Meanwhile Anne and Diana made their way Home, chatting away about the details of the Actor's and Actress' Costumes. Diana and Ruby's Families have been working diligently to assemble them together in a timely manner.
After debating over the Fairielike Costumes and how they must be able to add some accessories to the Ghosts Costumes for the needed affects.
"Well Anne is everything still in order for Marilla's Tea this Sunday? I just want to make sure everything turns out perfect. Aunt Jo has been rather restless but she did speak well of you Anne. I tried to explain to her that you have been so very busy with the Carnival that it has delayed your making a return visit recently to Orchard Slope." Diana brought up because once again her Aunt inquired about Anne's absence there.
"I'm sorry Diana. I hope she understands my predicament. I don't mean to put her off so." Anne sighs deciding not to allow herself to hubris of over going over her busy schedule mentally once again.
"I think she understands now, Anne. You will though be coming to Julia's Practice now won't you?" Diana wondered as they passed by Mr. Harrison's Pastures on their right.
"I am not committed to the extra Practices Diana. It all depends on how much I can get done this week. Marilla has me quite busy with all of the cooking and other preparations for the coming Winter. I have been scrubbing, polishing and boiling until I feel overdone! I also have several more weeks left before our College Recess at Redmond. I am sorry Diana but I promise we will have a very lovely Tea in honor of your Aunt's visit to Green Gables. Marilla takes great pride in her cooking and so far, she has never disappointed a Guests expectations. So has she decided whether she is staying until December or is she returning to Kingsport next week?" Anne asked seeing Diana now grow agitated with this idea.
"She still hasn't made her decision yet. I know she has been working steadily with Father and probably has many details to be finalized before the Winter Ball. Not to mention other Family Business investments. I know she must be away before the second week in December. She said some details will demand her direct attention to attend to. Maybe she will let us visit her Mansion after the Ball to Kingsport? Wouldn't that be a dream come true?" Diana thought it must look like a Castle.
"It would be quite an adventure Diana at least for the two of us. I've never been inside any of the Grand Houses before. Though I can assure you that I have decorated more than a few in my imagination!" She smiled back at Diana who met her look in humble agreement.
"I can't believe you have never been there Diana?" Anne thought suddenly.
"She and Mother have not been on the best of terms. I may have visited once when I was very young but I have no memory of it. It really is a wonder that she came to our Home to visit at all. She doesn't want a bunch of Children in her Home. Mother says she can't have Children running around all of her fancy crystal or shining waxed floors. Mother just claims that she doesn't like Children. That's why she never Married." Diana reports.
"That may be so Diana. Though she has been kind to us. She sends you all very nice gifts. That is not the act of someone who does not favor Children exclusively. I can understand a rich House is in danger in the presence of smaller Children though." Anne thought trying to imagine how one would go about steering Children away from the danger of a heavy Family Heirloom
"She's too proper for any sort of Domestic Work, so Mother tells us. Father said she was the oldest and had to look out for them all, once his Parents passed on so suddenly. They benefited from the Insurance, Trusts and Property of course. My Aunt though had to study hard, so that all of that money would not go to waste and she was prepared to make good financial choices. Father told me it was Aunt Jo's eye for a bargain that helped her get so very wealthy. I do hope I can attend Queens, Anne. I would not like to find myself unable to make sound choices if I were to lose a Husband." Diana fretted but was at once distracted from her thoughts as a swift North Wind caught them both by surprise and they both raised their hands to hold onto their hats.
"Oh my! That was close. So what does your Aunt do, I mean when she isn't taking care of Business? You haven't spoken much about that." Anne asked her curiously.
" When she isn't working with Father, she is always reading or writing to who knows who? She also has a habit of going over every little detail, when it comes to our meals." Diana explained briefly.
"Does she not go out much, Diana? However could anyone be so idle?" Anne tried to imagine being stuck inside for too long.
"Not really much Anne. It does seem a shame though. I mean to be so cooped up and not be able to wander about much. I think though she likes it that way Anne. She never complains about it. At least when I am around to hear her speak." Diana ponders this oddity about her Aunt.
