Chapter 21: Fireside revelations
As it turned out, Anne had been a full two days at the Wright homestead before her simmering curiously was finally relieved.
The rain had continued incessantly for the first day of her stay and Anne had thrown herself into the domestic rhythm of the little house, helping Diana speed through a backlog of chores and keeping little Fred so well entertained that his mother enjoyed more hot cups of tea than she could remember. The opportunity for girlish confidences had been thwarted by Diana falling, unprepossessingly, asleep in the evening, as the three adults gathered around the fireside after little Fred was laid safely in his cot.
The second day was fine, but still unseasonably chill and so windy that Diana insisted that the opportunity for drying must be seized and both women spent a companionable morning in the wash house, ably hindered by an enthusiastic small Fred.
Fred senior returned from Charlottetown that afternoon buoyed by the change in the weather, muttering that summer planting might still be possible before the end of the week, provided there was a bit of sun to follow up the good effects of the wind and he could get an extra hand round to help him on the morrow.
The second evening was not so cold as the first, as August began to re-assert herself. But Diana still lit the fire, as it was so cosy, and the two women settled in by the fire; Diana swiftly crocheting granny squares and Anne wrestling inexpertly with a doily pattern.
Diana's wakefulness was accounted for by the opportunity given her by Anne to take a short nap that afternoon, whilst little Fred slept. Anne, whose suspicions had been roused by Gilbert's parting remarks, had bustled her to bed. Diana had resisted, saying she hadn't invited Anne over only to have her do chores whilst her hostess slept. But, after much persuasion, culminating in a firm Principal Shirley injunction, Diana had yielded, leaving Anne to enjoy a pleasant hour in command of Diana's kitchen.
The fruits of Anne's culinary labours had provided supper for the household and Diana had continued in protesting idleness, whilst Anne insisted that she be the one to bathe little Fred and put him to bed. Baby Fred had responded delightedly to Auntie Anne's bubble-blowing and tickling. But still Anne could not suppress entirely the pang she felt when she saw Diana gather her son to her bosom for a final nurse before bed. And the sight of Fred and Diana, bending over little Fred's cot together to bestow a final benediction before tip-toeing out of the room made Anne yearn for Gilbert with an intenseness more visceral than any fiery, moon-struck madness could invoke.
That was perhaps why she had allowed Diana to set her to crocheting doilies. Anne Shirley, who had always followed her own road, was surprised by how keenly she wanted to embark on the well worn path of wife and motherhood.
So, when Diana laid down her needle and earnestly and somewhat shyly shared that she and Fred were looking forward to welcoming a little baby brother or sister for little Fred around Christmas time, Anne was not really surprised. What did surprise her, however, was that the expected stab of envy was swept almost completely aside in the rush of joy she felt for her friend.
The rather wretched attempt at a doily was thrust aside as Anne leapt from her chair to envelop Diana in an enthusiastic embrace.
"Oh, dearest Diana, what thrilling news!" Anne exclaimed, in adolescent italics. "How long have you known? When do you expect her to arrive."
"She?" Queried Diana, beaming widely.
"Of course, you must be a mamma to a little girl. She will be the most beautiful wee thing, with dark curls and black eyes and the roundest, rosiest cheeks.." Anne paused, in rapt contemplation of the dream baby she could see before her.
"She'll likely be a round, red dumpling," laughed Diana, before sighing and continuing, rather dejectedly, "and Josie Pye will peer at her in that sneering way of hers and say "Oh Diana, are babies supposed to be that red?"
Anne, correctly surmising that Josie's appearance into this imagined scene was routed in all too real experience, injured Diana to pay no heed to anything that cat might say and that little Fred was just as pink and round and rosy as a perfect baby ought to be.
"That's fine for you to say," continued Diana, glumly. "You always know exactly what to say back to her. And I don't suppose it can matter what Josie and Gertie say about you, there aren't any Pyes in Summerside."
"No, but there are Pringles in abundance." Anne replied, "Where ever you go, thee are kindred spirits to met with, alongside those who are definitely not kindred spirits!"
"And then there are Sloanes." Added Diana, with an air of finality.
"Oh, but Anne, if you knew what she has been saying about you, I hardly know how to answer."
"Have I been setting Avonlea on its ears with my scandalous behaviour?" Anne asked, with a twinkle, "Don't worry, Mrs Lynde keeps me fully abreast of the judgment currently being passed, what has Josie to add?"
"It's just spite, she's been spreading the old rumour that you only accepted Gilbert because Roy never came up to scratch. No, don't Queen at me, Miss Anne!" Diana interjected hurriedly, as Anne started to draw herself into a familiar, haughty pose, ready to launch an indignant rebuttal. "We know that's nonsense, but it would probably help to have it more widely known."
"It's not very fair to Roy to have the story of his rejection passed around the island."
"And it's not very fair to Gilbert to let people think he was second pickings!" Retorted Diana. "I know you think you ought to protect Roy's feelings, but Roy doesn't know or care about what anyone on PEI might think of him. I know you and Gilbert are indifferent to gossip, but other people can't help but listen."
