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Dani looked directly at Prentice McCulloch and the icy emerald green of his eyes looked back at her.
    'Why?' he asked quietly. 'What's so terrible?'
    She was ready for that question. 'We're a small community,' she informed him, 'just as Elsie said. The Manor is partly within the bounds of the village. It's going to affect all of us. The noise—cars coming and going— maybe music late in the evening. This is a peaceful parish . . .'
    'Parochial.' He nodded. 'Just the word I'd have used.'
    Somehow he made the word sound like an insult. Dani laid down her knife and fork and nodded.
    'I'm sure you would,' she agreed pleasantly. 'We aren't exactly living in the dark ages here, but it's true that big changes tend to affect everyone.'
    'You think it's a bad thing for an hotel to create jobs in the village?'
    'Not necessarily, but. . .'
    'Do you think your local shopkeepers will object to the extra trade?'
    'If there is any.'
    'There will be.' He turned in his seat so that he was facing her directly. 'What you're saying,' he continued implacably, 'is that this village doesn't want change. Not change of any kind. Are you speaking for everyone or just for yourself?'
    'I think we're all concerned,' Bill Chamberlain said. 'My own cottage is next to the grounds...'
    'I know, Mr Chamberlain.' Just as swiftly Prentice turned his attention to the older man. 'Believe me, there will be no facilities for swimming or golf any where near your house or anyone else's.'
    'The Manor is very olds' Dani retreated to her second line of attack. 'If you're going to turn it into a . . . country club ... I assume that you'll be altering the existing structure quite a bit.'
    'Naturally.' Again she was subjected to a cool scrutiny.
    'Then you'll be spoiling a very beautiful house.' Dani had a momentary feeling that she had won a victory. 'It would be criminal to change it around.' There was a sudden ominous silence. Dani watched Prentice's face and saw it harden into a mask of granite. 'It should be preserved,' she continued defiantly, 'not turned into some kind of money-making machine for . . .'
    The gleaming jade eyes and the lips that suddenly thinned into a hard line warned her that she had gone too far.
    'Come and help me, Dani.' Marina's voice made the request into an order. Dumbly, a scarlet tide of embarrassment staining her face, Dani left her seat and followed her sister into the kitchen.
    'What are you trying to do?' Marina hissed as soon as the door was closed behind them. 'God knows, the man isn't exactly the world's best guest, but for heaven's sake don't antagonise him any more!'
    'Do you want an hotel right on your doorstep?' Dani challenged her sister in a hushed whisper that did not hide her anger.
    'No,' Marina admitted, 'I don't. Not really. On the other hand, the man is right. If Harry gets the contract to do the renovations, then he'll keep his men in work for quite a while.' She held up her hand as Dani exclaimed. 'All right, so that's selfish. Maybe it is. But how many youngsters around here can you think of who can't get a job? I can think of seven or eight without trying. The man's right. This hotel, country club, whatever you want to call it, will create jobs.'
    'And ruin a beautiful old house,' Dani snapped back. 'Or doesn't that matter?'
    'Of course it matters!' Marina began to arrange coffee cups on a tray. 'But the man has bought the place. We can't stop him.'
    Dani suspected that her sister was right. She was also honest enough to question her own motives. Perhaps she would not have spoken so strongly had it not been for the casual arrogance of the man. She felt her anger rise again.
    'Hey,' Marina's voice softened. 'Take that light of battle out of your eye. Heavens, I haven't seen you so angry for years!'
    'He's treating us like village idiots!' Dani whispered furiously. 'I've never seen such an infuriating , . .' She stopped. Marina was regarding her with her head tilted on one side. 'What are you staring at?' Dani asked