Free True Love Ways by Sally Quilford Page B

you to find it. Now, you run along and don't worry about me. If
someone wanted to kill me, they'd have done it by now. No, I was simply got out
of the way for a while. But whoever did it, didn't bank on my successor. Go on.
Don't keep Reverend Drew waiting.”
     
    “I thought you said we shouldn't trust people just
because we like them.”
     
    “He's different.”
     
    “How?”
     
    “Oh well, darling, if you can't work it out for
yourself, I'm not going to tell you.”
     
    The truth was that Meredith knew exactly what Peg
meant about Drew. He was different. She could no more imagine him sticking a
knife into a man than Doris Day turning out to be a Russian spy. And she had to
trust someone, otherwise she would go mad. It would be hard to accept there was
any goodness in the world if she suspected everyone of being a cold-blooded
killer. And she needed to believe there was goodness in Midchester, that it was
a place worth protecting from the dark things in life. Otherwise what on earth
were she and Aunty Peg fighting for?
     
    As she walked to the vicarage, she could see that
goodness. Children playing in the street, families out for an evening walk, men
washing their cars, whilst women sat in deckchairs, enjoying the cool evening
breeze. Meredith was sorry she would have to leave to go to Willowmead School
in September. She could quite happily spend the rest of her life in Midchester.
A little voice told her that she would be even happier if Drew were there too,
but she pushed that aside. One kiss … or one and a half kisses to be exact …
did not signify a lasting relationship. He had made her no promises, and even
if his life had been much like hers, that did not mean he would choose her as a
wife. She knew for a fact she would make a terrible vicar's wife. She hardly
ever went to church, except at Christmas, and she would probably find it hard
to get excited about polishing pews.
    No, she thought, as she neared the vicarage. Best to
put that idea out of her head straight away. Even if the image of her dressed
in white, at Drew's side, whilst Peter Mortimer took them through their vows,
kept returning to her.
     
    The vicarage looked festive when she arrived. There
were fairy lights in the trees near to the door, and when she was ushered into
the hall by Edith, who took her coat, she could see through the opening that
the table in the dining room was set as if for royalty, with silver cutlery and
crystal wine glasses. A nagging voice that told Meredith there were people
starving in the world was quickly silenced. Why shouldn't a vicar and his wife
have nice things? For all she knew they'd been handed down from ancestors.
     
    “Meredith, how lovely to see you again.” Clarice's
warm smile dispelled any nerves Meredith might have had about eating in such
opulent surroundings. “I've been longing to have a proper talk to you, but I've
been so busy this week, up at Bedlington Hall. Come on into the drawing room.
What can I get you? A sherry? Darling, pour Meredith a sherry, will you?”
     
    “Hello, Meredith. Nice to see you again,” said Peter
Mortimer in his kindly way. He handed her a glass of sherry. “You already know
Drew, of course.”
     
    “Yes. Hello, Drew.”
     
    He stood with his back to the mantlepiece, nursing a
glass of sherry, and frowning. “Hello, Meredith,” he said, but his mind was
clearly elsewhere.
     
    “Is anything wrong?” she asked.
     
    “Drew's only worried because the car has been
stolen,” said Peter.
     
    “Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,” said Meredith. “We
dropped it off this afternoon, didn't we?”
    Drew nodded, in agreement, but didn't speak.
     
    “Oh yes, I'm sure you and Drew took good care of
it,” said Peter, hastily. “But when we returned it had gone. Edith didn't see
anything, as she's been hard at work in the kitchen all day. It'll be some
kids, I'm sure. Anyway, let's not allow it to spoil our evening. Let me
introduce you to a few of our other guests,