Anne looked sharply at Diana. "You are right, my darling. I didn't want anyone to know about the whole, wretched humiliating experience, but I have realised this summer how unwise it may have been to leave people who need to know the truth. I give you leave to counter the insinuations with the full story. In fact," Anne continued with a grin, "I will give Mrs Lynde leave to do so, so you needn't go to the effort!"
Both girls laughed at this, but Diana did so a little nervously. It never did to talk about Mrs Lynde, no matter how private the conversation, she always seemed to find out.
"I never understood how you managed to get her not to talk about it, I wouldn't have thought Mrs Lynde capable of keeping such a story to herself."
It was easy enough," replied Anne, "she never knew."
Diana stared at Anne in amazement. "How…"
"I told Marilla, of course, but Marilla can be as close as anything, even with Mrs Lynde in the house, Rachel just assumed the same as the rest of Avonlea. I can let her find out and the problem is solved. Although the real problem has already been attended to, I have told Mrs Blythe what happened."
"Really?" Replied Diana, leaning forward, "What did she say?"
The fire crackled and the sun disappeared over the horizon in a blaze of fiery splendour that betokened well for Fred Wright's agricultural ambitions in the coming days. The conversation scarcely paused when Fred popped his head round the parlour door to wish Anne good night.
Diana had started to pack away their abandoned work, when she added, with a mischievous smile, "So Anne, I have heard all about your scandalous behaviour with a certain Mr Blythe from every Pye in Avonlea, but you have been remarkably tight-lipped on the subject. Which rumours would you have me deny?"
"None of them!" Laughed Anne, "I am scandalously in love with him and the whole of PEI can know it! Tell me the worst," Anne continued, "I know everyone heard about that day at station."
"And Mr Bell's pasture." Diana added, pointedly. "And I don't think there is any one in Avonlea who hasn't spotted you both on Lovers Lane!"
Anne blushed, "is it really that bad?"
Di nodded, emphatically.
"I thought we would just drop into being the way we always used to be. We would ramble all over and no one batted an eyelid"
Diana snorted at this.
"Well, no one said anything that mattered?"
"And it matters now, does it?" Diana asked.
"I suppose it matters now because it is true," wailed Anne, "oh Diana, I don't know what has happened to me. I thought this summer would be just like those before Redmond when we would walk and talk and argue and debate. But I don't want to debate, I just want him to kiss me. All the time!"
Diana laughed. "Oh my darling, that is hardly unexpected!"
Anne blushed darkly, braced for full confession, "but Diana, I can't stop thinking about, err, kissing him all the time. Even," Anne's voice dropped to a whisper, "in church!"
"I would have thought especially in church!" Diana laughed again. "Anne, darling, you and Gilbert haven't seen each other for months, it's only natural that when you are together, you want to make the most it! What about Gilbert, is he bothered by the, err, lack of conversation?"
Diana smirked as she said this and Anne retorted by hurling a cushion towards her.
"Oh, of course not!" Anne muttered, flushing again. "But it is confusing and thrilling and terrifying. I have spent so longer pretending to not be attracted to Gilbert Blythe, that now I am not pretending, I find just how very very attractive he is a little…" Anne paused, groping for a word, "disconcerting."
"Your problem Anne, is that you never do anything in small doses. When you were disliking Gilbert, you did so very comprehensively, now you love him – and have actually loved him for years, as I knew all along!" Diana couldn't resist the opportunity to underscore her own percipience, once again. "So of course your feelings are going to be quite… strong."
"Really," Diana continued, "Had you not been such a goose and recognised you loved Gilbert from the start, you could have been engaged when Fred and I were, so you have years worth of kisses that you owe Gilbert."
Anne groaned and retrieved the abused cushion from the floor, hugging it to her breast. "Don't Diana, we would have been engaged for five years if that was the case. That would be unbearable!"
"But," Anne leaned back in n her chair, clutching the cushion tighter, smiling slightly, "if have a five years of kisses to catch up on, then perhaps it's understandable that I can't think of doing anything else. That is a lot of kisses…"
Anne's green eyes glinted, aglow with possibilities. She murmured, almost to herself, "and not just kisses…"
Diana leaned forward, both concerned and curious, "Anne, what do you mean? What have you done..?"
Anne considered how much of Diana's curiosity is was safe to satisfy. The shore? No, that was too new, too shocking, too precious. That moment (and hopefully many more such moments to come) could only ever be for her and Gil. But…
"Diana, did I ever tell you about the time Gilbert showed me an apple tree growing out in the spruce wood past the old Johnson place?"
[AN: I don't think any of us were expecting an update that promptly, I certainly wasn't! This will not be my new publishing schedule, as i haven't started the next chapter yet, but i am really hoping to harness my new writing energy and get this Avonlea summer wrapped up before this one ends.
Thank you lovely reviewers, your ongoing interest, appreciation and support is what keeps me plugging away at this. Elizasky, i hope this was near to what you hoped for..]