Page 38 of Escape to the Country

Tom rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’m talking about you breaking your promise! You said you were going to open the charity walk for us!’

She had the satisfaction of watching the realisation hit right before the guilt crossed his face. ‘That was today?’ he asked, still sounding groggy.

‘No,’ she retorted. ‘I always walk around wearing just a bra!’

Tom’s eyes snapped open at her words. He quickly looked up and took in the sight of her wearing only her shorts and bra. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable under his intense stare, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. She also felt quite short without her normal heels on, wearing her trainers instead.

‘You’ve let everyone down,’ she told him, trying to take control of the situation once more

‘I’m sorry. The medication makes me sleepy.’

‘Yeah, right,’ she drawled, rolling her eyes. ‘More like you couldn’t be bothered.’

Like every other famous person she had met. He was only interested in himself.

‘I’m telling you the truth,’ he told her, sounding more irritated now.

‘I don’t believe you,’ she said. ‘And, for the record, it’s not just me you let down. It made Annie look bad and that makes me mad, because she’s the kindest, sweetest person you’ll ever come across.’

‘Is that why you only see her, what, once or twice a year?’ said Tom, standing up to tower over her. ‘Some good friend you are.’

‘I’m just busy at work.’ Eleanor was beginning to get flustered. She was feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny. ‘But this isn’t about me,’ she managed to carry on. ‘This is about you letting her and everyone else down. Stop acting all diva-ish. It’s as if you feel like we’re all beneath you. But hey, newsflash! You’re flesh and blood just like everyone else in this village.’

He took a couple of hobbled steps to stand in front of her. ‘Where you don’t even live anymore!’

She frowned. ‘What’s that got to do with it?’

He glared down at her. ‘If this village is so great, why don’t you live here?’

‘Well, I’ve got to now that I’ve lost my job, haven’t I?’ she shouted without thinking.

Then she stared up at him, her heart hammering in her chest as she realised what she had said.

‘You can’t tell anyone about that,’ she said quickly, scratching at the eczema patch on her neck.

He raised his eyebrows. ‘Really?’

Horrified that this man knew the truth about her, Eleanor tried to leave with some dignity. She dropped her hand and straightened her back. ‘You’re just like every other so-called star,’ she told him, heading to the door. ‘You’re only interested in yourself.’

She flung open the door and marched up the path towards the house whilst grabbing her phone out of her pocket. She quickly typed out the words, I’ll have a big story on Tommy King for you by the end of the summer.

And then she sent it to Theresa, her ex-editor, in London.

That would serve him right, she thought, as she re-joined her friends and the other walkers inside the main house. So why did she feel the need to drain her glass of wine so quickly? Why were her hands itching worse than ever? And why was her heart thumping madly when surely she should be happy that she might be able salvage her career after all?

Perhaps because she wasn’t quite sure what she had just set in motion.