The Trouble With Patience by Brendan Maggie

Author:Brendan, Maggie [Brendan, Maggie]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781441221209
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2015-02-10T08:00:00+00:00

17

Patience sat at the desk, making notes and planning for what needed to be done. In a matter of just days, she had lost three boarders but gained two new ones. If she booked another one, she’d have to ask Emily to share her room, and she hated to do that. Emily had made her room homey with her personal things. But it’d certainly be preferable to having her mother in her room. Heaven forbid. That woman could drive me clean out of my mind.

Patience felt guilty for such thoughts. But her mother continued to be too intrusive, overbearing in her own “genteel” way. She had lists of items she wanted Patience to change at Creekside—like the menu, because it didn’t suit her constitution, or the arrangement of the furniture throughout the house, because it felt better. She wanted to change the meal times, and on and on. Patience was too busy to get into discussions that she knew would turn into arguments. She’d simply return everything to how she and Emily wanted it after her mother left. For now, Patience would let her mother believe she was doing something productive.

She paused, tapping her pencil against the paper, and thought back to church in Virginia City last Sunday. It had proved to be the highlight of the week for both Patience and her mother, who had enjoyed her visitor status and being the center of attention. They’d stayed afterward for the church’s Fourth of July picnic. It was a wonderful afternoon of potato-sack races, a three-piece band made up of church members, speeches, and fireworks. Jedediah had even showed up. He spent most of the time talking with his cronies, but he had shared apple cider with them during the fireworks. Perhaps he feels like he’s imposing with Mother here. Her mother had liked Cody on the spot and was captured by his disarming charm. But then so was Millie.

Patience pulled her thoughts back to the work at hand—menus and groceries for the next few days. Then she must balance her ledger. She was hoping to save for a used piano, but from the looks of things, that would be many months from now. However, her business was thriving, considering how difficult it had been to manage financially when she had first arrived. She was sure the improvements, though costly, had helped to secure additional boarders.

It’d been a while since she’d made any boxed lunches for Jedediah, but maybe that was a sign all was peaceful—though the rustlers still hadn’t been captured.

Patience’s quiet was suddenly broken by the frantic cry of her mother. “Patty!” Her mother burst into her room. “My diamond brooch—the one your father gave me for our wedding anniversary—is missing. Someone here has taken it, I’m sure! I’ve looked everywhere!”

Patience pushed back her chair. “Oh my goodness, Mother? What—?”

“I’m telling you, it’s missing!” Charity was wringing her hands. “It’s quite a valuable piece, you know. Do you think Emily took it?”

“Mother! Please lower your voice!” she hissed.

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