Page 87 of Escape to the Country

‘So what’s brought you back in time to do this?’ asked her mum.

Eleanor filled up some empty jam jars with the potion. ‘Megan’s burnt her nose.’

‘Oh dear,’ said her mum. ‘The joy of being a redhead. Well, I’m sure it’ll calm down overnight.’

‘It never has done before. Hopefully this will speed it on its way,’ said Eleanor, putting the jars in the fridge.

After dinner, she dropped a jam jar around to Megan, who was grateful for any help.

When Eleanor got home, she scooped out a large dollop of her own cream and smeared it across her neck.

The following morning, Eleanor received an ecstatic early phone call from Megan, telling her that her nose was now a wonderful golden brown colour instead of bright red. The carrot cream had worked its magic. Who’d have thought carrots could have such healing properties, thought Eleanor. She peered at her neck in the mirror. Between the carrot and her own plain cream, the eczema on her neck was almost non-existent. She was surprised because the stress and worry that someone would recognise her from the photo at Glastonbury still nagged at her. But the sense of satisfaction outweighed the worries, for once.