A Brush with Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery - By Elizabeth J. Duncan Page 0,51

very keen to go.”

“Of course she was! Like a dog with a bone, that one.”

Robbie cocked his head.

“No, poppet, not you!”

The drive to Llandudno took them along twisting and turning rural roads that were so narrow in places they had to pull over so an oncoming car could pass. Bronwyn had decided not to go, saying poor Robbie would be absolutely bursting by the time they got home. When the rector had suggested that he would come to no harm tied up in the garden for a few hours, she had given him such a dark look he might as well have suggested that they have Robbie for dinner. Victoria had planned to go, but work was beginning on the spa renovation, and with Eirlys on her own at the salon, she felt she should stay behind in Llanelen, and reluctantly, Penny had to agree.

“So it’ll just be the two of us, Penny,” the rector had said. “As a fellow rector, it won’t seem strange for me to attend the funeral, even though I never knew him, and maybe we can be vague about that bit, if we have to. But hopefully you’ll learn something at the reception afterward.”

They arrived at Holy Trinity Church in the centre of Llandudno just as the service was about to start. Nodding and smiling gravely at people they didn’t know, they made their way down the centre aisle along the blue patterned carpet and found seats to the right, underneath a brilliant stained-glass window. Another time, Penny’s mind would have drifted off while she studied and admired it, but today she barely took any notice of it, as her attention was riveted on the small group of mourners seated in the front pew.

Unfortunately, all she could see was the backs of their heads. She thought the small woman with the white hair and thin, frail shoulders must be Peyton’s widow. On each side of her sat two burly men who appeared to be in their late forties—sons, perhaps? Her eyes moved down the row to the figure at the end of the row. An elderly man with thinning hair in an outdated brown pin-stripe suit held his hymn book in a steady hand, and when he turned slightly to his left, she could see a gauntly elegant profile whose contours had been softened by time. That’s got to be him, she thought. That’s Andrew Peyton.

Following the brief, oddly impersonal service, the small group of mourners moved into the church hall, where a modest spread had been laid out. Penny and the rector took a couple of limp cheese and cucumber sandwiches from the tray.

“Let’s stay together when I talk to him,” Penny said in a low voice. “You’ve seen a lot of human nature, and your impressions will really help.” She grimaced. “I must admit I’m feeling a little nervous about this. I wish Bronwyn were here. She’s really good at this sort of thing. She’d know what to say.”

The rector nodded.

“I’ll just pay my respects to Mrs. Peyton and be right back.”

He drifted to the entrance of the hall, where Mrs. Peyton was receiving guests. Penny watched as he introduced himself. A gentle smile spread across her face, and she shook his hand warmly. The rector spoke to her for a few minutes and then said hello to the two men with her.

The man they thought was Andrew Peyton was at the tea table, so with a slight nod at Penny the rector glided off in that direction and she followed.

Penny found herself standing beside a tall, effete man. She watched his long, delicate fingers as he picked up the pitcher and poured a few drops of milk into his tea.

“Hello,” said the rector. “I’m Reverend Thomas Evans from Llanelen, and this is my neighbour Penny Brannigan.” The man looked from one to the other and smiled vaguely. “Hello,” he said. While his accent was definitely English, Penny could not place it. It didn’t sound Scouse, as it would have if he’d grown up in Liverpool.

“I wonder, now,” said the rector smoothly, “if you would be William’s brother Andrew?”

The man nodded.

“Did you know my brother?”

“Sadly, no, not personally,” the rector said, fingering his clerical collar, “but, of course, in a professional capacity, as I live and work in a neighbouring parish, I wanted to come along today to pay my respects.” Handing Peyton a business card, he introduced himself and Penny. “And, interestingly, we may have something in common. That is, Penny here