’t it a lovely day?’

‘Not really,’ said Annie, with a grin. ‘You should see the state of Megan.’

‘She’s not hung-over again, is she?’

‘No, this is worse than that.’

Eleanor followed her into the kitchen where the first of the brand new units were beginning to be unveiled. Gradually the room was coming back to life. But the most interesting feature that morning was Megan whose nose was bright red.

‘Look at me!’ she wailed, staring at her reflection in her phone.

‘It’s only sunburn,’ said Eleanor, trying and failing not to smile as she sat down at the table. ‘What happened?’

‘Kids sports day yesterday. I lathered up the kids with suntan lotion but I was so hung-over after Glastonbury that I totally forgot about me. I look like Ronald McDonald,’ she carried on. ‘What am I going to do? It’s going to peel and then it’s going to look even worse.’

‘What’s all the fuss about?’ said Rose, appearing at the kitchen door. She did a double take at Megan. ‘Darling! No, no! One must use sunscreen, otherwise the wrinkles will be ghastly later on.’

Megan hooked out an ice cube from the cold drink that Annie had just given her and rubbed it across her nose.

They all nearly jumped out of their skin when a bunch of carrots landed on the new work surface. Eleanor looked up to see Bert the gardener standing next to them, looking very unhappy.

‘You’re working early today,’ said Rose, putting a hand on his arm. ‘All work and no play makes a man very dull.’

‘That dog’s dug up my carrots,’ said Bert, in a surly tone.

‘Oh,’ said Annie, looking upset. ‘Sorry.’

‘Nonsense,’ said Rose. ‘He was just saving you from having to do all that digging with your bad back.’

She smiled brilliantly at Bert before he finally shuffled away again.

‘One has to look on the bright side at my age,’ said Rose, reaching out to stroke the frothy fronds growing out the top of one of the carrots. ‘You know, when I was in Marrakesh, there was a beautiful redhead. Somebody’s girlfriend. I can’t remember now. Anyway, she got terribly sunburnt, poor thing. But one of the locals recommended carrot cream. The next day, it had completely disappeared.’

‘What were you doing in Marrakesh?’ asked Annie, looking up from where she was wiping off the dirt from her precious new granite worktop.

Rose broke into a wicked grin. ‘Trying not to get arrested,’ she replied with a wink.

But Eleanor was looking at the carrots and wondering about her eczema. ‘Do you remember when I used to make those creams for my skin?’ she said aloud. ‘Anyway, I made one yesterday and it’s really helped my eczema.’

‘Darling, you should try my Crème de la Mer,’ said Rose.

‘It’s so expensive.’ Annie raised her eyebrows. ‘Besides, I thought Sam said that we’re all supposed to be cutting back these days?’

Rose looked horrified. ‘Sweetheart, this is essential! I can’t go round looking like some old bag lady. How else am I going to take my next lover?’ She looked at Eleanor. ‘Now what’s all this about face creams?’

‘I have bad eczema,’ said Eleanor, showing her the patch on her neck, which was still visible although not as bad. ‘I’ve tried all of the fancy stuff but I end up making my own as it’s the only thing that sorts it out.’

‘Sounds impressive,’ said Rose, nodding her approval.

‘She’s being modest,’ said Annie. ‘Those creams you made me for Christmas all those years ago were beautiful. Why did you stop?’