Diane Waggoner is on the cusp of finally finding happiness in her life. After becoming engaged to former priest Matt Harrington, Diane prepares to visit her invalid mother at a care facility in Portland, Maine-knowing that she is walking straight into a web of hatred. But until she has the courage to stand up to her mother once and for all, Diane knows she will never be able to reclaim he r life. Loretta Berg will do anything in her power to dominate her children with constant criticism and devious trickery. As her family arrives to visit, expectations are high on both sides. But as strong wills and conflicting desires surface, everyone questions whether the sniping, selfish Loretta will ever be capable of loving anyone, including herself. When one of Loretta's vindictive acts goes too far, action is necessary. Diane and her family must quell her hostility. In this emotional, wrenching novel, the future of a family led by a dysfunctional matriarch hangs in the balance as they consider their welfare, her punishment and salvation.

VENOM OF THE QUEEN BEE

ELEVENTH IN THE PRAIRIE PREACHER SERIESBy PJ HOGE

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 PJ Hoge
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-4893-6

Chapter One

Matt Harrington stretched his legs. The slim, thirty-year-old was restlessly waiting for Dr. Samuel's receptionist to call them for their appointment. He wanted to leave, but knew that the upcoming trip would be a huge challenge for Diane.

He walked over to the magazine rack to find something to keep himself occupied. He wasn't surprised that all the magazines and books were dog-eared and worn. He knew how many hours he had sat in this waiting room. He looked over at his fiancée. Diane was a gracious, beautiful girl with a gentle spirit, most of the time. She was a slender five-six with light brown hair, large brown eyes and fine features. The major share of the time, she reminded him of a fawn or a bunny.

Diane Waggoner was in her late twenties and a high school literature teacher. When they first met, Diane was living with her in-laws. Her husband had died after an extensive battle with cancer, leaving her in debt to her in-laws. She moved in with them and continued to teach to pay them back. All seemed normal on the surface.

In private, her father-in-law Earl Waggoner was a cruel and abusive drunk, who had cheated his son out of most of his money. He controlled everything that his wife, Gladys and Diane did. They never managed to please him and carried bruises from their ineptitude.

Matt and Diane met at a mutual friend's wedding and became friends. Matt was waiting for his petition to leave the priesthood. He taught at the public high school on an interim basis while waiting for the papers from Vatican.

Shortly after that, Waggoner went too far. He was drunk and tried to rape Diane. A fight ensued and he threw her down the stairs. She sustained broken ribs, a concussion and a nearly broken neck, but she survived.

The police arrested Waggoner and while he was in jail, he pleaded guilty. Gladys went to Minnesota to live with her sister and Diane stayed with some friends until she could get back on her feet. The Schroeders, where she stayed, were close friends of Matt's family. The couple saw each other daily and developed a strong devotion to each other. However, it was a stormy relationship. Diane's physical wounds healed, but the psychological damage from the abuse still wielded great power over her.

During her years with the Waggoners, Diane wasn't allowed to communicate with her invalid mother who lived out east. However, she began to have regular phone calls with her mom after she moved to Schroeders. Surprisingly, it was much less than helpful. Within a few months, Diane was heading for a nervous breakdown.

After a stint in the hospital under Dr. Samuel's care, she seemed to be back on an even keel, though somewhat unsteady. She and Matt were moving ahead with their plans to marry. Dr. Samuels had recommended that they didn't rush into it, pointing out that it would take time for them both to adjust to the changes in each of their lives.

Matt found a magazine about wildlife and paged through it. He started to read an article about honeybees. It was vaguely interesting. He read that the drones in a beehive could not sting, but the queen could. She didn't sting to defend the hive; but simply to eliminate another queen. While the poisons injected by her stinger would not likely kill a human, it would still cause a lot of pain and misery. However, it is sufficient to kill a younger queen. They fought to the death.

"Diane and Matt," the receptionist said. "You may go in now."

