Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By: A Penny Brannigan Mystery Read Free

program.”
    Before his wife could respond, he strode toward the door. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
    He paused at the door and glanced at her. “If you need help organizing the women’s program, I suggest you contact Bronwyn Evans in Llanelen. She’s always organizing one thing or another. Cooking classes for new mothers, coffee mornings to raise money for literacy programs in Africa, or a good old-fashioned jumble sale. Minty can give you her contact details.”
    “Do you really think we need a women’s program?” his wife asked. “If they have to come at all, surely they can keep themselves amused for a day or two? And anyway, it isn’t just women. There’s a husband or two in the mix.”
    “I’d like to provide a little entertainment or activity of some kind for them,” replied the bishop. “Shows we care and it doesn’t matter about the gender.”
    “Couldn’t your marvelously efficient Miss Russell sort it?”
    “No. She’s got enough on her plate at the moment so don’t expect any help from her. Anyway, all you’ve got to do is arrange one small event for one morning for a dozen or so people. Just a couple of hours. Really, Pamela, how hard can that be, even for you?” And then, like a righteous breeze, he brushed past her and was gone.
    His wife shifted to one side to let him by, then, with a tightening of her lips, entered the room. She hated the cruelly condescending way he had said that. Even for you. She looked with distaste at the immaculately pressed white shirts that she herself had ironed. What’s the point, she thought. Really, Pamela, what’s the bloody point? By the time we get to the conference, his clothes will have creases in them just from being in the suitcase. Anyway, if it’s not the way I packed the shirts, it’ll be the ties I chose. Or that I packed ties in the first place. “Really, Pamela, what were you thinking? When was the last time you saw anyone wearing a tie?” He’ll find fault with something. He always does.
    She reached into her pocket for her mobile. No messages. Odd, that. She thought she would have heard from him by now. It wasn’t like him not to call.

 
    Four
    “Hello, Bronwyn. How are you?” Penny smiled at the rector’s wife and then bent over to give Robbie a pat. “Are we walking in the same direction?” she asked as she straightened up. “I’m just heading over to the supermarket to pick up a couple of sandwiches for lunch. Victoria and I should make our own lunches, I know, but somehow we just never get around to it. Too lazy, I guess.”
    “Or maybe you’re too busy. Thomas and I eat most of our lunches at home, so that’s never a problem for us,” Bronwyn replied, “although we do like the occasional picnic when the weather’s fine. Still, that’s just lunch from home in a different setting.” Bronwyn pointed across the swollen River Conwy that marked the edge of the town. “Robbie and I’ve just finished our walk and we’re on our way home. We were over by the falls this morning. I love this time of year, with spring just getting started. There’s that tiny hint of warmth in the air. The promise of better days to come.”
    “The promise of two months of solid rain, more like,” replied Penny, and laughing, they fell into step as Robbie led the way. “I’ll be ringing the Spa to make an appointment to get my nails done,” Bronwyn remarked as they approached the town’s cobblestone square.
    “Oh, that’s nice,” said Penny. “For Easter, is it?”
    “Well, yes, that, and Thomas and I are going away for a few days right after. Four days, actually. I’m worried about Robbie, but Thomas keeps telling me he’ll be fine and I’m sure he will. I had wanted to ask you if you’d mind terribly looking after him, but I know how busy you are at the Spa, and then you’ve got your adorable new kitten, so this wouldn’t be the right time for you. We arranged to board Robbie at Jones the vet. They’ll take