Chapter 45

At dawn, Edwin Ellidge follows his daily routine of walking to the bottom of the Coopers Chase drive and back. At 6 a.m., Edwin sees Ian Ventham’s Range Rover turn off toward the Playfair farm, and around 6:20 a.m. Edwin passes a low-loader carrying two diggers up the drive. The sight quickly spreads through Coopers Chase by phone, and residents begin gathering to see what can be done.

By 7:30 a.m., Ian returns with Karen Playfair in the passenger seat, while the low-loader reaches the car park. Bogdan gets out and opens the heavy gate leading to the Garden of Eternal Rest. Ron stops Bogdan and questions him in front of the growing crowd, making it clear that the residents believe Ian is trying to dig up the nuns’ graves without warning or consultation.

Ron uses the moment to rally the village, turning the confrontation into a public stand against Ian. Ron reminds the residents of their varied pasts as soldiers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, judges, and other capable people, arguing that Ian has picked a fight with people who know how to fight back. Ian responds sharply, saying the consultation and legal objections have already happened, the residents lost, and he has every right to carry out work on land he owns.

Ian’s mention of keeping the service charge reasonable weakens some of the crowd’s certainty, but Joyce and Bernard change the mood by returning with garden chairs and setting them up on the path. Joyce invites others to join them for a pleasant morning sit-down, effectively turning the obstruction into a peaceful occupation. As residents prepare chairs, tea, and possibly a prolonged delay, Ibrahim chats with the low-loader driver, and Elizabeth leads Stephen safely home before planning to return.