Page 35 of After Indigo Irish Nights
“Eight hundred—” Donal whistled. “For a sculpture?”
Bets stared at Linc. What was he cooking up in that genius brain of his?
“For a sculpture,” Linc kicked back. “The installation was locally led, meaning it started with… Wait for it. A local council. Much like you have here.”
“I doubt that,” Bets said dryly.
“Stay with me. They used local workers—everything from engineers to steel and ground workers.”
“Don’t forget the shipwrights,” Kathleen added with a stern look. “Sculptors use them on bigtime frames for outdoor installations.”
Linc gave a grin. “Indeed. The local council had this vison in an area losing manufacturing jobs and looking for redevelopment. They managed to raise the entire sum for the sculpture from a hodgepodge of groups. We’re talking the Arts Council Lottery Fund, the EU, private sponsors, and some publicly funded organizations I won’t mention.”
“People gave all that money to build a sculpture?” Donal’s brows slammed together. “I still can’t imagine it. Why would they do that?”
“Attention. Tourism. And they didn’t stop there. After that, they built the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, which they housed in an old mill.”
She’d heard of that museum before. She hadn’t realized it was in the same town as the famousAngel of the North. “No wonder you made a billion dollars on windows.”
He smirked. “From there, the community built the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian and cycling structure, which has won some major awards. After that, they built Sage Gateshead, a famous music center. What you might want to know is that these projects bring in tourists and visitors alike, who spend £1.46 billion in the area each year.”
Bets choked as Donal whistled again beside her.
“How much?” Liam asked, his eyes wide.
“You heard him,” Kathleen said, tapping her thigh. “I agree it’s a lot of money, but Linc, you didn’t mention the local rumbles Gormley’s sculpture caused in the beginning or the wider ongoing debate about public money going toward sculptures. I believe you’ve already had plenty of rumbles here in Caisleán.”
“Plenty doesn’t cover it,” Bets said, the reminder making her snarl.
“But here you’ve had the reverse problem.” Linc steepled his hands. “The council has been the one rumbling. The townspeople have supported you, with their own hard-earned money even. What if you could bring those two groups into balance? Have them both on your side?”
The thought was appealing, sure, but that wasn’t likely to happen with her sister-in-law Mary Kincaid’s pal Tom MacKenna as the head of the council. Bets rubbed the tense area at the back of her neck. “I don’t want to deal with the council, Linc. Ever. I thought the whole purpose of becoming financially independent thanks to Ellie’s donation was so we wouldn’t have to deal with those bastards anymore.”
Linc inclined his chin toward Donal. “You want to tell her?”
She swung her head around and pinned Donal with a look. “Tell me what.”
“There’s talk the council is considering stopping Kathleen’s sculpture.”
Kathleen inhaled sharply as Liam cursed.
Bets shot up off the settee, anger surging up. “On what basis, dammit?”
“They’re still bandying that about, but they’re talking about requiring us to have planning permission for the sculpture as it’ll be outside and not in a shed,” Donal said, his jaw clenching. “That’s why I didn’t tell you yet. I had this on someone’s strictest confidence.”
“But you told Linc?” Bets raged back.
“He has a strong head on his shoulders, and I needed someone to think through how we might counteract this move, should it come.” Donal took her hand and squeezed it. “He showed how good he is at maneuvering the council after they closed the center a few months ago. He’s also less emotional than you are,mo ghrá, and I don’t say that to make you cross. God knows you have good reason to be.”
She sat down hard on the settee. Her blood was boiling, yes, but her chest was aching too. She’d hoped the battle with the council was over. Then there was the way Donal had kept this from her. She didn’t know what to do about that.
“You’re sad now under the mad,” Donal said, pulling her close to him. “I was too when I heard. Kathleen, I’m sorry you found out like this, but I’m telling you straight. It shouldn’t stop you from continuing.”
“Stop me?” Her eyes blazed, Bets was delighted to see. “I’d like to see them try. Hell, it makes me want to make it stand a hundred feet tall just to rub their faces in it. I remember what they tried to do to Ellie. I’ll fight them to my last breath if I have to.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point,” Linc said, patting her arm. “One thing I don’t want is for us to revert to any talk of the Alamo around here.”
Bets met his eyes, remembering the time months ago when she’d likened their fight with Tom and his minions to the Alamo. Linc had more than taken exception. He’d joined the fight and helped them win the battle. Now they seemed to have another one brewing.