"To feel so confined. Do you think she lacks motivation or is she too infirm to wander much around here? Surely, whatever the case may be, we two can devise some kind of remedy so that she too can enjoy the splendor of Natures vast bounty." Now Anne found herself plotting once more. She couldn't seem to help herself. She scarcely had a moment to even imagine herself free from duties yet here she was, trying to figure out some way Diana's Aunt could get more outdoors during her visit here to Avonlea.
"Anne, do you think we should try to see if we could bring us out with us? Maybe it's just more difficult for her or she doesn't want to go out alone." Diana said thoughtfully.
"It is getting colder out now Diana. I would fear, if her health gets fragile in the Winter's frost, our opportunities may being growing shorter day by day." Anne reason wisely.
"This could be the case. She may not know the outdoors as we do." Anne thought.
"But Anne she grew up here just as we did. I just think she is a little stubborn and old age has set in some for her. I would however feel poorly if we ignored her in this way. Mother and Father are very busy this time of the year so I really don't feel I can put more on to them at this point." Diana tried to help Anne see.
"As are we too at Green Gables. We do owe it to her to at least make a fair offer to take her out at least one afternoon. Perhaps this coming Sunday? After Marilla's Tea? She will be warm and toasty. Then I think we might be able to make your case for her support for your petition to Queens?" Anne brought up feeling she came upon a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
"That sounds like a marvelous plan Anne. It will guarantee we can at least ask her without any interruptions. Now all we have to do is convince her that a walk out after Tea is the best medicine that can be prescribed for her." She mentioned not completely convinced her stubborn Aunt will be so persuaded.
"Leave that part up to me Diana. Though it never hurts to bring her in some fresh flowers and speak well of how lovely everything looks outside. This should help our cause some in advance." It was something that Diana agreed could work to their advantage.
"Good. That is another piece to life's puzzle we can put into it's proper place. So much to be done now but never a dull moment. It's time for us to part ways now. I'll see you tomorrow Diana. Please send our love to your Family from ours fondly." Anne than waved her goodbyes, after Diana offered up her own greetings as well.
Anne followed along the winding road that took her up to her doorstep at Green Gables. She turned the doorknob that opened the front door and carefully closed it up behind her. The House was eerily silent as she set down first her own Satchel and then hung up her outer clothing on its appropriate hooks. She then continued up the Hallway, turning into the formal Diningroom and then into the Kitchen beyond that. She noted that the Kitchen door was askew which was not something Marilla was known to ever do, especially if she was out. Mrs. Lynde though can find herself sometimes distracted and much to Anne's dismay, this was a hazard she wished could be remedied easier than she imagined it could be. Anne took a peek outside but seeing nothing really out of it's place, she just closed the door behind her and was than drawn to the Kitchen Table that held a hand written note upon it. She lifted it up and started to read it once she acknowledged it was addressed to her exclusively.
Dear Anne,
I was just informed that my Cousin's Wife has taken a terrible turn for the worse. The messenger said that the situation was urgent so I left as soon as I could gather some things together for easy traveling. Rachel has her Sewing Circle to meet up with this afternoon so I'm afraid that you will need to put Dinner together for the two of you.
I cannot say how long this whole business will require my immediate attention. I do not expect to be returning tonight for that matter. I will rely on you to keep things up for me while I attend to this unhappy affair. I expect to be returning back Home with the Twins when I am finished here. Well unless their Uncle shows up here but there still has been not response to inquiries made up to this point.
Make sure to check on the Animals and that everything is secured before turning in for the night, Anne. Don't stay up too late either. It won't do your eyes one bit of good. Please let Rachel know my predicament and assure her that I will return as soon as I am able.
Love,
Marilla
"Well now! It looks like we will be entertaining the young Keith Twins sooner rather than later. More guests to expect for Green Gables it would seem." Anne folds up the note and slips it into her skirt pocket. She takes another look around the Kitchen to see if everything looks like it is in it's place before heading upstairs to change into her work clothes.
Upon changing, Anne moves to start up a fire in the iron stove, adding more wood to ensure it will be enough for the evening meal and a cold Autumns night. She puts on water to boil and checks to find a freshly plucked Chicken in the nearby cooler. She sets out some spices and decides that she will have to head into the Cellar below for some stored vegetables to add to their evening meal.
