“Look, Brian asked me to keep the management consultant’s visit quiet for this very reason, to stop people getting carried away with mad conspiracy theories. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s my daughter’s wedding.” She turned to walk away again.
June took a deep breath. “Are you and Brian receiving money from Rupert’s company to help them buy the library building and turn it into a Cuppa Coffee?”
Marjorie spun round, a look of disbelief on her face. “Now, this is outrageous!” Her voice had risen, and several people turned to look.
“What’s going on here?” Brian walked over to them. “People are staring at you, Marjorie.”
“June here is making the most scandalous accusations. She says that you and Rupert are involved in some dodgy scam around selling off the library building. I’ve a good mind to throw her out but I don’t want to make a...” Marjorie stopped talking as she saw Brian had turned a dark shade of purple.
“What have you been saying?” he said to June.
“I saw you and Rupert in the pub back in July,” June said. “I heard your conversation.”
Brian gave a small forced laugh. “So what? A man having a pint with his future son-in-law is hardly illegal.”
“There was another man there too, and you told them you had the power to convince people on the council. They discussed giving you money.”
“What’s she talking about, Brian?” Marjorie said.
“It was about the library, wasn’t it?” June said.
“This is all absolute nonsense,” Brian said.
June was aware that people around them had stopped talking and were listening in, but for once she didn’t care.
“And what about that woman you got Marjorie to show around the library? She works for Cuppa Coffee, doesn’t she?”
“You told me she was a management consultant,” Marjorie said, taking hold of Brian’s arm. From the look on her face, June could tell she wasn’t pretending. “Brian, what on earth is going on?”
“Oh, be quiet, dear,” he said, brushing her off. “I’m not standing here listening to these lies anymore. June has no proof of anything.”
“Oh my god, the money for the wedding!” Marjorie said, her eyes wide.
“Now, dear—” Brian started, reaching for her, but Marjorie stepped away from him.
“I asked you where that extra money came from to pay for all of this and you wouldn’t tell me. Brian, what have you done?”
“For god’s sake, woman,” he said. “You’re retiring at Christmas—what difference does it make?”
“All this time you’ve been telling me to relax, that you were working behind the scenes to save the library. And you’ve been the one trying to get it closed!”
A large group had now gathered to watch, and Brian lowered his voice to a hiss.
“Look, I can’t affect the decision the council makes about the library. But if it does close, and Rupert’s company does buy the building, there’s no harm in you and me benefiting from that, is there?” He went to put his arm around Marjorie’s shoulder, but she lurched backward.
“Get away from me!” She made no effort to keep her voice down.
“How did you expect me to pay for all of this?” Brian said. “You told me you wanted this wedding to be the biggest Chalcot has ever seen. Do you have any idea how much all of this costs?”
Marjorie looked like she was fighting back tears. “I’ve turned a blind eye over the years. But this... my library...”
“Mum, Dad, what’s going on?” They all turned to see Gayle approaching, wearing a long crystal-encrusted wedding dress. Rupert was following her, his eyes narrowed. “We can hear you all the way from the gazebo.”
“It’s nothing, pumpkin, just a little disagreement,” Brian said.
“Mum?”
“Did you know?” Marjorie said to her.
