Page 90 of Wedding Crasher

Gabe smiled and shook his head at Dora’s outraged face.

‘Okay, okay. I’m telling you because your opinion happens to matter to me, Dora. And because I’m sick of being the local pariah. People listen to you.’

Dora preened a little under Gabe’s flattery, but he’d meant it sincerely. She was one of the village stalwarts. A few supportive words in the local store would be enough to turn the tide of opinion his way.

‘Those pictures, that woman in the strip club … it wasn’t what it looked like, I promise you.’ Dora looked sceptical, but he ploughed on regardless. ‘I hate those places. Ten seconds after that shot was taken she tipped a drink in my lap.’

‘No more than you deserved in a place like that, young man.’

She chastised him with her words, but the frost had melted from her tone, as if warmed by a sunbeam.

After a few seconds’ thought, she rummaged in her shopping bag and slid a packet of Jammie Dodgers across the desk at him. He grinned as he ripped the packet open with his teeth, and put one in his mouth whole in acceptance of her unspoken apology.

‘You should call the police about that Rupert. It’s harassment, it is.’ She helped herself to a biscuit.

Gabe shook his head and swallowed his biscuit.

‘I’ll sort it out myself soon enough, Dora, don’t worry about it. Besides, that wasn’t really what I wanted to talk to you about …’ He leaned in across the table and dropped his voice. ‘I need your help with something a bit more … well, personal.’

Dora’s nostrils flared with horror.

‘What sort of personal, Gabriel? You don’t want me to look at any of your weird bits, do you?’

‘It’s not a health thing.’ Gabe laughed. ‘Well, not unless you count matters of the heart, anyway.’

Dora relaxed back into her chair.

‘Aaah.Thatsort of personal.’

She reached for another biscuit.

‘Go on then.’

‘It’s … well …’ Gabe faltered under Dora’s bated-breath attention.

‘It’s about Marla, actually.’

He watched Dora closely for signs after his revelation; she was fond of Marla and he expected her to be shocked. Protective, even.

Dora, however, just nodded without even the slightest flicker of surprise.

‘I’ve been around for a long time, lad, and I’ve got eyes in my head.’

Gabe grimaced.

‘Jesus, I feel like a schoolboy. Is it that obvious?’

Dora shook her head.

‘Only to a nosy old bat like me. So, how bad is it?’

‘Oh, it’s as bad as it gets. I love her.’

Dora went slack-faced with alarm.

‘You love her? Steady on, lad. I mean …’ Her eyes lingered on the wedding photos on the table.

Gabe couldn’t really blame her for questioning his feelings, given his newly revealed track record.

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