Page 34 of Escape to the Country

All heads turned to Annie who was now blushing furiously as she slowly rose from her seat. ‘Well, of course I agree,’ she spluttered. ‘After all, everyone knows someone who has suffered because of cancer. Be it a partner, friend, family or work colleague.’

There were quite a few heads in the audience nodding in agreement.

‘So, of course, I think we should consider ways to raise as much money as possible so that everyone coping with that terrible ordeal can at least be comfortable.’

There was more vigorous nodding as Annie stood and waited expectantly for the women around her to voice their ideas.

‘How about a beetle drive?’

‘A cake sale!’

‘Sponsored knitting!’

Annie was nodding robotically but Eleanor found herself shaking her head. This would never do. Knitting? How was that going to raise enough funds?

‘Actually,’ she found herself saying in a loud voice, ‘I took part in the London Moonwalk a few years ago. Maybe we could follow the same idea here. The Moonwalk highlights and raises money for breast cancer by having everyone walk a marathon route in their bras.’

The nodding in the audience abruptly stopped.

‘You want us to walk around the village in just our bras?’ said the chairwoman in a shocked tone.

Eleanor broke into a grin. ‘Well, you’d be wearing trainers and shorts as well. And the bras can be worn over T-shirts, for modesty’s sake. But yes, in principle, I think it could still work.’

A lot of the women were exchanging startled looks. Annie was looking alarmed as she stared down at her friend.

‘Of course,’ carried on Eleanor, thinking quickly as she stood up next to Annie. ‘That’s just to highlight breast cancer. Perhaps underwear could be used to highlight other areas that have been affected.’

A heavy silence followed, but Eleanor carried on, ignoring the shocked vibes spilling out in the room. ‘I mean, if someone had suffered with prostate cancer, maybe they could walk the route in a pair of underpants over their shorts.’

‘Like Superman?’ said someone in the audience, to a few stifled giggles.

‘Absolutely,’ said Eleanor, grinning widely. ‘It’s the silliness that raises the money, you see? And what’s a small embarrassment compared to what they’ve all gone through? It’s about making a difference and trying to change lives for the better. After all, that’s what I’ve been told village life is all about. Being there for one another.’

‘Hear! Hear!’ said Rose, suddenly. ‘What a marvellous idea! And what fun!’

Gradually, the women in the room began to clap and stand up, eventually giving Eleanor a standing ovation.

After a few moments, the chairwoman held up her hand to quieten down the audience. ‘Well, I can see Eleanor McCartney has fulfilled all that promise she showed during her years at my school.’

It was then that Eleanor realised that she was looking at her old headmistress.

‘So, do I take it that you will be the one to organise all of this to happen?’

All heads turned to Eleanor.

‘Well, er, yes, I suppose so,’ she told them. What on earth could she say otherwise? ‘It’s probably best to strike whilst the iron’s hot and hold the walk within the next week or so,’ said Eleanor. ‘Whilst we generate a big buzz about it in the village, I mean.’

That at least would mean she would still be in Cranley to organise everything, just in case some miracle job offer came through from London.

Annie turned and gave her a spontaneous hug. ‘You’re so brilliant,’ she whispered in her ear. ‘I would never have thought of that.’

Eleanor smiled at her friend, grateful that she hadn’t let Annie down when she needed her.

After the meeting had broken up, she watched the women huddle around Annie, all laughing and gossiping in enthusiasm. Megan too was chatting away with another group. Eleanor stood awkwardly to one side, feeling more out of sync than ever before with her friends. She had always had trouble fitting in at the magazine. Now she seemed to be out of step back home too. Annie and Megan had lives and friends here in the village. What did she have?

Maybe she just didn’t fit in anywhere. Perhaps it was for the best that she wrote her exposé on Tommy King, without implicating Annie or the family, of course. Then she could go back to her comfort zone in London.

So she slipped out of the room and went to find someone who could make that happen.