to give someone a piece of my mind.’
‘Just don’t …’ Evie didn’t get to finish; Frank had already weaved his way into the crowd and disappeared. Michael was nowhere to be seen either, which left Evie feeling conflicted. On the one hand she wasn’t sure she could bear to face him after what she’d just heard; on the other hand, she was determined that he shouldn’t get away without facing her. If he’d sloped off to avoid a confrontation with her – or with any of the other residents – he was far less of a man than Evie had believed. She turned back to her gran and held onto her hand.
‘And the new medical centre,’ Mavis said, her voice shaking, ‘they want to build it in Cupid’s Way, is that right? Is that what they’re saying?’
Evie nodded. ‘Not in Cupid’s Way, Gran – on it. Or at least, on the land.’
‘But what will happen to us? Where will we live?’
‘They’ve identified housing for all the current residents. New homes in the local area.’ To sweeten the package, Councillor Martin had outlined a market-value figure to be paid to each resident, along with the new housing and all legal and removal costs. It was generous alright, but it was this very generosity that had Evie’s head reeling. It didn’t make any sense.
‘They can’t make us go, though. Can they, Evie?’
‘Ah, Gran. There’s this thing called a compulsory purchase order. It’s rarely used, but in certain cases … well, the long and short of it is that they can. If they decide it’s for the benefit of the community and if no one is being unfairly treated, and if the compensation is adequate.’
Dynamite Construction must be paying a fortune to make it more than adequate, Evie thought, looking around the room for Michael again. She spotted her granddad in heated conversation with Councillor Martin, but the Dynamite CEO was nowhere to be seen. Mavis leaned against her, suddenly limp. Evie put her arm around her gran and looked at her in alarm.
‘Gran? Are you okay?’
‘I can’t move away, Evie. I just can’t.’ The older woman’s voice was faint, and her face frighteningly pale.
‘Granddad!’ Evie stood up, still holding onto her gran. As she waved with her free hand, catching Frank’s attention, she spotted Michael on the other side of the room. He was a head taller than the crowd gathered around him, which consisted of most of the Peacock clan as far as Evie could tell.
‘You need to look after Gran,’ she said when Frank reached her side. ‘And we need to get her home as soon as possible. This has all been too much for her.’
‘Where are you going?’ Frank hoisted Mavis off her chair and she clung to his side, still looking completely dazed.
‘There’s something I have to do. I won’t be long.’
Evie marched across the room, elbowing a gaggle of businessmen out of her way and nearly knocking the woman councillor off her high-heeled feet. She reached Michael and tapped him on the shoulder, hard.
‘I’d like a word with you, Mr Andrews.’
He stopped speaking, but didn’t turn around straight away. She tapped him again. His back was tense, but when he turned to her his face held a relaxed expression. He did, at least, have the decency to look contrite.
‘Hello, Phoebe Sloan,’ he said, his voice as soft as a pillow. Evie wanted to slap him.
‘Don’t Phoebe Sloan me, you underhanded, lying, despicable man. How could you do this? What kind of a person are you?’
‘Evie, I’m sorry. I should have said something, you’re right.’ He pursed his lips and gave the smallest shake of his head. ‘It was such a shock when I realised you were talking about this actual project. I guess I figured you wouldn’t want much to do with me when you realised who I was. I didn’t know what to say.’
Evie could feel the blood pounding in her head. Her field of vision had narrowed so there was only her and him, only his face, which had seemed so handsome such a short time ago but
‘Just don’t …’ Evie didn’t get to finish; Frank had already weaved his way into the crowd and disappeared. Michael was nowhere to be seen either, which left Evie feeling conflicted. On the one hand she wasn’t sure she could bear to face him after what she’d just heard; on the other hand, she was determined that he shouldn’t get away without facing her. If he’d sloped off to avoid a confrontation with her – or with any of the other residents – he was far less of a man than Evie had believed. She turned back to her gran and held onto her hand.
‘And the new medical centre,’ Mavis said, her voice shaking, ‘they want to build it in Cupid’s Way, is that right? Is that what they’re saying?’
Evie nodded. ‘Not in Cupid’s Way, Gran – on it. Or at least, on the land.’
‘But what will happen to us? Where will we live?’
‘They’ve identified housing for all the current residents. New homes in the local area.’ To sweeten the package, Councillor Martin had outlined a market-value figure to be paid to each resident, along with the new housing and all legal and removal costs. It was generous alright, but it was this very generosity that had Evie’s head reeling. It didn’t make any sense.
‘They can’t make us go, though. Can they, Evie?’
‘Ah, Gran. There’s this thing called a compulsory purchase order. It’s rarely used, but in certain cases … well, the long and short of it is that they can. If they decide it’s for the benefit of the community and if no one is being unfairly treated, and if the compensation is adequate.’
Dynamite Construction must be paying a fortune to make it more than adequate, Evie thought, looking around the room for Michael again. She spotted her granddad in heated conversation with Councillor Martin, but the Dynamite CEO was nowhere to be seen. Mavis leaned against her, suddenly limp. Evie put her arm around her gran and looked at her in alarm.
‘Gran? Are you okay?’
‘I can’t move away, Evie. I just can’t.’ The older woman’s voice was faint, and her face frighteningly pale.
‘Granddad!’ Evie stood up, still holding onto her gran. As she waved with her free hand, catching Frank’s attention, she spotted Michael on the other side of the room. He was a head taller than the crowd gathered around him, which consisted of most of the Peacock clan as far as Evie could tell.
‘You need to look after Gran,’ she said when Frank reached her side. ‘And we need to get her home as soon as possible. This has all been too much for her.’
‘Where are you going?’ Frank hoisted Mavis off her chair and she clung to his side, still looking completely dazed.
‘There’s something I have to do. I won’t be long.’
Evie marched across the room, elbowing a gaggle of businessmen out of her way and nearly knocking the woman councillor off her high-heeled feet. She reached Michael and tapped him on the shoulder, hard.
‘I’d like a word with you, Mr Andrews.’
He stopped speaking, but didn’t turn around straight away. She tapped him again. His back was tense, but when he turned to her his face held a relaxed expression. He did, at least, have the decency to look contrite.
‘Hello, Phoebe Sloan,’ he said, his voice as soft as a pillow. Evie wanted to slap him.
‘Don’t Phoebe Sloan me, you underhanded, lying, despicable man. How could you do this? What kind of a person are you?’
‘Evie, I’m sorry. I should have said something, you’re right.’ He pursed his lips and gave the smallest shake of his head. ‘It was such a shock when I realised you were talking about this actual project. I guess I figured you wouldn’t want much to do with me when you realised who I was. I didn’t know what to say.’
Evie could feel the blood pounding in her head. Her field of vision had narrowed so there was only her and him, only his face, which had seemed so handsome such a short time ago but
Similar Books