Anne pushed open the door leading to the steps that took her deep into a now darkening poorly lit Cellar. The steps were worn and creaky. She took a tumble down these very stairs once or twice in her younger years, leaving her with an unfriendly feeling for this task whenever it came upon her to do.
Stepping downward, she was reminded that these stairs were sorely in need of repair. Several creaked badly and caused her to grip the bannister next to it tighter. She must see if maybe Gilbert might be able to help her with this chore. It was something Matthew would usually maintain so it has been unfortunately neglected overall since his passing. Anne didn't also enjoy the fact that it wasn't very well lit. She had to lean out some to find the lantern Marilla hung up to light up the room. Anne sat down upon a stair to light it carefully before going down any further. Sometimes she would encounter small mice who would scurry in a reckless and dangerous pattern across the basement floor. The cold storage vegetables were also tempting to other obnoxious creatures of the night who sometimes would sneak in to try and steal their Summer/Fall Harvest.
"Ew!..Oh, yuck!" Anne let out when she felt something sticky and damp catch suddenly on the hand she used to guide her downstairs. She held up her hand to inspect what she got on it. Noticing it was a worn spiders web, she hastily wipes her hand on the side of her apron, to remove the sticky substance from her hand.
"How I loathe this Keep of a Cellar." Anne moaned as she lifted up the lantern higher to make sure that her presence was clearly announced. She swung the light from left to right, inspecting the grounds for any uninvited guests. She did turn once, as she was sure she heard a noise close to the wall under the sink nearby but then it grew silent.
"Away with you little beasties!" Anne wails out as she came up to a barrel with it's lid carefully clamped down for storage. She placed the lantern on the counter close by so that she could remove the lid from a barrel full of russet potatoes. She than pulls out four potatoes. She considered even more but then reminded herself that Marilla would not be there to join them this evening so she resisted. She than stuffed each one into her deep apron pockets. After she carefully replaces the lid to this barrel, she than moved over to where the onions were being stored, a couple of barrels over. Opening it's lid, she pulled out two rounded onions and deposited them with her potatoes in her pockets. But before she had this lid latched down securely, she heard a sudden thump! It startled her so severely, an onion toppled over, out of her pocket and onto the cold stone floor.
Anne turned with such a start! Only one thing, well actually it could be one of several forest creatures, might cause such a racket. She first moved over to retrieve the lantern, looking for the onion she dropped by accident on the floor underneath her. Unfortunately, it appeared to have rolled into a darkened corner of the room so Anne set the lantern down once more, so that she could pick up a tattered old broom kept downstairs to keep it swept and tidy.
Armed with her weapon, the broom, Anne stood very still, hoping to hear whatever it was that had hidden away in their basement. Hearing nothing at first she moved over to where she saw the onion roll around so that she could use the broom to sweep it out into the open area of the floor.
This required her to push the broom around the back of one of the barrels. When she swept it across the floor, it rolled forward back into her eyesight well enough so that she could retrieve it with no harm done. So she set down the broom and kneeled carefully to pick up the missing vegetable.
"It would roll out back here. I suppose I should add a few carrots or Rachel will protest their absence" she noted. She had no real love of the vegetable. She would try not to eat them, unless they were stewed to almost an unrecognizable state and mixed in with her other vegetables. The less they reassembled a carrot the better she thought of them.
This required her to move the lantern though to the top of another barrel so that she could find the clasps. When she had it's lid removed. She was made to move the light to the floor, so that she could place the heavy lid on top of the nearby barrel so her hands were free to remove the needed carrots.
A lone Gentleman came up from the road after clearing the Bridge reaching over the Barry's Pond. His pace quickened as he saw that Green Gables was now coming up closer in front of him. He had stopped first at Orchard Slope, hoping that Diana Barry could help him first solve the equations that had him stumped. He knew Anne was really busy right now with finales fast approaching her. He was however informed that Diana went with her Mother to work on their sewing and her Father had left to the Gillis', to bring them back home for Dinner. The Ladies were working together this evening on the show's Costumes. So this forced him to seek out Miss Shirley's assistance instead. He could have ridden over to the Pye's house if he choose to do so. That though would require him to have to avoid an unwanted Dinner invitation and the delay in solving his trouble. He just knew she would become distracted by trying to play the Hostess and he didn't have all night to get his other work finished.
