A wave of whispers spread among the wedding guests.
Claire turned sharply toward her husband.
“Why didn’t you open everything properly for them before?” she snapped, forgetting that half the room could hear her.
Daniel became motionless.
Evelyn briefly closed her eyes.
It wasn’t exhaustion that made her pause. She was struggling to keep her anger from turning into shouting.
“Peter,” she said, “no one gets in. No one touches the gate. Record everything. Photograph plates, faces, boxes, and the keys they tried to use. The patrol car is on its way.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Claire stepped toward her mother-in-law.
“They’re my parents, not criminals!”
Evelyn didn’t retreat.
“Then they should have behaved like guests, not invaders.”
One of Claire’s cousins, Megan, rose from a nearby table.
“Well, everyone knows that estate is rotting away empty. She doesn’t even use all the rooms.”
Daniel’s aunt Susan struck the table with her palm.
