Page 89 of Escape to the Country

‘We’re fine,’ Sam told her, drawing her close for a kiss. ‘I don’t think we’ll be in danger from any marauding fans any time soon.’

But Sam’s certainty was short-lived when they headed into the drawing room. Arthur was at the window, peering out at the grounds through a pair of binoculars.

‘Got time for a bit of twitching, have you, Grandad?’ asked Sam, with a grin.

Arthur turned around and smiled at them. ‘Hello again, Tom. Welcome home. Yes, my boy. I’ve seen quite a rare species of bird. The lesser-spotted Girl Guide.’

Tom went to the window and could just about see a few faces peering out of the bushes and trees at the far end of the vast lawn. With the sash window wide open in the warmth of the day, they could hear the clamour from inside the house.

‘Tommy! I love you!’ screamed one girl.

‘Marry me!’ shouted another.

‘Kiss me!’

Annie turned to Sam in horror. ‘What shall we do?’

‘I’ll go and have a word with them,’ said Sam, putting on a determined face.

As he soon as he had left, Rose arrived. ‘What’s new, pussycats?’ she asked.

Annie turned to face her. ‘Rose, you didn’t tell anyone about Tom staying here, did you?’

Rose thought hard and then comprehension dawned. ‘Well, that ghastly Muriel was going on about how her niece is inBig Brotheror something like that. Made a big thing of it. So I might have name-dropped. Tom doesn’t mind, do you, darling?’ She gave him a cheeky wink.

‘Of course not,’ lied Tom, not wanting to upset her.

Annie rolled her eyes. ‘Rose, we’ve got fans everywhere in the grounds.’

‘Have we really?’ Her eyes gleamed. ‘What fun!’

Sam came back a short time later.

‘So?’ asked Annie, raising her eyebrows at him in question.

‘I told them they were trespassing and they’d better hop it,’ said Sam. ‘They’re probably only as far as the main gates, but at least they won’t be a nuisance.’

‘How lovely to be young and in love,’ cooed Rose. ‘I remember flinging my knickers when Tom Jones was onstage one time. He gave them back to me later on that evening,’ she added with a gurgle of wicked laughter.

Tom found himself smiling. You really couldn’t be mad at Rose for very long.

At that moment, a grey blur rushed into the drawing room and leapt at him. Dylan ecstatically licked his face over and over until, finally, Tom had to push him away.

‘Calm down, you mad dog,’ he said, looking down at his earth covered feet. ‘So that’s where you’ve been? Digging up the vegetable patch again? You’re going to be in so much trouble with Bert.’

But he couldn’t resist hugging the dog tight against his chest briefly.

‘I found a new toy for you at Glastonbury,’ he told Dylan, who wagged his tail as soon as he saw the giraffe dog toy.

‘We can add it to the collection that Grandad has started,’ said Sam in a pointed tone.

Arthur waved away any concerns with his hand. ‘The poor doggy was pining for Tom. I had to do something.’

With a ghost of a wink at Tom, Arthur left the room.

‘He’s really missed you,’ said Annie, coming across to stroke Dylan’s head. ‘In fact, we had to bring Eleanor over to stay because he kept howling the place down every night. He stayed upstairs with her every night apart from the last one when he slept in Arthur’s room.’

‘Did he?’ Tom ruffled Dylan’s fur. ‘You silly thing. I’ll always come back. But I hope you behaved yourself with Eleanor and didn’t keep her awake.’

‘I think she secretly enjoyed having him with her,’ said Annie softly. ‘Not that she would admit to such a thing.’

‘Well, she’s probably a bit overrun with all the other animals, to be honest,’ said Sam.

Tom gave Dylan another hug, wondering how long before he would see Eleanor again. And whether he would be able to stop himself wanting to kiss her once more.