And in thirty seconds they were gone. I turned to Charlotte and saw the anger in her face that was probably a reflection of mine. I could feel a hot flush on my cheeks and my teeth were grinding so hard they hurt.

‘They can’t call us that,’ I said.

‘“Spoiled brats”,’ said Charlotte. ‘How dare they? How dare they? We have to tell Mr Meredith, Ash. I don’t want those men around me. Around us. I want them gone. My dad will be so angry when I tell him. More than anyone, he knows that security guards shouldn’t speak like that. It’s totally unprofessional.’

‘I agree,’ I said. ‘And I think Mr Meredith is going to be so mad with them.’

‘I see,’ said Mr Meredith. We’d asked to have a private word with him, while the rest of the students showered and changed for the barbecue, and he’d taken us outside to an eating area with tables and benches already set up for dinner. There was no one else around. ‘And you want to make a formal complaint?’

‘Yes,’ said Charlotte. ‘Definitely.’

‘Yes,’ I said.

‘Hmmm. That is, of course, your right, ladies.’ He sat at one of the benches and toyed with a fork, head bent. Charlotte and I sat opposite. I’d calmed down a little, but I knew we were doing the right thing. Those men were paid by the school, but the school was paid by my parents. They worked for us and should therefore have respect. It wasn’t good enough to be horrible about us behind our backs while they took our money. Plus, they were planning to steal some of our food. It wasn’t fair, especially when apparently there were plenty of other men, honest men probably, looking for work. Charlotte made these points to Mr Meredith quite forcefully. I found myself nodding as she talked.

‘Okay,’ said Mr Meredith when Charlotte was done. ‘I hear you loud and clear. But can I ask one favour?’ He didn’t wait for a reply, but carried straight on. ‘Keep this to yourselves for the time being, okay? I don’t want other students hearing about this, maybe saying something to the assistants. That would not be good for morale in camp and it is my duty to make sure that all the students enjoy themselves without worrying about anything, if that is possible.’ He put the fork down and looked us straight in the eyes. ‘I would take your silence on this matter for the rest of our stay as a personal favour. Do you understand?’

We nodded and he smiled.

‘Then your complaint is registered, girls, and will be dealt with. I hope, however, you can put this unpleasantness to one side and enjoy the rest of the camp.’

We stood and I remembered feeling pleased that we had made a stand. But it seemed Mr Meredith wasn’t done with me just yet, because he asked if he could have a word with me in private. Charlotte looked slightly put out but there wasn’t much either of us could do, so she walked back to the camp hut and I sat down again. Mr Meredith went back to toying with the fork and for a minute or two there was silence. Then he glanced up at me and smiled.