Mr. Barry's farmhand told Gilbert that he heard that Miss Cuthburt may not be in either, since she left word with him that she had to go out of Town on Family Business. He didn't however feel that either Anne or Mrs. Lynde would have followed her, since they had their own work to get done in Avonlea. He knew Anne had a class to teach tomorrow so he could only hope this news was still true as he approached the front gate of Green Gables.
He came up to the front door and knocked upon it. The wind had been swifter as the early evening Sun started to grow weary in a tired sky. He looked out towards the road and noticed a fugitive Rooster pecking at the ground near by the low white picket fence. He turned around and tried to gain someone's attention once again but none came to answer it and he couldn't hear any noise coming from inside either. He then reasoned that maybe they got a late start at Dinner and may be in the Kitchen still. So he made his way around to the side door hoping this time maybe to get anyone's attention at this point.
He once again tried knocking this time on the side Kitchen door but once again, he had no answer. He was feeling rather desperate since he was sure Anne at least wouldn't leave Avonlea without a substitute or so soon after taking an absence because of her illness earlier.
Diana had told him that Anne had a habit of singing while she cooked so maybe she missed his knocking. It didn't sound reasonable but still he found himself leaning now over the stoop to convince himself that no one really was at home to answer his calling.
When he got a better view inside, a violent crash caused him to jump back in alarm. He looked behind himself but really he was sure it had come from inside of the house. He pounded one more time on the back door but still no response. Seeing no one around him, he started to look at the windows around the Kitchen, trying to find some way he might be able to get into the House without breaking any windows.
He found himself wondering all kinds of crazy thoughts as he finally found an withered old crate he could use to try and reach the window over the Cuthburt's Kitchen sink. He felt it was worth a try to see if he could nudge it open with his pocket knife and force it to pull up. He was now thinking maybe Anne fell down the stairs or worse maybe she fell ill again and fainted somewhere. He saw that the buggy was missing and wasn't there some sewing thing his Mother attended on this day? Surely if it was Mrs. Lynde, she would not fall without making a lot more noise. As he loosened the window, he heard once more a banging noise and this time it must be Anne's voice now coming from the Cellar.
"There! Now all I have to do is managed to squeeze through this window, fall into the sink and then hopefully not break my neck trying to pull myself out of the way so I can rescue Miss Shirley from whatever Monster is terrorizing her in the Cellar below".
That thought made him grin fiendishly. But what if she really is in danger he thought once again. He better hurry along none the less. Once he knew what was wrong, then he can figure out how he can help.
He moved faster than he thought possible. Plopping himself squarely into a wet Kitchen Sink that made him cringe.
Great, he thought to himself. Now he had a wet seat but was this really the time to worry about such things? He hopped off of the counter and then listened again as he started to creep around the corner. Once again he heard some sweeping noise down in the Cellar and after a moment of listening he found himself smiling to himself. From what he now heard, he determined that something must have stolen away into the Cuthburt's Cellar. It could a rat or a frisky raccoon down there causing that thudding noise as it must be bumping into things downstairs trying to find some way to escape it's torture chamber.
He looked around the Kitchen more closely and noticed that things were scattered about that must be set out for preparing their Evening Meal. His curiosity though and mischievous nature kept him from announcing his arrival just yet. Surely if it was Mrs. Lynde, she would be yelling out after this intruder in a much louder tone of voice. So he tried once more to sneak up to the Cellar stairs to see what really was going on down there.
He paused at the top of the stairs and sat down for a moment. He didn't want to startle her at first but then he found Anne chasing this critter around the Cellar really amusing.
Downstairs, Anne was trying bravely once again to retrieve the onion she dropped on the floor earlier. The floor was dusty, so she was not comfortable reaching around the barrel, especially when she couldn't see very well in the room. Yet it was a waste to toss away good food, she could imagine Marilla reminding her so she had to make a valiant effort to get it back before it was wasted on some rabid animal.
She finally realized that she had ahold of the missing onion only to find herself startled by touch of a furry paw!
