Page 8 of A Colourful Country Escape
I knew it! Lexie thought. As if Sky knew big words like that. And being skint certainly wasn’t making Lexie ecstatic.
‘They’ve brainwashed you. Don’t you dare hand over a thing – I’m coming home.’ Not that her sister had much to hand over.
‘No, you’re not, Lex. You do you, for once in your life. Stop putting everyone else first and ending up last.’
As Lexie let the concept filter through, another noise invaded her thoughts. A police siren. Oh God. And it was definitely headed her way.
She began a nervous pace of the hard shoulder. Should she even be on it if this wasn’t an emergency? But the distant glare of a flashing blue light made her sweat for reasons that belonged even further back than Drew.
‘Argh!’ This was just her luck. If the police car stopped now, and started checking over her not-so-up-to-date vehicle records, she would never make it to this interview. Not to mention the trouble she’d be in. And would there be fines? How would she ever pay?
‘What’s that noise? Are the cops coming for you already? I said you shouldn’t … ’
‘Sky! The police don’t give a toss about the contents of my CV.’
As Lexie watched the white vehicle move closer, she realised this would be her final sign. If the police car stopped, her trip was doomed. But if it just sped by and left her alone …
And at that moment she realised just how much she wanted that job. How much she needed it. Damn it, she would even fight for the thing. Her sister was right. She did have to put herself first, for once. Or at least give it a try.
She shot a nervous glance at her phone. One hour until the interview and still forty miles to travel. She wasn’t even dressed for it yet. Turning up in violet denim dungarees with a matching nose stud would make her look like a useless plum.
Her sister was still garbling something in her ear, but Lexie couldn’t focus. As the siren got deafeningly close, she thought her head would burst.
Yet just as she thought she couldn’t dig her nails any further into her clammy palms, the flashing blue light had passed. It was over. Lexie had been given the gift of time. She would get to this interview and do her best to bag that job. Then she would absolutely sort out her MOT. Soonish.
‘Have they gone?’
Lexie shook her head, remembering her sister still had a hotline to her ears. ‘Er, I think.’ She barely dared believe it.
‘Do they still make you nervous, after all that trouble with … ’
‘Yes! Now I need to get a move on. There’s a blank canvas up for grabs.’ She heard her sister give a cheer. ‘But don’t think this conversation about your foursome in the commune is over. Just stay put. I’ll call as soon as I can.’
‘Good luck with the interview! And watch out for the peacocks at that hall you’re going to. I heard about this man in Mongolia who got clawed to death by his own pet. They can be super nasty when provoked.’
Peacocks. What was Sky even talking about? Out of the mouths of babes came utter nonsense. Or at least Lexie hoped.
Chapter 5
When Lexie pulled up to the gateway of Nutgrass Hall, her heart dropped. This was not what she’d been expecting.
The wrought-iron gates in front of her twisted in uninviting knots, like the pit of her stomach. The ironwork peaked at the top in angry spikes, which seemed to yell ‘keep out’. Worse still, she couldn’t see beyond because the iron was backed with thick wood.
What happened to the cosy village hall she’d been expecting? Maybe she should have researched better, although part of her knew she hadn’t looked too hard in case she’d put herself off. She’d desperately needed to get away and find a job that didn’t make her feel useless. And to earn some money to pay her way.
It had been a beggars-can’t-be-choosers situation. But cowering in front of those imposing gates in her rust-bucket of a van, she was certainly feeling like the vagabond.
As Lexie fiddled with the handbrake, wondering whether to release it and reverse away, a screen near the gateway crackled to life. Oh great, they had intercom. And a camera. How grand was this place?
But before she could retreat, a murky shadow appeared on the screen.
‘Am I pressing the right thing?’ she heard an elderly lady ask. The voice then cleared its throat. ‘If you’re here for the interview, do come in.’
There. That seemed friendly, didn’t it?
And with that, the iron gates yawned open to swallow Lexie inside. With a resigned sigh she let Penny chug forwards, praying that just for once the camper wouldn’t backfire.
The gravelled driveway wove through a spread of perfectly striped lawns. Measured rows of bridal-white narcissi tilted their heads, as though curious at Lexie’s intrusion. Even the hedges had been trimmed into seamless spheres, like great rows of cannon balls. Lexie gripped the steering wheel, trying not to overthink it.
