Page 141 of Escape to the Country

Chapter 51

Standing on the front doorstep, Annie glanced at her watch for the fifth time in as many minutes.

‘It’s two o’clock,’ she said to Eleanor. ‘What if nobody comes?’

Eleanor smiled and pointed at the long driveway. The villagers were beginning to walk or drive into the estate.

‘They came!’ said Annie, looking relieved.

‘I don’t think there was any ever doubt, was there?’ said Eleanor, before heading off towards her stall.

And so it began. The huge front lawn filled with people from every walk of life in the village. They walked, they stood, they chattered and lounged on picnic rugs.

The children enjoyed the balloons, the face painting and the many stands of cakes. The cakes were also enjoyed by the grown-ups, as well as the drinks stands and old-fashioned games. The tug of war was won by a group of scouts, the croquet competition by the vicar.

The sweet stalls and raffles were particularly popular and sold out quickly. The beer tent, run by the local pub, also did a roaring trade. Stick candy floss rivalled the ice cream sales and, later in the afternoon, Tom was busy with the barbeque, cooking sausages for something more substantial to eat.

Eleanor’s stalls turned out to be one of the most popular. In fact, she had to rope in Megan to help out.

She was grateful that the feedback from the customers was all positive.

‘We want local,’ said one woman. ‘It’s so important.’

‘I’m sick of chemicals,’ said another.

‘Me too,’ Eleanor told her, picking up a pot. ‘My eczema was bad before I started using this cream.’

‘And it’s all handmade here at Willow Tree Hall,’ added Megan.

Eleanor smiled. Her friend was a natural saleswoman.

‘Do you do hand cream?’ someone asked.

‘This is a good all-round body cream,’ Eleanor replied, handing over one of the tester tubs.

She glanced over at her mum’s stall nearby and was pleased to see her surrounded by customers as well.

During a brief lull in the afternoon, when Annie was asking how it was going, Alex came to join them.

‘You did good,’ he said, giving Annie a nudge. ‘It’s…what’s the word? Charming, that’s it. It’s charming and country.’

Eleanor looked at the colourful bunting and checked tablecloths, fluttering in a gentle breeze. ‘Yes, it is.’

‘I’m not saying there’s not a few fashion disasters,’ he carried on. ‘I’ve lost count of the socks and sandal combinations. But, darling, you’ll be a fabulous countess.’

Annie beamed at the praise. Eleanor knew that she was still reeling from the discovery of her perfect wedding dress. And that Rose’s subtle timing had given Annie more confidence than ever before.

The dog show was a huge success. Arthur had a marvellous time judging the dogs, his pocket full of treats meaning he was the most popular person there, as far as the entrants were concerned. And most of the entrants received a prize. But the winner of the ‘Dog I Most Want To Take Home’ was, of course, Dylan.

‘Because he already is,’ Arthur told everyone, beaming with pride.

There was a teddy bears picnic storytelling in one corner. Mick was doing Jackanory which went down a storm.

‘Although I’m pretty certain he’s making up most of the stories,’ said Sam, looking concerned.

‘Just don’t listen too closely,’ Eleanor told him.

By late afternoon, both Eleanor and her mum’s stalls were empty. They had completely sold out of every single item.