Chapter 40
FORTY
‘It isn’t Nikolas’s speciality, but he knows a fair bit about it,’ she told Matt despondently when he got home.
‘The government prioritises less-productive land for solar farms – which basically means anything currently used for grazing. So it’ll be the fields with sheep on, not the ones with crops. ’
‘The ones we look out at, in other words,’ Matt said heavily.
‘Exactly. But it gets worse. I went on the Companies House website and looked up Pelham Park Clean Energy. Guess who the directors are?’
Matt stared at her. ‘Oh, no . . .’
She nodded. ‘Guy told me he was at school with Jamie, and Rosemary mentioned they used to play in the woods together. The company was incorporated three weeks ago, and Guy and Jamie are the only directors.’
‘But it must take years to get a project like that off the ground,’ Matt objected. ‘And from what you’ve told me of Jamie, he’s not one for playing a waiting game – that grab-it-quick offer of his proves that. What’s he up to?’
She sighed. ‘First of all, he’s helping Guy make money.
According to Nikolas, solar farms are incredibly lucrative – landowners can count on getting over a thousand pounds per acre, as opposed to less than a hundred from grazing.
But I reckon his short-term objective is just to reduce the value of Trade Cottage.
Even if he hasn’t declared exactly where the solar farm will go, just the threat of having those fields covered in panels means no one will touch this place with a barge pole.
’ She tried to speak calmly, but there was a lump in her throat.
Those beautiful views, those lovely rolling fields dotted with white sheep she’d fallen in love with, back in April – at the thought of them being invaded by row after row of mirror-glass black panes, staring blankly in Trade Cottage’s direction, she almost started crying again, just as she’d done after Nikolas’s call – weeping with impotence and fury, as well as rage at an enemy who refused to be beaten.
That smile Jamie had given her at the planning meeting – that hadn’t been arrogant certainty the decision would go the Finches’ way, she’d belatedly realised: it was knowing that, even if it didn’t, it didn’t matter.
‘So his offer will be the only one in town,’ Matt said thoughtfully.
‘And it’s getting smaller by the day. Smart.
Horrible, but smart. And if he does get us out, he’ll simply tuck the panels behind the woods, where he won’t see them.
’ He took a deep breath. ‘Well, it’s not going to work.
The village will never accept a solar farm on their doorstep. ’
‘You’d think not. But us and The Old Tennis Court are the only ones who’d be directly affected.
And Nikolas says most of the district councils round here have formally declared a climate emergency.
They can hardly turn round and say they don’t want clean energy if it’s being produced in their own back yard. ’
‘We could start a petition.’
She shrugged. ‘Somehow, I don’t think the Pelham Preservation Committee is going to be coming out against this.’
‘Arrgh.’ Matt rubbed his eyes wearily. ‘This is a nightmare.’
‘There is one thing . . .’ she began hesitantly.
He looked up. ‘What?’
‘It may be nothing, but . . . while I was online, I googled him – Jamie Finch. “Know your enemy” and all that.’
‘And?’
‘According to his LinkedIn page, he’s chief investment officer for emerging nations at the International Monetary Fund. Which is a pretty big job, right? But when you go to the IMF’s website, there’s no mention of him – not a single one.’
‘Which makes you think what?’ Matt asked.
She pulled a face. ‘That maybe they fired him, and it was over something bad enough for them to cancel him completely? International development’s having a real MeToo moment right now – there’s been a lot of talk about toxic work cultures, bullying and so on.
Maybe that’s what’s really behind relocating his family to the UK. ’
Matt considered. ‘OK. But it doesn’t really help us, does it? Even if he was fired, I’m sure he’ll spin coming home as being because he wants to see more of his dying father.’
‘I know,’ she said miserably. ‘But it all just seems so hopeless.’
‘You’ll feel better once the builders are back at work.’
‘Will I?’ she wondered. ‘Or are we just tarting up Trade Cottage for Jamie and his family to live in?’
‘They’re not going to beat us,’ Matt said gently. ‘Look at the way you saw him off at that committee meeting.’
Reassured by his confidence, she nodded. ‘You’re right – maybe things will look better in the morning. I’ll phone Liv – she’s very into conservation and the environment, and she’s friends with Sally, Gordon’s wife. I’ll see what she knows about this solar farm.’