Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By: A Penny Brannigan Mystery by Elizabeth J. Duncan Page B

live in a world where that’s possible. You may, of course, have open hours at specific times, but to deter theft and vandalism, you must have a church official present and visible when the church is open.”
    Davies answered a few questions and handed out leaflets. After the bishop thanked him and invited him to join his table at lunch, the group broke for morning coffee in the Gladstone Room next door, where the warden was waiting to receive them. Davies spoke to him briefly but was interrupted by the apologetic arrival of Minty Russell.
    “I’m so sorry to take you away, Warden,” she said, “but I wonder if I might have a word. It’s rather important, I’m afraid.” She smiled at Davies, and the two moved to an empty corner of the room where she and the warden were soon deep in conversation. Davies watched them for a moment and then, just as he turned to set down his empty coffee cup and saucer, he noticed Minty hand the warden an envelope.
    *
    Deciding that her library visit could wait, and wanting some fresh air and exercise, Penny decided to accompany Bronwyn on a walk through the Hawarden Castle parkland before lunch. Bronwyn was especially keen to go as the spot was popular with local dog walkers and, missing her Robbie, she hoped the sight of other dogs would soothe her longing.

 
    Twelve
    A few minutes after noon the bishop looked at his watch and decided it was time to wrap up the second session of the morning that had focused on the controversial issue of the ordination of women bishops. While the Church of England had recently voted against it, he saw this as an opportunity for the Church in Wales to demonstrate how in tune it was with contemporary thinking and the wishes of a modern Western society. Minty laughed to herself at the irony of it as she took shorthand notes during the lively discussion. This progressive thinking from the man who treated his own wife with such cold disdain and didn’t seem to think her capable of doing very much of anything.
    As the session ended, the bishop reminded the group that they were to meet in the dining room for lunch at one, and suggested they could use the time to check their e-mails or read the better daily newspapers so carefully laid out in the Gladstone Room.
    As soon as they were out the door, one or two of them thought they might be able to manage a snooze and wasted no time heading upstairs to their rooms.
    At one o’clock, the conference delegates reassembled in the dining room queue and eagerly surveyed the lunch offerings: macaroni cheese, chicken korma, and tuna casserole. As at dinner the previous evening, square tables had been pushed together to form one long table so a group of ten could easily sit together. The bishop took his place at one end of the table and his wife at the other, gesturing to the others to sit where they liked. Penny found herself sitting on the right of the bishop’s wife, across from Minty Russell. Davies was seated further along, on the same side of the table, on the bishop’s left.
    Ten minutes later, when everyone had arrived at the table with their lunch choices, the bishop said grace.
    “Before we begin eating,” said Minty, “I wonder if I might just get a photograph of everyone. We’ll want some photos for the parish magazine.”
    After Minty had taken a few photos up and down the table, Penny took out her phone and snapped photos of the bishop and Davies. The bishop, who feigned a smile, was a fearsome sight.
    “Right, well, don’t let it get cold,” said Pamela Blaine, smiling down the table. “Please, everyone, begin.”
    “This is the first time we’ve held this kind of conference,” the bishop was saying to Davies. “I think it helps with the teamwork to get everyone together every now and then to discuss issues that affect us all and to share solutions. Make sure we’re all singing-from-the-same-hymn-sheet sort of thing. Minty did a brilliant job organizing everything, and we were so pleased