Free True Love Ways by Sally Quilford

out about Trefusis?
     
    “I'm afraid I failed over Colonel Trefusis,” said
Peg. Her old eyes became misty. “It was a bad year for me, and … well … the
death of a man I'd only known a few weeks became less important to me.”
     
    “Because it was then that Meredith went away,” Drew
suggested, kindly.
     
    “Yes. I missed her so much when she'd gone, I didn't
do much of anything.” Peg wiped away a tear, and Meredith felt her own eyes
stinging. “It's the only time I've ever failed to track down a murderer, but
now I realise that was meant to be. Because my girl had to come back and help
me.” She smiled. “Now, Reverend Drew, tell me all about yourself.”
     
    “Am I being auditioned?” Drew's face broke into a
smile.
     
    “You certainly are, young man.”
     
    “I've already told Meredith I was a naughty boy in
my youth.”
     
    “Oh I think all men should be. Actually all young
people should be. We expect far too much of our young. In fact we expect them
to behave better than we ever did. Is it any wonder they rebel? Who are your
parents?”
     
    “I'm afraid I can't speak for my father,” said Drew.
“I never met him. My mother was an actress... Or at least that's what she told
her elder sister, Gloria. I'm afraid it may not have been true. She died when I
was three years old, and I went to live with my Aunty Gloria, who is both
terrifying and wonderful in equal measure.”
     
    “As all aunts should be.”
     
    “You're not terrible,” said Meredith.
     
    “Oh that's because I didn't really bring you up,
dear. Aunty Sheila did. Had I had the day to day care of you, I promise I'd
have been every bit as strict as she was. As it is, I could afford to spoil you
when you came to me for holidays because I didn't have to deal with the
consequences.” Peg winked. “Are you going to carry on travelling around
troubleshooting or will you settle in a parish with a pretty young wife, Drew?”
     
    “Aunty Peg!” Meredith protested. “That's none of our
business.”
     
    “I fully intend to treat myself to a pretty young
wife one day soon,” said Drew. “As for a parish, unless I can choose
Midchester, I'm not sure I'd want to be anywhere else.”
     
    “Well, there's always hope for that,” said Peg.
     
    “Have I passed your test … Aunty Peg?”
     
    Meredith looked from her aunt to Drew, and felt she'd
come into the conversation halfway through.
     
    “Oh yes, you'll do very nicely,” said Peg. “Now,
Meredith, fetch some scones and strawberry jam from the kitchen. We'll have
afternoon tea. Reverend Drew is staying, of course.” It was a command rather
than an invitation, and one which Drew accepted graciously.
     
    “I think that if I eat anymore strawberries today,
I'll pop,” said Meredith, looking in the mirror over the fireplace.
     
    Drew had left half an hour earlier, to give him time
to change for dinner. He'd offered to walk back for Meredith, but she assured
him she could manage to find the vicarage on her own. Since their kiss, she
hadn't known what to say to him. It had been easy in the presence of Aunty Peg,
who was able to keep a conversation going all on her own. But when she showed
him to the door and they were alone, she became tongue tied again. Her
awkwardness increased when he kissed her lightly on the lips.
     
    “It's the season, dear,” said Peg. “Strawberries
with everything. Never mind, Edith makes a nice strawberry flan. In fact we had
that the night I went to dinner there.”
     
    “When you broke your ankle?” Meredith tweaked an
unruly curl. Her hair always refused to look as sleek as she would like it to. 
She wore a dress of pale green chiffon, with a tight bodice and full skirt.
Around her neck, because she felt self-conscious about the low neckline, was
the same scarf she had worn that afternoon.
     
    “That's right, dear.”
     
    “How did it happen again?”
     
    “I was coming down the stairs, and it was a bit
dark, and there was a loose