Part 40 (1/2)
”Er . . .” I clear my throat, aware of Jess's eyes on me like daggers. ”Er . . . mainly just the hedgehogs.”
”So, a warm welcome to Becky from all of us. OK. The serious business.” He reaches for a leather satchel and pulls out a sheaf of papers. ”The proposed Piper's Hill Shopping Center.”
He pauses as though for effect, and there are murmurs of hostility around the room.
”The council is still playing ignorant. However”-he flips through the sheaf with a flourish-”by hook or by crook, I have managed to get hold of a copy of the plans.” Robin hands the papers to a man on the end of the row, who starts pa.s.sing them along. ”Obviously we have a lot of major objections. If you could all study the material for a few minutes . . .”
I obediently read the plans along with everyone else, and look at all the drawings. As I glance around, people are shaking their heads in anger and disappointment, which, frankly, doesn't surprise me.
”Right.” He looks around and his eyes alight on me. ”Becky. Maybe we could hear from you first. As an outsider, what's your initial reaction?”
Everyone turns to look at me, and I feel my cheeks grow hot.
”Er . . . well, I can see the problems straightaway,” I say tentatively.
”Exactly,” Robin says with satisfaction. ”This proves our point. The problems are obvious at first glance, to someone who doesn't even know the area. Carry on, Becky.”
”Well.” I study the plans for a second, then continue. ”For a start, the opening hours are quite restricted. I'd have it open till ten every night. I mean, people have to work during the day! They don't want to have to rush their shopping!”
As I look around, everyone seems a bit stunned. They probably weren't expecting me to hit the nail on the head like that. Encouraged, I tap the list of shops. ”And these are rubbish shops. You should have s.p.a.ce.NK . . . Joseph . . . and definitely an L.K. Bennett!”
No one has moved a muscle.
Except Jess, who has buried her head in her hands.
Robin appears dumbstruck, but makes a valiant attempt to smile.
”Becky . . . slight confusion here. We're not protesting about any of the features of the shopping center. We're protesting about its very existence.”
”I'm sorry?” I peer at him, uncomprehending.
”We don't want them to build it,” says Jess in extra-slow, sarcastic tones. ”They're planning to ruin an area of natural beauty. That's what the protest is about.”
”Oh.” My cheeks flame. ”Oh. I see. Absolutely. The natural beauty. I was . . . actually . . . er . . . just about to mention that.” Fl.u.s.tered, I start riffling through the plans again. ”It'll probably be quite a danger to hedgehogs, too,” I say at last. ”I've noticed several hedgehog hazard points. Or HHPs, as we call them.”
I can see Jess rolling her eyes. Maybe I'd better stop now.
”Good point,” says Robin, his smile now a little strained. ”So . . . Becky has shared some valuable hedgehog safety concerns. Any other views?”
As a white-haired man starts to speak abut the desecration of the countryside, I sink back down into my chair, my heart thumping. I'm kind of glad I didn't mention my other major concern about the shopping center now. Which was that it isn't big enough.
”My worry is the local economy,” a smartly dressed woman is declaiming. ”Out-of-town shopping centers ruin rural life. If they build this, it'll put the village shop out of business.”
”It's a crime,” booms Lorna. ”Village shops are the hub of the community. They need to be supported.”
More and more voices are joining in now. I can see all the customers of Jim's shop nodding at each other.
”How can Jim compete with the big chains?”
”We need to keep these small shops alive!”
”The government's to blame. . . .”
I know I wasn't going to speak again, but I just can't keep quiet.
”Excuse me?” I venture, raising my hand. ”If you all want the village shop to stay alive, why don't you buy bread at full price?”
I look around the room, to see Jess glaring at me.
”That is just typical,” she says. ”Everything comes down to spending money, doesn't it?”
”But it's a shop!” I say, bewildered. ”That's the whole point! You spend money! If you all spent a bit more money, the shop would start booming!”
”Not everyone in the world is addicted to shopping, OK, Becky?” snaps Jess.
”Wish they were,” Jim puts in with a wry smile. ”My revenue's trebled since Becky came to town.”
Jess stares at him, her mouth tight. Oh G.o.d. She looks really p.i.s.sed off.
”It was just . . . an idea,” I say quickly. ”It doesn't matter.” I shrink down in my seat again, trying to look un.o.btrusive.
The discussion starts up again, but I keep my head down and leaf through the shopping center plans again. And I have to say, I was right in the first place. The shops are rubbish. Not a single good place for handbags . . . not a single place you can get your nails done . . . I mean, I can really see their point. What is the point of ruining some lovely field with a c.r.a.ppy shopping center full of shops no one wants to visit?
”So we on the committee have decided on immediate, preemptive action,” Robin is saying as I raise my head again. ”We're holding a rally, to be held in a week's time. We need as much support as possible. And obviously as much publicity as possible.”
”It's difficult,” says one woman with a sigh. ”No one's interested.”
”Edgar is writing an article for his parish magazine,” says Robin, consulting a piece of paper. ”And I know some of you have already drafted letters to the council . . .”
I'm itching to speak.
I open my mouth, catch Jess's eyes on me like daggers, and close it again. But-oh G.o.d-I can't keep quiet. I just can't.
”We're producing a very informative leaflet-”
”You should do something bigger!” My voice cuts across Robin's, and everyone turns in my direction.
”Becky, shut up,” Jess says furiously. ”We're trying to discuss this sensibly!”
”So am I!” I'm hot under all these eyes, but I press on. ”I think you should have a huge marketing campaign.”
”Wouldn't that be expensive?” says the white-haired man, with a frown.
”In business, if you want to make money, you have to spend money. And it's the same here. If you want to have a result, you have to make the investment!”
”Money again!” exclaims Jess in exasperation. ”Spending again! You're obsessed!”