Mistress Pat: A Novel of Silver Bush

Mistress Pat (1935) is a novel written by L. M. Montgomery. It is the sequel to Pat of Silver Bush, and describes Patricia Gardiner's life in her twenties and early thirties, during which she remains unmarried and takes care of her beloved home, Silver Bush, on Prince Edward Island. Pat hates change as much as ever, and finds in Silver Bush a refuge where she is somewhat shielded from it, but changes happen nevertheless. In the course of eleven years, new servants, new neighbors and new lovers come and go. When Sid marries the insipid May Binnie, who moves in with the family at Silver Bush, life there is no longer as pleasant as before, but Pat clings to her love of home desperately. Pat often wonders whether anything in life, like marriage or children, could be worth leaving Silver Bush behind. She comes close to becoming engaged to Donald Holmes, and later does become engaged to David Kirk, a widower who lives at the Long House (Bets Wilcox's old home) with his sister Suzanne. David eventually breaks the engagement and states (to Pat's protestations) that Hilary Gordon, who has been away studying architecture, is the reason he will never have Pat's affections. When their much-loved live-in housekeeper Judy Plum dies, Pat feels more alone than ever at Silver Bush. When Silver Bush ultimately burns down, Pat must resign herself to living elsewhere. One night, as Pat is looking over the burned remains of Silver Bush, Hilary finally returns to the Island to claim Pat with a kiss.