CHAPTER ONE
THE BEGINNING

Marilla Dawson was cooking in the kitchen of Green Gables on a June day when she heard her brother, Rian, come in. Marilla and Rian had decided to adopt a girl to help around the house so Rian had gone to the train station to pick her up. Marilla stopped cooking abruptly and rushed as fast as her short legs would take her into the parlour to get a glimpse of the girl. She could see the back of her head. She had short brown hair.

"We're back," Rian called to Marilla.

Marilla waited a few seconds so as not to seem eager and then walked over to greet them.

"Who is this?" Marilla asked sharply.

"Well, I think there's been a mistake," Rian began.

"Well, that's obvious. They have sent us a boy. A boy," she repeated as though Rian hadn't already realised.

"What do you mean?" the child looked shocked, "Don't you want me?"

Marilla looked down at him and asked, "What's your name?"

"Alex Gaskarth."

"How old are you?"
"I'll be thirteen in December."

"We'll have to send him back. We need a girl."

"Now, see here, Marilla, I don't think we need to be too harsh on the boy. He could do anything a girl could."

"Stop sympathising with the boy, Rian."

"Could we at least let him stay with us for a week? He's had an awfully rough childhood."

"So you know his life story now?"

"He told me on the drive over."

"Well what is it then? I want to know where this child is from before I open my home to him."

"He was born in-"

"Not from you," Marilla interrupted, "the boy can tell me."

"I was born in Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia. My parents were Peter and Isobella Gaskarth. They were poor and lived in a little yellow house. I've never seen it but I've imagined the house a million times. Mother died of fever when I was just three months old and father died four days later. Mrs Thomas looked after me in Marysville until I was nine even though she was poor and had a drunken husband. One day Mr Thomas was killed falling under a train. His mother offered to take Mrs Thomas and her children in but she didn't want me. Then Mrs Hammond from up the river said she'd take me because I was handy with children after having helped raise four of Mrs Thomas'. Mrs Hammond had eight children. She had twins three times. I lived there for two years until Mr Hammond died and Mrs Hammond divided her children among her relatives and moved to the States. I went to the orphanage in Hopeton because no-one would take me. They didn't want me at the orphanage either because they said they were overcrowded. I was there for four months then you showed up," he gestured to Rian.

"Did you go to school?" Marilla asked.

"Not very much, I went for a little bit when I was seven, for a year with Mrs Hammond and for the whole time I was at the orphanage."

"Were those women, Mrs Thomas and Mrs Hammond," Marilla paused, "good to you?"

"Um," Alex blushed, "they meant to be. They meant to be as good and kind as possible but it's very hard having a drunken husband and three sets of twins, don't you think?"

Marilla lead Alex up to the bedroom in the east gable, "you'll be sleeping here while you're with us."

Alex looked around the room. It's white washed walls made it look plainer than it already was.

"Thank you for opening your home to me, Mrs Dawson," Alex had learnt he needed to be polite when speaking to people whom he need to impress.

"You can call me Marilla," she said awkwardly, "good night."

Marilla left the room and Alex got changed into his nightgown. He slipped into bed and blew out the candle beside him.

The week passed slowly. Alex helped Marilla in the house and Rian on the farm. Finally, it was judgement day. Marilla called Alex into the kitchen. She was sitting on a wooden chair covered in faded green paint, leaning on a matching table.

"Can call Rian in?"

"Okay," Alex said as he went outside.

Green Gables was impressive and Alex felt sad that he would probably be gone tomorrow. He walked through the orchard and over to Rian.

"Marilla would like to talk to you inside."

"I sure hope she says that you can stay. She has grown awful fond of you, no matter if she claims otherwise."

Alex felt hopeful. He might get to stay at Green Gables after all.

"Sit down," Marilla said when they entered the kitchen, "both of you."

Alex and Rian sat in wooden chairs by the table and looked tentatively at Marilla.

"You have proven that you can be useful around the house and out in the field but if we were to take you in you'll have to promise that you'll follow my rules, alright?"
"Are you saying that I can stay?" Alex's smile was too big for his face at the moment.

"If," Marilla emphasised, "you follow the rules."

"I will," Alex exclaimed, jumping up to hug Rian and Marilla, "you won't regret it."