Man of the Match: hot celebrity romance (FULL NOVEL)

16. A weekend visit

[RECAP: Student Cara's ex-fiancé Declan, who cheated on her with his secretary, is trying to win her back. Meanwhile England cricket captain Matt Curran is struggling because he'd no longer in love with his celebrity girlfriend Miggy, who's pregnant. He's trying to do the right thing even though he can't stop thinking about Cara.]

A letter came for Cara the next day. It was in a thick white envelope, with her address written in beautiful, old-fashioned handwriting and a Surrey postmark. She guessed even as she opened it that it was from Mrs Hillier.

My Dear Cara, Peter and I greatly enjoyed meeting you in Sri Lanka and having the pleasure of your company at the cricket. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did, and have been keeping well these past weeks. We would be delighted for you to come and spend the weekend with us at our home in Surrey if you could put up with two elderly people. Very best wishes, Evelyn Hillier.

It was an escape and a link with Matt, or at least her memories of him. Cara couldn't think of anything nicer. She rang the number included as a post script, and visions of Sri Lanka, the sunshine and the bright green pitch flooded back as she heard Mrs Hillier's voice.

"Cara, how lovely to hear from you. You received my letter? Oh, I am so glad. If it's not too soon, what about this weekend?"

They arranged that Cara should take the train to the station nearest them, and Mr Hillier would meet her there. "No need to get a taxi, my dear, we wouldn't hear of it. Do feel free to bring your work with you, I'm sure you must be very occupied with your studies, I remember how it was with our boys."

The Hilliers had three sons, who were now spread across the globe through work and marriage. It had left them rather lonely. Cara felt a slight twinge of guilt on behalf of her own family, whom she hadn't seen since Christmas. She just hadn't felt like facing anyone since the break up with Declan, and now of course her heartache over Matt. She wished she could believe it was getting better but truthfully it wasn't.

Trying to put on a false front with her family, who knew her well enough to see through most pretences anyway, seemed like too great an ordeal. But the Hilliers were different, separate. They didn't know her past and she could switch off from it at their place.

* * *

The train changed at Reading for a slow train, taking her through some of the villages fortunate enough to have escaped the worst of Dr Beeching's railway cutbacks. There was something timeless about a traditional English village with its own railway station. It took one out of the modern world, at least on a Saturday morning when the carriages were commuter-free, transporting mainly those travelling for leisure.

Mr Hillier picked her up in a very smart grey car. Cara had guessed during her time at the cricket that they were obviously well-off people. Not rich in a flamboyant way, but the kind of quiet, discreet wealth that populated this part of South East England.

He was obviously known at the station, because the stout railway porter immediately picked up Cara's bags on seeing the car and greeted Mr Hillier by name.

"I was a daily commuter before my retirement," Mr Hillier explained to Cara as he drove. "It's high time old Dennis retired but I think he prefers to keep occupied."

The Hilliers' house was called Montpellier Villa perhaps due to its white-framed French windows that opened onto level green lawns. The Hilliers were clearly keen gardeners, even though it was only March there was a carpet of spring flowers.

Mrs Hillier embraced her - "you must call me Evelyn, dear" - and ushered her in for a cup of tea. They spent the morning in reminiscences, telling Cara about the final two tests and what she had missed. Cara wouldn't usually have enjoyed endlessly talking sport but she was alert for any mention of Matt. She had of course scoured the cricket coverage in the papers since she had flown back herself, but references to him were few and far between.