A volley of hand clapping suggested that they were. Paul and Phil blushed like twin orbs. Diana shook her head. Stacey was whispering something to Peter and had managed to worm her way between him and Diana. Maddy felt quite sorry for him. A thorn between two other thorns.

Bronwyn held up her hand. ‘Would anyone from the proposed golf course like to say a few words at this point?’

They wouldn’t. Gareth beamed at everyone again and waved at Maddy. Diana glared at him and wriggled herself back to Peter’s side.

‘Very well.’ Bronwyn looked quickly at her supporters from Twyford Down, Batheaston and Newbury as if asking for their backing for the next step. They looked uncertain. She sucked in her breath. ‘I think it is fair to say, then, that we will not let this proposal go ahead. We will fight. We will intercept all machinery and personnel. The villagers of Milton St John will not be brought down!’

This brought an ear-splitting roar of support. Diana was turning pale. Maddy felt that in her place she’d give in now. So far so good. Bronwyn had handled it well. The points had been made: the village was against the desecration; the village didn’t want the golf course.

Then suddenly Peter took the microphone from Bronwyn. A hush fell as his persuasive voice swirled over the crowd. ‘I think now is the time for me to say something.’ He scanned the villagers with his oh-so-blue eyes. ‘You are my friends. Friends are supposed to stick together. I can understand your point of view, but I feel that you have been misinformed. Mrs Pugh,’ he inclined his golden head to Bronwyn, ‘has been very persuasive, but I am here to give you facts. The land in question is owned by two parties. Both these parties are more than willing to sell it to provide a golf course. That is their right. They would like your support, naturally, but with it or without it, the golf course will go ahead. And any talk of destroying equipment or attacking personnel will be met with the full force of the law.’

He stopped. The villagers were silent. They were weighing this up. Peter smiled. Some of the younger women patted their hair.

‘I met certain opposition when I first came to Milton St John and wanted to set up my health studio in an established stable. I overcame it. People – you – came to the gyms and the saunas and the solariums in droves and enjoyed yourselves. You were against it at first because you didn’t want change, but in the end you were more than happy. Now, isn’t that true?’