Matt put the magazine back in the rack and smiled at Diane. He took her hand and they walked into Samuel's office together. Dr. Samuels put the papers down he was holding and motioned for them to take a seat. "Are you all packed for your trip?"

Diane nodded, "I am. I tried to keep it lean because we are going to be moving around a lot."

"Oh?"

"Yes, we're flying into Baltimore." Matt answered, "But we will go to New York, Portland and Boston."

"I guess I just thought you'd be in one place." Samuels said, "Why so much travel?"

"Matt's nephew is getting baptized in Baltimore. Bea, my brother's fiancée, is in New York City with the New York City Ballet. We are going to see her perform there. Then we are going with Randy and Bea to Portland, Maine to see Mom. After that, we are renting a car and driving to Boston to see Matt's family! I packed a pair of jeans and roller skates!"

Samuels chuckled, "Sounds logical! So, is your Mom accepting your schedule now? You said on our last visit that she was very upset about it."

"No," Diane's face fell. "She wants me to come straight out to Portland and just stay with her. She doesn't want to meet Matt because she's convinced it will never last anyway. She disowned Randy after he and Bea became engaged. At first, she just disliked her. Now, she obsessively hates Bea. Mom can't say a decent word about her."

"How do you feel about Bea?"

"I think she is great! We met when she came out to visit her brother, Father Bart, last Thanksgiving. Bart is a dear friend. Matt's folks offered a place for his sisters to stay with them. We all got along great. Bea is sweet, thoughtful and kind .... and very good for Randy. I can't think of anyone nicer. Mom deeply resents any time that Randy spends with Bea. That is just the way her world turns."

"How is Randy coping with that? When he was here while you were in-patient, he seemed to be getting the situation with your mom under control," Samuels said.

"He gets upset, but mostly he does well. When Mom said she wouldn't go to their wedding, he said, 'That's fine. Don't! We're still getting married.' Mom had a conniption and disowned him again. He just ignored it and that made her more furious. She has been trying to get me to say something against Bea. She was livid when she found out that I like her!"

"You said you're all going to visit with her?" Samuels probed.

"Yes, for one day. Then Bea and Randy have to go back to work, so Matt and I will be there for another day. Then we're going to Boston. She had a fit about that, too. She thought I had no need to go visit his family in Boston. I can't please that woman."

"Just remember that, Diane." Dr. Samuels said, "Know that she won't be happy with either you or Randy unless you both give up your lives to take care of her. She has done it before and will do it again. Is she still doing her physical therapy?"

"No. When we first insisted that she did," Diane said. "She got so she could even walk a little. When the therapist said she could probably begin taking her meals with the other patients in the dining room, she quit. She doesn't want to be one of the patients. She says no one understands how the meningitis affected her life except us kids. She thinks that we should take her out of the care facility and have her live with us in a house like when we were kids. We could take care of her and she wouldn't have to be alone."

"What do you think about that?"

"I think she has more brain damage than we know about if she thinks either of us would go back to that life! Honestly, she wasn't happy then either! Neither of us is willing to sacrifice that much for her again. I'm pretty certain I have cleaned her fingernails as much as I have my own! I guess she is right; we are selfish," Diane mumbled.

"That isn't selfish, Diane!" Matt said. "She just wants total control of your lives. I hope you both stick to your guns. You know, if she would get over her attitude, she might be included more in your lives."

"I know," Diane agreed. "Matt has talked frequently about moving her out here to the Merton Retirement Home, but she just hangs up when I mention it. She doesn't want that. Matt's folks, Carl and Mo, were going to come to meet her too, but she just freaked out. Absolutely no way would Loretta Berg entertain a defrocked priest's parents! She was livid. I told Matt to forget it."

"My folks would've gone regardless, but I agreed with Diane. It isn't worth them making the trip from Boston to Portland to listen to a tirade. They have family to see in Boston," Matt said, then he grinned, "Loretta should be grateful. Mom would clobber her!"

