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...