Emmerdale's Charlotte Bellamy explains to Soaplife how Laurel goes from getting ready to marry Marlon to kissing her ex, Ashley - and maybe not getting wed...
It looked as if Emmerdale's Laurel had found her soul mate in Marlon and together they appeared to be able to weather any storm - until Donna arrived and died. Although she loves Marlon dearly, Laurel is worried about how distracted he is and wondering if now is the time to be saying 'I do'. "Laurel knows that Marlon isn't in a great place and is starting to question their relationship," Charlotte tells Soaplife. And whether they should marry…
What is Laurel worried about?
"Laurel knows that Marlon isn't being himself and that something is missing. She doesn't feel like the most important person in Marlon's life any more and she should, especially on the eve of their wedding. His heart isn’t in it at all and he almost misses the wedding rehearsal because he is having a picnic with April."
So is Laurel feeling threatened by a dead woman?
"Yes, because Marlon's emotions and feelings are all aimed at Donna - it's almost as if Donna is still there. The Marlon that Laurel wanted to marry isn’t there any more. His heart doesn't seem to be in the wedding and Laurel feels like she is doing it all by herself."
Does Laurel believe Marlon (Mark Charnock) was in love with Donna?
"She doesn't know what to think. She knows that he did love her once and, at the moment, she is feeling very insecure about things. The fact that Marlon told lies about Donna’s illness hasn’t helped. Then she catches him watching a home movie of Donna. It is not what she wants to see and it troubles her."
So she turns to Ashley (John Middleton)…
"Laurel reaches out to Ashley and tells him that she doesn't know how she feels about Marlon any more. Ashley comforts her and offers her a shoulder to cry on and then she kisses him. She regrets it afterwards because it’s Marlon she loves and not Ashley."
What happens on the day of Laurel and Marlon’s wedding?
"She finds Marlon in the graveyard, at Donna’s grave, and that devastates her. The pair of them talk and she tells him that she kissed Ashley, while Marlon confesses that he kissed Donna. They can both see that those kisses meant nothing. But their relationship is falling apart and they don’t know how to fix it."
Does their heart-to-heart clear the air?
"In a way it does. They both understand each other a bit more afterwards."
Will they get married?
"You'll have to wait and see. They certainly have some struggles ahead of them. It will be interesting to see if they choose to continue together."
