The phrase "I deserve time off in purgatory for this!" drifted across Father MacAnally's mind, and not for the first time that day. The bright sunlight filtering through the windows of his office did not match his current mood. Sitting primly across the desk from him, clutching handbag on her lap and sporting her old fashioned hat, was his most loyal supporter: Kathleen Hendley.

He listened with, he thought, the patience of a saint, to today's list of complaints about his young curate. He kept his face neutral, an expression he'd practised over many years. Only an occasional twitch of his lips might give him away today. It wasn't as if he even liked the man. He was stubborn, insubordinate and lacking in respect for his superiors. He was prone to bouts of ill temper, he was pedantic, he was annoyingly pious – even for a priest, he pushed his opinions when Father Mac believed he should be listening deferentially, he drew attention to himself in a way that was unbecoming to a curate, and he was inexplicably popular. Too popular. Especially with certain young women.

Still, on this particular day, it was in Father Mac's interests to protect Father Clifford from his accuser.

"I'm afraid I don't follow you Kathleen. What exactly are you accusing my curate of? Buying stamps?"

"Buying stamps in a suspicious manner!"

"Buying stamps in a suspicious manner?"

"Yes, I don't think he wanted stamps at all. I think he caught sight of Mrs McGarvey up the street. There's definitely something going on between those two. It's a scandal that's what it is! And him only a young priest from England, they ought to be ashamed of themselves!"

Kathleen was dead on the mark, Father Mac reflected, but she was also a notorious gossip. She may have the church's best interests at heart but in this case she was in danger of endangering them.

"And you got all this from stamps?" Asked the old priest, taking care to sound incredulous.

"Yes Father, that and his lack of concentration."

"Lack of concentration? Well, Kathleen, Father Clifford has just lost his mother, did you consider that perhaps he just had a lot on his mind this morning, and actually needed to buy some stamps?"

"He has a lot on his mind Father, but his mother, God rest her soul, wasn't it."

"What makes you say that?"

"The expression on his face, Father, he looked happy, and then guilty!"

The man's face did tend to give him away. He needed to practise the inscrutable look if he had any intention of remaining a priest.

"This is a very serious accusation Kathleen, far too serious to be made based on 'looking guilty' and 'buying stamps suspiciously' alone. I will have a word with Father Clifford about the flower arrangement rota and I will keep an eye on him myself, but in the mean time I would be most grateful if you keep your suspicions to yourself. Ideas like these can take on a life of their own, and before we know it the town could be crawling with journalists and reputation of the whole parish could be at stake!"

"Yes Father, Of course Father."

"Is that everything Kathleen?"

"Yes thank you Father."

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