November turned into December where in we find Anne and Gilbert studying hard for their mid terms. They had found a stride within them which maximised their studying and were often found in the parlour at Rosebud. Neither one of them wanted to be out done by the other so rivalry was high but neither one relented on their friendship.

"Oh Gil, I need to stop, if you tell me a equals f squared again I think I shall go mad!" she said pressing her head to the coffee table they were using as they sat on the floor.

" fair enough." Gilbert laughed. "I guess you'll have to be content in second place in geometry." He said a wink. Anne gave a half laugh as her siblings entered the room.

" Mary it doesn't matter if you didn't get it first time." Willis tried to comfort her.

"I don't want to get it anymore, I'll be happy playing the piano and I'll die an old maid!" Mary emphasized, if anyone was every in any doubt the quiet Shirley couldn't be dramatic it was washed away in that second.

" what's wrong Mary?" Anne asked.

Mary now refusing to speak turned her head in tears. " they had their first dance lesson at school today and she couldn't get it right," Willis explained.

" no one gets it right first time Mary." Anne sympathized.

" all the boys laughed at me." She said.

" then they are idiots." Willis said. " aren't they Gilbert?"

"a true gentlemen would never laugh at lady." He confirmed. "in fact..." he said standing up... "your parents won't mind if we turn the parlour into a dance floor will they?" he asked Anne.

" no, I don't think so." Anne said.

" then help me clear the space." He directed. The two older Shirley's and Gilbert cleared a space. In the room moving the coffee table they had been working on and the sofa back again the wall." Willis would you be so kind to select a waltz?" He asked him. He looked to Mary who had stood aside in shock. " first you need to close your eyes." He told her half kneeling in front of her, she looked at him in doubt moment. " trust me and close your eyes." She looked to Anne who half in wonder nodded her head, Mary closed her eyes. " now I know you're a Shirley," he looked to Anne, " so I know you can imagine." He said with a smile " so first imagine you are dancing in a box, you can't step out the box but you need to make the four sides fit a 3 beat. Are you any better than your sister at geometry?" he said with a wink to Anne." How can You do that?" he asked her.

" Two triangles within the square." She said with her eyes still closed she smiled.

" that's right so every two triangles makes the complete square of waltz." He took Mary's hands and stood up " can you get on my feet?" he asked her. She climbed onto his shoes, count to three for me twice."

"1...2...3, 1...2...3" she said as he moved his feet to the waltz.

" did you feel the two triangles in the square?" he asked her as she came off feet.

She smiled, for the first time Gilbert looked to Mary and saw the similarly she had to Anne her smile matched Anne's entirely. "I think so."

" can you remember how your feet moved on mine?" he asked.

"I think I can." She said.

" good then, let's try without the music first, then Willis can put on the music." Rather then holding her round the waist as she was too small he held her shoulder and took the other hand in his. "Remember I stepped forward with my left foot first so you need to the exact opposite being..."

" right foot back." She said

He nodded "now Count again for me." He said.

Slowly they stepped a few waltz steps round the room. He smiled. " well you're a natural!" He told her. " let's put this to some music. Willis?"

Willis started the music box, the two older Shirley's watched for a few seconds while Gilbert led their sister. Willis grinned and took Anne's hand and followed suit. Anne laughed with her brother as they joined the dance.

Bertha heard the music and quietly entered the room to see Gilbert leading Mary and Willis leading Anne. How long had it been since Willis and Mary had left the kitchen? She stood in awe for a moment and watched Mary giggle at the dancing. She had almost been in tears leaving the kitchen.

Willis called out "swap!" and the two males exchanged their female partners. " hey well done Mary I used to trip over that one all the time. I hated swapping." Willis said with a smile. Bertha watched as Mary danced with her brother giggling more. Bertha's eyes turned to the other couple dancing, they were talking, she couldn't quite make out what was being said, but noticed no eye contact was being made at first and then when it was made...She almost felt the sparks fly!Just as quickly as it came they broke the eye contact, what seemed like moments later Willis called again. " swap." And they swapped back.

That first swap had pulled Anne into his arms. Neither one of them looked to each other as their hands clasped the others and his arm found the small of her waist and she found his shoulder. Their heart rates increased in the others arms.

" this was really sweet of you Gil." Anne told him.

" it was nothing really." He said humbly. "look at how confident she is now, we'll be able to teach her embellishments in no time." They looked to Mary who was laughing with her brother. Their eyes met and they really gazed for a few seconds then they shyly blushed away. Willis breaking the moment once and for all with a call for "swap" again.

The music ended Gilbert took a bow before Mary. "I don't think I've danced with such a accomplished young lady before, who can most certainly dance. Perhaps later we can do some embellishments and turns." He smiled. Mary turned and saw her mother "mamma, mamma! Gilbert taught me to waltz, I can do it ma I can do it." She said happily hugging her mother.

Gilbert looked and blushed. " she shouldn't doubt her own ability." He says humbly. " she's a natural." He said with a smile.

1 week later

"if end of year exams are anything like that I think I should have a melt down!" she joked with Gilbert.

" they weren't that bad Anne!" He laughed. "I bet you aced them."

" Oh I don't know Gil!" she said " I'm always so nervous of exams." She sighed.

" your papa doesn't seem worried." He reminded her

" don't be sure, he thinks highly of your ability." She admitted.

" that's nice." He thought out loud. He sighed. " well we don't need to worry until after Christmas now, don't let it spoil your Christmas." He said raising his arm small of her back they looked at each other for a moment and smiled for a moment before he dropped his hand, smile and gaze.

" when are you heading home?" she asked him

" Monday." He said. " papa is coming down for some business anyway he was down yesterday but knew it was too early, we figured it would save three trips. I don't mind staying the weekend."

" you'll come and see me over the weekend won't you?"

" of course I will, as long as I am invited." He smiled.

" always welcome, you know that." She laughed. " everybody loves Gilbert. So did you see your papa yesterday with him being in town?"

" yes he came by my lodgings, told me I was working too hard..." he laughed. " made me have the afternoon off and played card games with me."

Anne smiled. " what's your papa like?" she asked

He looked confused for a moment " Oh that's right you haven't met him yet." He laughed. "I keep forgetting. Everyone keeps saying I look a lot like him when he was my age he had brown hair although now it's grey, though the curls I get from my ma. Hazel eyes like me, happy disposition, bit of Blythe charm." He said with a laugh.

" grey hair?" Anne asked.

" yes they are older than your parents remember... I'm.." he trailed.

" an only child." Anne ended.

" yes." He half laughed and shook his head. Raising his arm behind his head playing with the back of his neck. Was he an only child? He couldn't remember not having siblings around, even if they weren't his own. " I'll miss you over the Christmas holidays you know, it'll be almost six weeks!"

"I know. Was it really only four months ago we didn't know each other?" Anne mused out loud. She looked to Gilbert "I'll miss you too."

He smiled. " really?" he grinned widely.

" yes really" she said. " we can write?" she suggested

" I'd like that." He said as casually as he could.