"Oh! No!" Anne hopped up quickly fearing the utter worst of circumstances. Just the fear of it being rabid forced her to reach into the only open barrel available to her. Picking up a carrot from inside of it she quickly throws it in the direction she felt it's paw against her hand.
She stopped a moment, questioning if it was right to throw one vegetable to retrieve another one but then figured an onion held more value to her than a carrot did any day.
"So you think you can have my onions, you little thief!" Anne challenged the enemy soundly. In it's fear, it tried to scurry once more towards the back wall and this prompted Anne to reach in for another carrot to throw over at it. She quickly snaps this one to make a better projectile and throws once more in the direction that the sound came from. She reasoned that the less carrots there were in the World, the better. Irrational, true but Anne was in no mood to reason with at this point. She was tired, worried about Marilla having to travel so far by herself and trying her best not to get bitten.
"There now! That's what you get, you bad thing! Whatever you are. At least if you survive that carrot it should distract you long enough for me to get the broom back and then you will rue the day you wandered down into Miss Marilla Cuthburt's Root Cellar." Anne threatens the poor frightened animal and it was all her rescuer could do now not to start laughing at Anne's silly theatrics.
He got up slowly, realizing he had the perfect opportunity to tease Anne first before he rescued her from this brave Forest Creature. He snuck into the Kitchen and looked around for something to drop down the stairs that might get her attention. He looked around the Hallway but all he found there was hats, scarves, wraps and her outer coat. Nothing that would make any noise that he could use. So he went back into the Kitchen looking for something not too heavy but not too light either. He finally settled on a medium sized metal pot. It had to be something heavy enough to roll down the stairs without breaking. A lid, he reasoned could start to roll but quickly land on it's flat side and stop before hitting the Cellar floor. It won't really startle her too much if she didn't think something was coming at her from behind he decides before finding his perch back at the top of the stairs.
When he made it back, he sat quietly once more, making sure she didn't hear him returning from the Kitchen. His prank wouldn't work if she caught him before he sent down the pot.
Not to worry though because he heard her now banging the broom around, hitting it against the wooden barrels and then he heard her sweeping it along the back wall, trying to scoot it over towards the stairs going up.
He waited until he felt sure she was completely distracted by her victim. Then, he gently started to roll the pot down the stairs. He didn't want her to catch the metal clanging right away. It was more fun if she just thought something heavy was falling down the stairs.
To say Anne jumped at the sound of the pot hitting the concrete floor was being polite. She let out such a sheik that even her naughty visitor was prompted to jump up in fright from her outburst!
"Goodness! What was that!" Anne impulsively threw her back up against the barrel standing behind her in such a fright, it left her poor heart pounding in her chest with fright. Her hastened action, when she hit up against the barrel caused the loose lid on top of it to come crashing down on the floor, further causing her to screech out in such a fright. He saw her hit the barrel and the lid start to teeter dangerously in her direction. This caused him to rush down the stairs afraid that the lid might hurt her because it had to be very heavy to protect their vegetables from intruding pests.
As he came rushing down the stairs Anne threw the half of the carrot she had in her hand right towards his kneecaps. He felt it hit up against him and easily swooped it up before it hit the floor underneath him.
"Anne! Are you all right? I heard all of this noise down here and rushed in as quickly as I could. What's going on down here?" He asked her as he moved the lid he caught back over to the top of the barrel that it belonged to. He then started to re-attach the clamps so it wouldn't put her in danger again.
"Just be careful, Gilbert. There's a rabid animal running around here. Not only is he rabid but not incredibly bright either I'm afraid. I have been trying to lure it towards the stairs but so far it has resisted all of my efforts." She told him cautiously.
"So it seems you are having problems with the Family pet?" He couldn't stop himself for trying to find some humor in this situation.
"It's not a "pet" Gilbert. I told you it's some sort of rodent. Well, it's too big to be a rat. Oh, at least I hope so. I couldn't imagine anything that makes this much racket to be a mere rat." She explained leaving poor Gilbert to try his best to contain his urge to fall down laughing at her.
"You can't be too sure, Anne. I mean I have heard of some very large rats. They stow away in Ships at Sea and chew into the food supplies on them." Gilbert replied looking at her rumpled form now with a tinge of pity for her.
