A/N For those of you who have read Anne Of Green Gables, stop reading; or not. Otherwise, here goes. In the book, Anne describes to a friend the story she has written under the pseudonym Rosamond Montmorency; therefore I titled it Written by Rosamond Montmorency. To read that page from the book, or the chapter in which she describes the story, go here: Lucy_Maud_Montgomery/Anne_Of_Green_Gables/Chapter_ XXVI_The_Story_Club_Is_Formed_
Keep in mind that this is a different style of writing, and I am method writing as though Anne would, with different views. And don't be harsh, this was hard to do!
The Jealous Rival / In Death Not Departed
Adapted from Anne Of Green Gables
By Rosamond Montmorency
The moon shone over the house on the hill, casting it in an eerie light. Behind the upper window of the house lay the Lady Geraldine Seymour, clad in an elegant sleeping gown of fine silk, lace trimmed, with the pearl hangings bunched at her throat. Her flaxen blond hair, like that of a queen, spun over her body, encasing it like a cocoon. Hidden from the world under long lashes were her eyes, flashing violet. In the bed next to hers lay another woman with similar figure; she wore a nightdress like that of Geraldine, only made of the most luscious red satin that swirled about her tiny figure. Her hair was of midnight hues, and her name was Cordelia Montmorency, a fine and regal woman who never left Geraldine's side, just as her friend never left hers. Even in sleep, the two young women's hands were clasped tightly together in a symbol of friendship. The ladies had grown side by side in their beauty, and at sixteen, their friendship was at its peak.
"Good morning, my friend, how did sleep fare you last night?" Geraldine looked up to see her friend walking down the stairs, and smiled kindly. "Oh, well enough I daresay; I didn't wake til' eight this morning, and goodness knows that I usually am an early bird." Cordelia nodded knowingly, then asked "Oh, will you help me tie this sash? My fingers seem to be rubber this morning." Geraldine walked behind her friend, and tied the sash of her dress around her waist; it was a pretty dress, pale green silk with white lace collars on the wrists and neck. The ribbon accentuated her tiny waist, making it seem even smaller than usual, if that was possible. "You look beautiful this morning, Delia." Cordelia smoothed her skirts and spun around. "You too, Dina. Come, I'll cook this morning, you made those eggs yesterday, just pass me the kettle, won't you?" The girls together sat down for the meal, chatting gaily about this and that, the new cloth that had arrived at Morgan's cloth store, Rosa Avery's new dress, and the pigs let loose from the Greene farmhouse down the road, and other things one might find interest in around their native village. The two friends could have talked for hours, but there were chores to be done, and they knew that when breakfast came to an end, work would have to start. It was decided that Cordelia would stay at home and clean, then prepare for dinner, and Geraldine would go out to shop for things they needed: brown sugar, cotton cloth, ginger, apples, and vanilla. Geraldine wrapped her cloak around her body and bid her friend a goodbye. "I will be back soon, Cordelia; I hope that everything will be well with you while I am gone." And with that, she swept her hood on and left the house.
As Geraldine left the house and climbed into her buggy with the white sorrel mare hitched up, she noticed that while there was a definite bite to the air, it was a sweet, springy day, a sure sign that summer was coming. Smiling, she rode, clopping along at a reasonable pace, towards the town. "Oh, but isn't it lovely today?" She asked herself. "It seems that all the trees are waving, the brook laughing. Now aren't brooks just the most sociable things, always chatting, babbling to me? It certainly seems that the whole world is smiling this morning, saying 'Hello, Geraldine!' and welcoming me. Well, I certainly get the feeling that something wonderful will happen today, I can just feel it, yes, in my bones I can just tell!" She passed over a bridge known commonly to the town as Weston Crossing, after the Westons that had once owned the little bridge and part of the river that passed beneath it, and entered the town under a great wooden awning. The town was bustling with noise, people, and activity: A little ways to the left was the jewel peddler, trying to sell an exquisite ruby necklace on a gold chain. Geraldine felt drawn to that necklace from her carriage, but despite the clothes and furniture of her and her friend, they were really quite poor; their luxurious dressings and adornments had been inherited from Cordelia's grandmother to the both of them, and it would not be wise to spend such money on that necklace, no matter how handsome it was, and no matter how glorious it would look hanging from Geraldine's neck. To the right of her buggy was an old woman selling stones. Geraldine yanked the reins to slow the horse, and listened to the woman speaking to a customer. "Magic, all of em'. Some've gots special powers, thissun ere' can cure yer warts, thissun can make yer ailments go way' , an' thissun here I gots off'n a witch down by Salem, in Massa-shoo-set, y'know they gots tha' funny kind down there, it'll make a love potion sssstrong as da devil, jus' gotta grind eht up and boil eht withya tea leaves, an' ssstew eht, that'll do da trick." Interested, Geraldine, pulled the sorrel mare closer to the little cart so she could hear the old woman's words more clearly; she was definitely from a southern area, for her words wer quite affected by a slur as well as a powerful accent that dragged the s sound and joined words together. "An' thissun ere" gargled the woman," thissuns mi-tee porful, eht'll make yuh sssmartsss, give yuh ssspecial bill-ih-tees" make yuh-" She lowered her voice to a whisper, and Geraldine pulled her horse closer. "Eht'll mek yuh ge' hanged o'er in Massa-shoo-setsss, like em' witches" The man to whom she was peddling snorted. "That's likely of it, that's right, gimme powers indeed. This one here is just a piece of flint, just big!" And with a laugh he tossed it over his shoulder, and the rock struck Geraldine's horse in the flank! "No!" screamed Geraldine, but her horse leapt up onto its hind legs, and with a loud shriek, took off down the street at an alarming speed, tossing Geraldine to the buggy floor.