“Lucian, remember I walk beside you,” Lucifer called before they disappeared.
“Well, what do you say to that?” Lucian inquired as he patted himself and discovered himself healed.
“You have a heartbeat!” Maggie squealed as she listened to his chest.
“I’m alive!” Lucian roared, swept Maggie into his arms, and kissed her soundly. Katherine twittered and moved away to give them privacy.
Chapter Twelve.
Maggie–a week later.
Maggie stood at the rear of the community hall, her hand held firmly by Lucian. She’d made sure she’d attend this and confront Jane Allison face to face. She had righteousness on her side and was about to use it. Maggie let the villagers wind themselves up for an hour while Jane marched back and forth in front of the council officers, demanding Maggie be closed down and chased away.
“Are you ready?” Lucian murmured in her ear, and Maggie giggled.
“I think it’s a good job I made you write those letters,” Maggie whispered.
“Yes, you were right, we will need them,” Lucian replied and straightened as a counsellor finally snapped.
“Enough!” he yelled, banging a gravel on a table. Silence fell. “Does anyone else have anything to say?”
Lucian squeezed Maggie’s hand as she stepped forward and strode to the small stage where the counsellors and Jane were. Whispers broke out as Maggie marched up the two steps and sent Jane a stern glare before facing the crowds in front of her. It was a daunting task, but Maggie saw the pride in Lucian’s face.
“Yes, I do,” Maggie stated clearly.
“You have no right to talk here!” Jane hissed.
“That is where you’re completely incorrect. Now shut up. The adults are talking,” Maggie said calmly as people gasped.
“Mr Whitley, are you here? Ah yes, there you are. Please stand up,” Maggie called, spotting her first target. “We’re about to address some of this prurient rubbish that Jane published. Am I correct in saying you’re an architect?”
“Yes,” replied Mr Whitley, looking like he wanted to be somewhere else.
“Do you deny I hired you to draw plans up for the Jekyll and Hyde?” Mr Whitley looked around before swallowing hard.
“Yes, I reject that,” Mr Whitley answered.
Maggie pulled out some papers from a file and handed them to the counsellors. She then passed some down to the audience before handing Mr Whitley one.
“Is that not an agreement between you and me for you to work at my inn? I hired you, and you signed a contract, which I kindly let you out of. And is that your reply stating you won’t work at the Jekyll and Hyde?”
Mr Whitley exhaled and gave up.
“Yes, that is my signature,” Mr Whitley confirmed.
“So you lied to everyone here by saying I didn’t hire you. And then you tried to make me appear bad to the community. Is Mr Rogers here, also an architect? And Mr Jenson, Miss Briggs, Mrs Thomas, please. There you are. Do we need to suffer the same rigmarole as Mr Whitley?” Maggie asked sweetly. One by one, looking guilty and ashamed, they admitted Maggie had tried to retain them and that they’d refused her.
“So I believe that deals with the false claim that I didn’t try to enlist a local architect unless there is someone here I missed? No, okay, on to the following allegation. I did not hire builders, plumbers, or electricians from the village. First, is the Inn considered a Grade II listed building? Good, no one disagrees.
“Therefore, only five businesses in the area are equipped to deal with such buildings. Tate and Sons, Everlasting Builds, For the Future, Levers and Daughter, and Renovations Specialist. Before we repeat the architect’s embarrassment, do any of you representing those companies wish to say something?” Maggie rummaged in the folder and pulled out another stack of papers. One by one, someone stood up and admitted Maggie had tried to hire them, and they’d lied about it.
“Mr Label, I have receipts here belonging to your company for purchased materials, all amounting to several tens of thousands of pounds. Do you deny this?” Maggie demanded. Mr Label groused and complained, but when Maggie began handing out the receipts, he admitted she’d bought all the materials for the inn from him.
“How dare you try to bully these people!” Jane screeched from the side of the platform.
“Browbeat? I am not bullying Jane. I am merely defending myself against the lies you spread about me and publicly so! Now hush and allow the truth to be known. Mrs Cambers? Hello! You are the receptionist in the evening at the hotel I was staying at. Please explain my routine,” Maggie said, smiling.
Mrs Cambers shot Jane a malicious smile.