Gilbert, without second thought, immediately followed Anne toward the bridge, slightly disappointed that she had broken away from his embrace. Still, he tried to stay optimistic that she would hopefully say "yes" to his ever-so-important question.
When Anne reached the center of the bridge, she stopped and gazed out at the lake, letting her mind ramble with poetic thoughts about the dim, sparkling waters that rippled underneath her. When she noticed that Gilbert had followed along, she made it a point not to speak. She did not want to encourage him to act romantically toward her and lure her in, and such an exquisite setting would, she thought, cause him to do so.
"What are you thinking about?" He questioned, gently placing his hand on Anne's shoulder. As Gilbert did so, he felt a warm sensation arise in his body, as usual whenever he came into contact with Anne.
Anne, however, pulled away immediately, partly out of sheer habit. "I'm afraid to speak or move for fear that all this wonderful beauty will just vanish like a broken silence." She said distantly, her eyes focused intensely on the lake, aiming to avoid Gilbert's longing expression.
Gilbert's body trembled slightly at Anne's graceful way with words. He always took delight of hearing her talk in such a beautiful way. I would never get tired of hearing her endless bantering, he thought to himself as he joined her in looking out onto the lake.
"Doesn't it remind you of our old school-day picnics?" he inquired, the memories of Anne during their school days pouring through his mind.
Anne smiled slightly at the memories. Oh, how she had been such a stubborn girl with an uncontrollable temper and attraction to trouble!
"Hmm…" Anne replied in agreement. "I don't want any of it to change," she said, sighing regretfully. "I wish I could just hold on to those days forever. I have a feeling things will never be the same again, will they?"
Gil noticed how Anne's heart was set on reliving her childhood days, when life was carefree and playful and friendly and simply fun. This, he determined, must be the way to win her heart.
"Well, I won't change. That's the least I can promise you," he assured her, turning her around so that she was facing him. He wanted her to know right then and there that he would do anything for her, just so that she would be happy and fulfilled.
Anne continued to avert her eyes from his, though she could sense that he was staring at her intently with intentions beyond friendship.
"Anne…" Gilbert began, choking somewhat on his words, deathly afraid of what he was doing. What if she declined? What if she refused to talk to him ever again? That dreadful thought nearly made him grow teary-eyed and he attempted to continue talking despite the lump in his throat. He was not sure if he could carry on living without spending every minute of every day with the woman he had loved since he first met her at the Barry's picnic that one summer day when she was just thirteen. As the thoughts played in his mind, he remembered the point he was trying to achieve. "I…I want to ask you something."
