Today's March Flash Fiction prompt is: "Plan A has failed"
I had to write some Mrs. Patmore eventually. I love her so much.
Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed! I appreciate every one of you!
Building Futures
"As much as I respect the man, I'm regretting ever asking him for help."
Mrs. Hughes chuckled at her friend's long-suffering sigh. She'd invited Mrs. Patmore into her sitting room for some tea and a chat after dinner had finished. The poor cook was lamenting the advice that Mr. Carson had given her about investing her newly inherited money. His idea to invest in builders had been less than helpful. He hadn't even given her any specifics. Just "invest in builders."
"Why did you ask him for help in the first place?" Mrs. Hughes asked, shaking her head.
"Well, I suppose I asked because he's a man!"
They both broke into laughter at that. Mrs. Hughes understood. Mrs. Patmore's aunt had left her quite a bit of money and when you've never had an awful lot, managing that money can be daunting. Mrs. Hughes sipped her tea thoughtfully.
"What if you did take his advice, though," she said suddenly.
"What?"
"Well," she continued, gaining more confidence in her idea as she went. "He mentioned investing in buildings. What if you just invested in one? Buy a small house and run it as a bed and breakfast. You've no shortage of knowledge running a kitchen. You could make a go of it, I think."
Mrs. Patmore stared at her in admiration. "That's not a half-bad idea. I could do that. Thank you, Mrs. Hughes. That's taken a weight off my mind."
"I'm glad I could help," she smiled and then chuckled mischievously. "Just let me know when you tell Mr. Carson. I'd like to be there."
She broke into real laughter as Mrs. Patmore groaned.