A quick synopsis of what's gone before in our little play-by-post game.
Vicar, detective and secret murder mystery author Elspeth Gumfoot is investigating the death of Galumph Puddlestomp, local landowner. Galumph was already ill, but now he's been poisoned with strychnine that may have been added to his tea or his medicine. Possible suspects so far:
* Galumph's son Frumious, who was demanding money from his father - Elspeth found letters to that effect in Galumph's bedroom.
* Galumph's second wife Majorie, a friend of Elspeth
* Doctor Welldone
* Polly, the Maid
However, there's a complication or two at the crime scene - a copy of Elspeth's own book, Death in the Dregs, written under her pseudonym of Clarissa Medlar. This particular copy belonged to Constable Hopscotch. 
Furthermore, there's an old acquaintance of Elspeth's also on site - Momerath Grable, another student of Themology, and it's his presence that's piqued Elspeth's interest. Sneaking downstairs and deploying her formidable skills at Gossip among the servants. Elspeth quickly learns from the coachman that Momerath arrived with Frumious. From the cook, she learns that Frumious was expected for dinner, and was bringing a guest.

A refreshing cup of tea in the kitchen also gives Elspeth a chance to think about Death in the Dregs. In that book, the poisoned wine was a gift from the local bishop, who murdered the victim to cover up financial misdealing. Elspeth knows she was flying a little close to the sun with that one - 'write what you know' is dangerous advice when you're a writer trying to stay anonymous. There was quite a bit of gossip in church circles about the true identify of 'Clarissa Medlar' after that book came out... and Elspeth's own appointment as vicar of Wooble-in-the-Wold is not wholly secure. If sufficient scandal attached itself to her name, she could be forced out - leaving her vicarage open to a replacement. Like, say, Momerath.
But all that could be paranoid egotism, or egotistical paranoia - maybe the presence of her book is a co-incidence, and the murder's nothing to do with her.

A shadow falls across her cup of tea.

"Vicar Gumfoot?"
It's Constable Hopscotch, turning his helmet over and over nervously in his hands.
"The doctor's taking Mr Galumph - his body, that is - away to the undertakers. Because it's so gruesomely twisted and such, with the strychnine poisoning" -  like a gnarled branch, he adds, quoting Death in the Dregs - "we're not letting the servants see it being carrying out. So Mrs. Majorie's wondering if you'd say a few words, religious-like, just so there's a bit of ceremony and respectfulness and such."

So, what does Elspeth do?
* REASSURANCE: A nice little sermon full of reassuring cliches, calming frayed nerves
* THEMOLOGY: A highly technical and abstruse sermon aimed at testing Momerath to see if he's lying
* NOSINESS: A fire-and-brimstone sermon designed to intimidate any guilty parties into giving themselves away
* Or she could refuse Majorie's request and go follow the doctor...