Diane giggled, "True enough. I don't think that Carl would tolerate much either!"

"Well, you have my phone number, Diane. Don't be afraid to use it. She's able to manipulate you effectively from 1500 miles away. Don't underestimate what she can do in person," Dr. Samuels pointed out.

"Don't you think that I can stand up to her?"

"You can, but remember she shouldn't be underrated! She drove your father away, and kept him out of your lives for years up until his death. Try to keep your visits on a non-personal plane, if possible. Don't argue with her. Simply leave if she starts in. Once you get upset, she has you right where she wants you," Dr. Samuels said seriously.

"She has done it before."

Diane nodded as the tear-filled her eyes. "I don't know how she manages to do it, but she does. Almost every time."

"How have your phone conversations been?"

"Not good," Diane admitted as she took a tissue. "She gets me so upset. Nora has had to intervene a few times."

Dr. Samuels leaned back in his chair, "You didn't tell me that. Why not?"

Diane wiped her tears and then began to shred her tissue in her trembling hands, "I thought I could handle it. I need to see her. After all, she is my mother."

Matt reached over and took the tissue shreds from her hand, "Diane, would it be better if we didn't stay a second day? Just visit with her while Randy and Bea are there?"

Diane snapped viciously at him, "You really don't want to see her, do you?"

"Wow! Where did that come from?" Dr. Samuels probed. "I haven't seen that snappy Diane for a long time."

The usually gentle, mild-mannered Diane started to cry and Matt answered, "She has been back this last week. It seems the closer to her Mom's visit we get, the more I am getting snapped at."

Diane wiped her tears, "I don't mean to, but Mom has been telling me all this stuff."

"What stuff, Diane?" the psychiatrist asked.

"Oh just stuff," Diane buried her face in her hands.

"Diane, you need to tell me."

"Like Matt is untrustworthy and he won't keep his commitment to me anymore than he did to the priesthood. All he wants is sex and to have someone to dominate. It will never workout. He won't want to let me visit with her."

Matt shook his head and gave a deep sigh, "Same old crap."

"Sounds like it to me, Diane." Dr. Samuels agreed. "We have gone over this same territory many times. You know better, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Diane said, "But somehow she manages to make me doubt everything."

"Good grief," Matt's blue eyes darkened. "After all this time, I can't believe you still doubt me! What can I do to prove that I love you? I just want to get married and have a regular life. No longer having our lives depend on someone else. I can hardly stand it anymore."

"I know," Diane reached out to him. "Things had been going so well between us. I want that, too. I want to be your wife and to start a family, but ...."

"But what? Why does it always end with a 'but'?" Matt pulled his hand back from her. "I'm seriously beginning to wonder."

Diane looked at Dr. Samuels, "Why does that happen all the time?"

"Until you finally stand up to your mother; it'll continue to happen. You have to see her. You have to make your stand, in person. If you don't, things will be unlikely to move ahead. For your own mental health, you need to see her and tell her to her face that she cannot continue to meddle in your life. You have to reclaim your life from her!" Dr. Samuels looked back and forth between the couple, "You guys have come so far and handled so much. It has been good to watch how well you have done. However, until this last challenge is faced; you won't be able to move ahead. I would recommend that you do not visit with your mother alone, Diane. Have someone with you who knows how to extricate you from the situation. Once you can handle that without any problem, then you can have a short, one-on-one visit. I worry that if you walk into a situation like that now, you might not be able to handle it."

"Haven't I learned to handle things better?" Diane pleaded. "I mean, I am better than I was, right?"

Dr. Samuels smiled, "Yes, you're much better. But you answer me—do you truly think that you are able to handle it?"

Diane sighed, "No, I just don't want to be like this anymore! I hate it! Why can I be so mean to Matt and not stand up to my Mom?"

