Anne looked up from her novel to help Marilla with dinner. Just as she got her apron on there was a knock at the door.
"Who would call on us so close to dinner?" Marilla asked, with a disapproving frown on her face. Marilla walked over to the door, unrolling her sleeves as she did so, and opened the door there stood Gilbert Blythe.
Anne was in the kitchen staring out the window instead of watching the pot of water she had just put on the stove. She reveled in how the moonlight fell on the leaves of the oak outside the kitchen window and thought how much it looked like a string of pearls that a fairy queen might have lost, and who might be -right at this very minute- flying the skies of Avonlea searching for her treasure, and she sighed dreamily when she heard the voice of none other than Gilbert Blythe.
Vexed, she moved away from the window and back to her pot of water, for she couldn't dream of fairies with that annoying boy nearby. As she was unecessary stirring the boiling water, she could hear the conversation in the entrance. He was looking for Mathew, who had just come back from the fields and was currently getting dressed for dinner. Marilla then informed Gilbert that he could wait in the living room, but that she herself would be going back to the kitchen to peel potatoes. Ever polite, Gilbert offered his help, and so Anne heard two sets of footsteps coming toward the kitchen. She stirred her water in annoyment.
"What can I help you with?" She heard him ask.
She grabbed some pasta from the cupboard and dumped it's contents into the boiling water stirring more vigorously.
"You may help Anne with the pasta." Marilla said.
"Oh no." Anne thought.
Gilbert walked towards Anne. She turned up the stove heat to high.
"Anne. Why don't you take a break and I'll take over for a moment." He said from behind.
Anne visibly stiffened.
"Marilla said I could help you, and I would really like to." He said modestly.
"If Marilla said you may then what is stopping you Mister Blythe?" She said airily.
"Well you don't want my help do you?" He asked.
"Not at all however, Marilla has allowed you to help me if you like and I suppose after helping make it you'll stay to dinner as well." Anne turned back to the pasta now firm in the boiling water.
"Only if you want me to Queen Anne." He bit his lip when he realized he had said that aloud.
...
Kick start! This is like a car with a shoddy engine.
-LoA
