Page 80 of Escape to the Country

Chapter 26

Late on Sunday morning, the chauffeured car which Sam had arranged dropped them off at the gates to Worthy Farm. Eleanor couldn’t believe the scene in front of them. There was lots of mud, of course. And it was raining. But there was also talk of the sun coming out later. There were people everywhere, wearing a variety of mud-strewn rain macs and ponchos. A lot of people didn’t seem to care and weren’t bothered about being soaked to the skin. But everyone was happy. And the music was very loud.

Thank god they had decided to wear their wellington boots, thought Eleanor, spying quite a few abandoned flip-flops that were stuck in the mud.

She couldn’t remember laughing as much as she did that afternoon with Annie and Megan. Their wellies were caked with mud. They each had a braid in their hair. They had sung along loudly and, quite possibly, very out of key. They had basically reverted back to being teenagers again or so it felt. No responsibilities. No careers or boyfriends to worry about. Just her and her girls, having a laugh. She felt free for the first time in a very long time.

‘I’ve missed this,’ she said, as Annie applied glitter to her cheeks.

‘You should come to my house when we’re doing a craft day,’ said Megan. But then she smiled. ‘It’s so nice to be silly and feel like a grown-up.’

‘I love my girls,’ said Annie, giving them both a hug.

‘Me too,’ said Eleanor.

Things were definitely beginning to feel a little bit fuzzy as they’d had a few cocktails and very little to eat. She and her friends trudged through the mud towards the Pyramid Stage, giggling as they held on to each other.

Feeling a tiny bit unsteady, Eleanor’s wellies slipped in the mud as she wandered backstage and she slammed straight into Tom who had just appeared nearby.

‘Hello!’ she said, feeling brave.

He broke into a wide grin. ‘Hi,’ he said. ‘I see you’ve been enjoying the hospitality of Glastonbury.’

‘Just a little bit,’ she said, giggling.

God but he was handsome, she thought.

‘How’s my dog?’ he asked.

‘Pining for you,’ she told him.

He glanced over her shoulder to where the audience was stretched out. Eleanor turned and gasped. She had never seen so many people in once place.

She looked back at Tom. ‘Aren’t you nervous?’ she asked him, wondering how it felt to go out and sing in front of that many people. It would frighten her to death.

He nodded. ‘I am a little, I guess.’

A small frown appeared on his brow and she had the urge to smooth it away with her fingers. Wanting him to stop fretting, she leaned forward and whispered, ‘I know what will help. Just imagine the audience is naked.’

He briefly ran his eyes up and down her before they settled back on her face. ‘Well, it’s Glastonbury, so chances are some of them definitely will be.’

She giggled again.

He reached out and caught the braid in her hair with his fingers. ‘That’s new.’

‘Not exactly Mayfair,’ she told him, making a face. ‘But I don’t care. It doesn’t have any hay in it. Or goat hair, come to think of it.’

‘I like it. It’s more you,’ he said, nodding. ‘Anyway, thanks for the advice.’

‘You’re welcome. Knock ’em dead,’ she replied.

She watched him head off to talk to his band.

Knock ’em dead? She rolled her eyes so hard at herself, she nearly fell backwards. She was an idiot. It was as if she had never met a famous person before in her life. What the hell was the matter with her? She needed to sober up fast otherwise god knows what she would say or do next.

*

Despite his nerves at performing, Tom was enjoying Glastonbury. Sam had even arranged for him to stay in his own private yurt so he could hide out from the crowds.