"You have to tell me. I don't know. Your Mom has done much more to hurt you than Matt ever thought about. Maybe that's why.

Don't you think that you are more afraid of her than of him?"

"I know I am. She is terrible!"

"Diane, what can she do to you?" the psychiatrist asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How can she hurt you? You are an adult with a life, job, home and many friends that she cannot destroy. Randy is the only family you share and he's in your court. What can she do to you?"

"I don't know, but she will find something. She always has." Diane shook her head and started to cry, "I just want her to love me."

"You may have to accept the fact that she'll never love you the way you want. You have to realize that you need to go to the well that gives water. It does you no good to put your pail down a dry well."

Diane stared at him in thought for a few minutes. Then she said, "Makes sense. I should be grateful for what I have, right?"

"I guess so," Dr. Samuels nodded. "How are things with you, Matt?"

"I'm doing okay, but very frustrated. We're supposed to be getting married this summer and have not made plan one. Nothing!" Matt said quietly. "I feel stupid even thinking about it."

A slight frown played across Diane's face, "Why do you say that? You know we have to make some serious decisions first."

Now it was Dr. Samuels who was puzzled. "Which ones are those?"

"Well, like—ah, your job," Diane suggested to Matt.

"I told you that Mr. Palmer said the school board will be offering me a three-year contract when the rest of the contracts come up. They will be renewing yours. Don't you believe that?"

"Of course. Mr. Palmer wouldn't say it otherwise, but maybe I won't renew mine."

Matt was surprised, "I thought you loved teaching. I thought you wanted to renew."

"Oh, I don't know. Something might come up, you know?"

Dr. Samuels interjected, "Diane, what are you unsure about?"

"I don't know. I mean, I love Matt and I want to marry him, but I don't want to make another mistake like I did with Dean. Then what would I do? Mom said it seems like everyone is pushing me into getting married."

"I thought that is what we both wanted! You keep telling me that you want to start a family. We can't wait forever. Of course, getting married is a risk. It is for me, too! What if we don't work out? What would I do? You aren't the only one getting married!" Matt was becoming angry.

"How long do we have to wait to be sure?"

Diane was in tears again, "I don't know. I just feel like it is too soon. I have to decide some things on my own."

"Like what things, Diane? Do you want to talk to me alone?" Dr. Samuels asked.

"It isn't necessary," Diane said quietly. "I do okay until I have to make a definite decision. I want very much to be married to Matt, start a family and all that. However, whenever someone asks for anything concrete, I feel like voices in my head are screaming 'No! Not yet'!

Maybe after I see Mom that will go away. Maybe it is all the doubts that she plants in my mind. How can I get over that?"

Matt shook his head in despair and then leaned back in the chair. Dr. Samuels thought a minute and then said, "Can we leave everything open until after the trip out East? Diane, you need to resolve the issues with your Mom. Have Randy be with you, but you need to do this.

Matt, can you give Diane a timeframe when you need an answer? Will you be okay to give her this time to work things out?"

Matt shrugged, "Of course, but I should know by the time the contracts come up for signing."

Diane frowned, "Why? What else would you do besides sign it? Where else would you be? You love it here."

I know I do, but if we aren't going to be together, maybe I should move on."

"You are just saying that to scare me, right?"

"No," Matt looked directly into her eyes. "I am not."

Diane turned to Dr. Samuels, "He is being unfair! Tell him."

"That's his decision to make, not mine. You cannot expect him to wait forever, can you?"

"If he loves me, he would."

"If you loved me, you wouldn't ask me to." Matt said matter-of-factly. "I would likely stay right where I am, but I'd be making my decisions for my own life, not including you. Don't you understand? I'm just worn out! We have gone over the same things, time and time again. Something has to change. If you don't want to make a decision, then I will. This is not a threat. It is more of a plea."

(Continues...)

Excerpted from VENOM OF THE QUEEN BEEby PJ HOGE Copyright © 2012 by PJ Hoge. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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