Page 49 of A Summer Scandal

‘Hiya,’ she smiled. ‘Your mum’s in her studio, go on in.’

He nodded, chewing his lip as he glanced back towards the land end of the pier, his dark hair flopping in his eyes. ‘There’s something you should probably see back there,’ he said. ‘Or should I say, someone.’

Vi strained her eyes along the pier but couldn’t see what he was talking about.

‘Honestly, you should go and look.’

Charlie and his mate disappeared inside the birdcage. Leaving Barty at his welcome desk, she set off along the pier at a pace.

‘I should have guessed,’ she said, more to herself than anyone else as she stood beside the open iron gates to the pier and watched Gladys Dearheart. She’d set herself up on a red-and-blue-striped deckchair slap bang between the gates, briefcase across her knees, and she was making it her business to heckle everyone who tried to pass either side of her with a loudhailer.

Violet watched as a couple in their forties approached, her in a black and pink sundress, him in jeans and Converse.

‘I see you, Meghan Montgomery!’ Gladys yelled, making the woman jump. ‘And you a primary teacher as well! And don’t think I don’t see you trying to hide behind your wife’s skirts, Alan Montgomery Junior!’ The guy sighed and looked at his Converse, his arm around the woman, presumably his wife. ‘What will your boss at the council offices think of you fraternising with the enemy?’

Violet leaned on the gate and sighed. As far as she knew, no one at the council other than Gladys thought ill of the pier, but it was enough to make the Montgomerys think twice. They faltered, prompting Violet to jump forward and smile.

‘Please, come and look,’ she said, reaching out a hand, leaving them no choice but to shake it. ‘I’m Violet, and I’m so thrilled to be able to share the pier with you. Please, have a wander, feel free to enjoy it.’

‘Don’t be fooled, Meghan Montgomery,’ Gladys yelled, making the couple pause, staring at each other. ‘It’s the wooden bridge to sin city!’

Violet looked up at the blue sky and counted to five in her head before smiling broadly. ‘There’s coffee and cake.’

‘Coffee, cake andsex!’ Gladys roared, loud enough to make the driver of a passing white van slow down and shout, ‘Yes please love!’ out of his open window.

Gladys shook her fist, and the Montgomerys took advantage of her momentary distraction and shot off along thepier.

‘Look, Gladys,’ Violet started, walking across so she didn’t have to shout.

‘Lady Mayoress Dearheart to you,’ Gladys shouted through the loudhailer, even though there was no need.

Vi managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. ‘Lady Mayoress Dearheart,’ she said, through gritted teeth. ‘I’m sorry about what happened when you came the other day, it was most unfortunate. We were—’

‘Unfortunate for you that I caught you in flagrante, you mean.’ Gladys sucked her teeth, not unlike Hannibal Lecter. ‘Hussy.’

‘You really don’t need to speak to me with the loudhailer, I can hear you perfectly well without it,’ Violet said, ever so slightly testy because Gladys was drawing a bit of a crowd now.

‘I’m performing my civic duty,’ Gladys shouted.

‘Is that what you were doing when you illegally chained our gates together too?’

The Lady Mayoress glowered, feigning blustery innocence. ‘Chained your gates? Don’t put ideas in my head, harlot.’

Ideas? Violet didn’t challenge her because a public slanging match was the last thing she needed, but she shot Gladys anI’m wise to youlook that she hoped got the message across.

‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave now,’ Violet said, admirably calm given the circumstances.

Gladys cackled as if terribly amused. ‘You can’t make me leave. This is a public pavement.’

Violet looked down at the ground. ‘You’re not on the pavement. You’re on my pier.’

Gladys peered over the arm of the chair, then back up at Violet, mutinous. ‘By all of three inches, young lady.’

Vi crossed her arms over her chest, holding her tongue. They eyeballed each other for a good ten seconds, and then finally Gladys snarled, and half shuffled, half dragged the legs of her chair forwards until she was no longer on the wooden edge of the pier.

‘Don’t do it, Brian Hancox!’ Gladys yelled, twisting suddenly in her chair towards an older guy who was trying to inch onto the pier without anyone noticing.

Unfortunately for Violet, Gladys clearly had a much stronger hold on Brian Hancox, because he veered back onto the promenade and walked away, rather like he’d been caught stealing flowers from someone’s front garden to give to his wife.

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