L.M. Montgomery owns the Anne of Green Gables series. This is only for fun.
The woman stood at the top of her garden path, watching the small child run home. She startled when she felt her hand gently lifted and kissed.
"My darling, I have returned," murmured a deep, manly voice.
The woman turned to face him and and gasped. She clasped her hands together and breathed, "Oh, can it really be you, at long last?"
"I simply couldn't stay away. Surely you should have known that I've loved you from the first, Darling."
The man bowed in courtly fashion and offered her his arm. She placed her hand lightly upon it and they both walked towards the house.
"Where have you been all this time, Dearest?"
"My Darling, I have been traveling through the world, journeying across the seven seas, trying to find a balm for my broken heart." He paused and took her both hands in his. "But for all my thrilling adventures, I never found the joy that I found with you, even when you wounded me in my innermost soul. And when I learned that you had immured yourself in this veritable prison, I couldn't stay away.
"Oh, I missed you so." Her eyes glistened with tears.
"Furthermore, as a small pledge of my lasting fidelity, I brought you these." He produced a velvet bag full of the most beautifully wrought jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds and rubies; priceless, and beyond compare.
She lowered herself gracefully onto the edge of the fountain and held out her lovely hands to recieve the precious gift. Then she gestured for him to sit beside her.
As they sat down together on the edge of the fountain, he said, "You are as beautiful at the last time I saw you--do you remember?--you wore that same black velvet gown with the golden girdle. You even wore those same pearl earrings. I could never forget such a vision of loveliness.
The tears began to stream down her beautiful face. "O Dearest, I am undeserving of all these gifts. I confess, Dearest, I was dreadfully wicked--all the hearts I broke--and your heart most of all. I beg your forgiveness. You must believe, Dearest how I am filled with remorse." She bowed her head in sorrow and shame as she waited for his words of either condemnation or forgiveness.
"I forgive all, " he said, simply and grandly.
Holding the bag of jewels in her lap steady with one hand, she leaned down to stroke one of her beautiful, slender dogs as it sat faithfully at her feet.
"Thank you. I can never repay this debt."
They sat in silence as the twilight darkened.
"Who was the little mite, Darling?"
"A girl who lives in Glen St. Mary. Nan Blythe. Just the sweetest little girl. You know, I believe she suspected the truth about me before we even met," she said, in a tone of wonderment.
"But you did keep her from learning the truth, of course."
"Of course, Dearest. The cookie I gave her was an enchanted cookie. It will change her memory backward. She saw everything, of course, I couldn't hide it from her, but all she will remember," she smiled at him wickedly and gazed up at him with her mysterious eyes," is a shabby old woman in a dilapidated farmhouse. But I must confess, Dearest. I hated to do that to such a nice little girl." She sighed as she leaned over to trail a slender white hand in the water.
"Oh, Darling, you know it had to be done."
A knowing glance passed between them before she lowered her eyes.
He picked up one of her heavy black braids and curled the end around his finger. "Now that I am back, let us never be separated again, my darling, my love, my fair Thomasine Fair."