"Anne Shirley!" Marilla was horrified and grateful to find someone to scold. "Is that any way to speak to Dora?"

Anne cast an angry glance at the group and stormed out the back door. Tearing down the lane with tears stinging her eyes, she ran head first into a young man's chest. He caught her in his strong arms.

"Hello, Carrots," said Dr. Gilbert Blythe tenderly. He planted a kiss warmly on her forehead.

Anne choked back a sob and tried to struggle free. She glanced uneasily at the window, where Marilla and Lance were still standing. She couldn't see very clearly because her tears blinded her eyes, but Gilbert, following her gaze uneasily, could see that a strange man stood by the kitchen window. Gilbert made a mental note that moreover, this man was very handsome. His voice was suddenly stern:

"Anne Shirley, who is that man in your kitchen?"

His tone made even Anne uneasy.

"Umm....I can't really explain, because I've only just met him. How about we go for a walk Gil, you know calm our nerves before the wedding," she faltered.

"You're not getting off that easy, Anne. Let me meet this mystery man."

He lead the reluctant Anne into the kitchen.

"How do you do, Mr. Elot?" Gilbert asked politely, he was never one to assume familiarity with a stranger. "I'm Gilbert Blythe, Anne's fiancé."

"Oh, I say!" said Lance, his midnight blue eyes which had previously been filled with imagination but now not so much, flashing with surprise. "Anne's engaged? Well isn't she a naughty little thing, she never mentioned a thing about it..." he looked at Anne with his eyes, Oh those eyes! Though Marilla would never have said it out loud, she was certain those eyes had a seductive power strong enough to stun an adult moose at fifty paces. With those eyes staring directly into her own, for the first time in her life Anne found herself completely speechless.

Gilbert glanced inquiringly from Anne to Marilla. However, Marilla was not ready to to divulge Mathews' indiscretion. She smiled weakly at Gilbert, took one look at Anne's furious expression, and decided to tackle the more tangible problem. This time, she settled on Dora.

"Dora, go upstairs and remove that dress immediately!."

Gilbert now turned to look at Dora and a dazed expression crossed his face. "Why Dora you look all grown up and really pretty."

Dora simpered, lowered her eyes, and batted her lashes at both Gilbert and Lance. As they were standing at opposite ends of the room, Dora looked decidedly cross eyed like the dazed cat at her feet. Anne and Diana felt suprizingly more cheerful.

" I don't see why I should!" announced the defiant Dora.

"Because that's my wedding dress, AND you stole my favorite name" repeated Anne loudly, who hadn't gotten over the double offense.

"Well i just borrowed it, don't you think it suits me better? After all, I have golden hair and am also much younger than you." countered Dora.

Marilla sat down on the kitchen chair and cradled her head with her hands. Her world seemed all topsy turvey. The result of Matthew's not so youthful fling had come to roost, the gentle docile Dora was acting like a bad flirt, and worse of all, she couldn't get her mind off a certain secret of her own.

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Chapter by meganloops, l. m. montgomery rocks, rusty, and rhoswen. Edited by Bets.

A/N: Helloooooo! Those of you who have added this fat old cow to your author alert, why yes, that's immensely flattering. But surely it can't be too hard to click the button that says REVIEW THIS CHAPTER too? Please do pamper my vanity. :)