Conveyancing chain nightmare!

[JenK]

Hi can anyone advise me on this circumstance? I'm currently selling my house and buying another house. There is a 'chain' of four individuals involved. We are about to exchange contracts. The exchange has been expected each day this week (we're now Thursday night before bank holiday weekend) and no exchange has taken place. Each day this week I've been told by my solicitor and in turn she's been told by my buyers solicitor that the first time buyer at the bottom of the chain hasn't paid their deposit. At 5pm today, having received no 'update' call from my solicitor, I rang my estate agent who, after checking my buyers agent, was told by the first time buyers solicitor that the exchange did not take place today because my solicitor Could not contact me! I have been contactable all day, by email and mobile phone, and in fact spoke to my solicitor at 3.16 when she took my verbal authority to exchange. I am furious and a bit offended that I am being blamed for the failure to exchange. As it's now a bank holiday weekend I've no chance of speaking to any of the solicitors involved but I can speak to the agents. Can anyone advise how I can establish where the story has come ftom that I'm to blame and how I can ensure that the whole chain is told the real facts?