Lies and Misdemeanours

“The last time I heard from Arthur, several years ago, he was at a church in Cumbria. I was surprised when I received a letter from him telling me that he had moved to Hemsley.”

“Why? I mean, what’s wrong with Hemsley?” She frowned up at him a little defensively.

He looked down at her, and couldn’t risk dropping a kiss on her lips.

“Nothing at all,” he replied obliquely. “Hemsley has many, many fine attributes,” he drawled knowingly as his gaze slid gently down her curves pressed so lovingly against him. “In fact, the longer I am there, the better the attractions are.”

Hetty smiled at him, inwardly thrilled at his obvious attraction, although she gave him a mock frown and turned his chin around when his gaze lingered on her long legs.

“The verger?” she prompted when he didn’t seem inclined to speak.

“Oh, well, I don’t know if he is half as appealing. He is old you see, and not really my type at all.”

Hetty giggled, and made no protest when he began to kiss her again.

“He is a stickler for good manners and proper behaviour. He wouldn’t like you at all,” she teased.

“I rather felt as though he was wary about something. He seemed strangely reluctant to show me the spot where Arthur had been found,” Charlie sighed with a frown when it became evident that she was determined to keep his mind on the conversation.

“Snetterton found your friend. Maybe it was reluctance to re-visit painful memories,” Hetty sighed and pressed a kiss to the base of his neck.

“Not if they argued so much, it wouldn’t be.”

“Mmm?”

Charlie leaned backward enough to be able to look down at her. He knew from the blank look on her face that she wasn’t following the discussion, and didn’t know whether to be pleased or not. He wanted to indulge her as often as he could but, once again, now was neither the time nor the place.

His words suddenly registered on Hetty. She stopped kissing him, and thought over what he had just said.

“How long had Arthur been at the church?”

Hetty considered that. “He arrived last autumn, about November-time. He argued with Snetterton about the arrangements for the Christmas service. Everyone had their doubts about whether Snetterton would remain in post for much longer after that. He doesn’t like to have his command questioned.”

“What happened to the old vicar – the one before Arthur?”

“He left suddenly,” Hetty sighed. She wished that they could do a little more kissing; she loved the masterful way his lips captured hers, and the delicious feelings he brought forth within her.

When Charlie looked down at her askance, she sighed and reluctantly turned her thoughts to the last thing she wanted to discuss: the church.

“He had been there for a long time, several years in fact. Everyone thought he was settled in the village. Then, one day, he literally just upped and left. Snetterton immediately took over the services; which made the numbers attending church drop, I can tell you. Then, your friend, Reverend Potts appeared. He was considerably younger than the old vicar, and seemed to have a lot going for him. It was a shock to everyone when he was found dead.” She tipped her head back so she could look up at him. “Do you think Meldrew had something to do with Arthur’s death?”

“I rather suspect it may have been either Meldrew, or Snetterton,” he replied with a sigh.

Hetty stared at him. “You think that Snetterton might have had something to do with Reverend Potts’ death?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” he replied honestly. “It is a possibility we cannot ignore right now. We need to meet with the verger again, and ask him a few more questions.”

Hetty knew that there would never be a better opportunity to ask him what she desperately needed to know.

>

“How did you meet Arthur? You said you grew up together, but he is the third son of Lord Upton.”

He briefly contemplated how to phrase what he had to tell her, but then realised that there really was no gentle way.

“Arthur’s father was a friend of my father’s. I am the third son of Lord Crombie. By rights, I should have joined the clergy at the same time that Arthur did.” He mentally cursed when she stopped kissing him, and grew still and quiet. “I joined the army instead,” he finished quietly.

“You are aristocracy.”