Connie narrowed her eyes at her. “Certainly not you.”
Margaret scoffed. As if she’d ever be with Connie’s son! She might have been desperate, but she wasn’t stupid.
“I heard that Debra Potter is available,” Jessica chimed in. “She cleans Mrs. Lonny’s place.”
Connie’s ears perked in interest. “Mrs. Lonny let her clean her home?”
“She sure did. I had tea with her just a few moments ago, right after Miss Potter left that house. They seemed to get along well.”
Connie seemed to consider Jessica’s statement.
“Debra Potter is dreadful,” Margaret argued. “Any woman who follows a man across state lines isn’t right in the head.”
“Come now, Margaret,” Jessica admonished. “Mrs. Lonny has nothing but good things to say on her behalf, and you know how particular Mrs. Lonny can be. Why, if she approves of Debra, then Debra would make an excellent addition to someone’s family.”
Margaret and Jessica turned their gazes to Connie at that moment, and Margaret wondered if Connie would take the bait.
“Mrs. Lonny’s opinion carries a lot of weight in this town,” Connie said, studying the patterns on the quilt.
“That’s the truth of it,” Jessica agreed. “She wanted that church painted a nice pearly white and that’s the color it is today.”
Margaret shrugged. “I suppose Miss Potter would make a fine wife and daughter-in-law to the right family. However, this is not my concern. She is with Joseph’s boys at the park, and I’m sure that she’ll be a wonderful wife and mother to that chaotic group.”
Connie placed the quilt down on the small table by the front door and grabbed her hat. “I hate to rush you two young ladies, but I need to run an errand.”
“Oh really?” Jessica looked disappointed. “Well, I’m sorry about Peter.”
Margaret shot her friend a ‘that’s overboard’ look, but Jessica ignored her and watched as Connie put the hat on her head.
“Peter will be fine,” Connie said as she walked onto the porch and shut the door behind her. “Things work out for the best.” She patted Jessica’s hand. “Don’t you trouble yourself. You made a mistake, but there’s nothing to be done about it now. I hold no ill will toward you and neither does he.” Turning to Margaret, Connie asked, “Which park did Miss Potter go to?”
“The one right across from my house,” Margaret replied. When Connie appeared as if she had no idea what Margaret meant, she added, “It’s the one closest to the mercantile.”
“Oh! That one. A lovely spot.” Connie patted both women on the shoulder. “I don’t mean to keep you. Go on ahead and do whatever it is you two do.” Then she bounded down the steps and walked toward the park in long, purposeful strides.
Jessica tapped her foot on the porch. “I don’t know whether to feel sorry for Connie or Debra.”
Margaret rolled her eyes. “They’ll be fine. In fact, they’re going to be very happy. A pair could not be more happily matched.”
“But it’s Peter that Debra’s supposed to be marrying.”
“He’s already married to his mother. This will be an extension of that. I’m telling you Jessica, Peter will like this too. Now, he’ll never have to choose between his mother and another woman again. They’ll work together and decide what he’ll do. It’s perfect.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“I am.” Margaret tried to decide when she should head on over to the park to make sure the final pieces fell into place. “I think I’ll go around this block two times and head on back home.”
“You’re not picking up any grocery items like you originally planned?”
“No. I opted for a change in those plans,” Margaret replied. “Thank you for coming through, Jessica.”
“Now we’re even,” Jessica said, smiling.
“Even.”
Then, without a look back, Margaret headed for the sidewalk.
Chapter Fifteen
By the time Margaret made it to the outskirts of the park, she didn’t know whether to be amused or upset. Joseph had taken it upon himself to hide behind a large tree so he could watch Debra try to talk to Connie while the four boys gave her a hard time. Ben and Charles were crying. Debra held Ben in one arm and bent to pat Charles on the back. Margaret didn’t see Doug or Bob right away but quickly noticed that they were in a tree not too far from where Debra sat. She hoped those two knew what they were doing. She made them promise to stick to trees with low branches, and this one seemed safe enough.