"Where did you hear such a thing, Gilbert? I don't believe a word of it!" Anne answered him back while looking now for the lantern so that she could locate that creature once more.
"My Cousin, Malcolm, he is working the docks over in Kingsport. He tells me they get rats as big as cats!" He tries to show her how big they are with his arms and she has to force herself not to hit him with the broom she still had in her hands
"Well that's what Malcom claims. I've never seen one that big. Maybe he will bring one back for us this Christmas. If he does, do you want to see it? I mean, just to prove my Cousin isn't telling us any Fish Stories?" He offered politely.
"No. I don't want to see any rats, period. If you could move back to the other side, I still might be able to get this thing out of here without your getting bitten." She held out her arm trying to urge him over to her other side. He moved over some but still tried to stay close enough in case she stumbled over something she threw at the varmint.
"How did you get in here? I know I locked the Kitchen door upstairs." She wondered in her confusion.
"As well as the Front door! I was forced to wedge open the window over the sink and squeeze my way through there. No thanks to you."
"That must have been a sight to see. So I take it that Rachel is still absent. I'm afraid I came home and found the Kitchen door partially open. Someone must have left in a hurry this afternoon."
"I heard over at the Barry's that Miss. Cuthburt had to leave in a hurry. Something about her Cousin's right?"
"Yes, we are soon to be the recipient of two eight year old Twins. Once she returns from making the necessary arrangements I'm afraid."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Anne. I hadn't heard but then Diana was with her Mother over at the Gillis from what their Herb told me over at there Farm."
"It couldn't be helped. Hey, what's this here?" Anne felt the pot at her foot and reached down to retrieve it.
"What's a pot doing down here of all places?" She looked at it oddly. It was a long day and she wasn't quite ready to jump to conclusion just yet.
"I don't know?" Gilbert shrugged his shoulders innocently,"Maybe you have a raccoon. Mother says they have a weird habit of raiding the cabinets in the Kitchen. I guess if one of them is rummaging around your Root Cellar, he was looking to make a fine meal of it so it would seem." Gilbert reasoned while Anne scoffed at the idea.
He then remembered that Anne had moved that lantern of hers to the floor when she was unlatching the carrot barrel earlier. Now it was right behind her feet in a dangerous position so he started to walk over towards her, hoping he could pick it up before she knocked it over and tripped on it.
"I thought there might be two of them. It doesn't matter right now. I need to get whatever is hiding out in here out so that I can start Dinner. I am already getting a late start now." She confesses wearily dreading Rachel's lecture over her delay as it was already.
"That is entirely possible Anne. Something had to send that pot rolling down the steps." He figured.
"I'm suppose to believe they are so maligned that they also believed we had a cooking stove here in our Root Cellar as well?" She was growing weary of this silly game.
"No one said raccoons are smart. Just good cooks." He mentioned while Anne wished this was all finished and done with.
"So what have you got against carrots? He asked her as started to chew on the one he caught when Anne threw it at him in her defense."Won't Marilla be upset when she finds out you are using her vegetables as ammunition for your little battle in here?"
"I don't really care about the dumb carrots. I can always wash them off later, I would suppose. I need to just get this thing out of here before it causes me any more trouble. What are you doing now Gilbert?" Anne turned back suddenly causing the heel of her boot to catch on the hem of her skirt.
"Hey watch yourself, Anne, I.." Gilbert barely got the lantern out of her way as Anne lost her footing. His only choice was to fall back with her or else she was sure to crack her head on the hard concrete floor underneath them.
"Oh, help me!" She cried out twisting her weak ankle as she fell backwards but already instinctively, Gilbert had wrapped his arm around her waist causing her to back up against him. This allowed him to take the worst of the fall but he also had his other arm held out so that if the lantern would not break. At least it wouldn't be directly on top of them. It didn't break but he had to fall hard, hoping the impact didn't cause him to crack his own head into the pavement. Luckily, his quick thinking made him cushion his own head by slumping down and resting his head against Anne's piled up head of hair. Only his shoulders now ached from his awkward position. Once he hit the floor and they were stopped, he then leaned his head back to take the kink out of his neck from the fall.
"Ouch!" He yelled because his head barely hit the side of one of the barrels standing further back behind him.
"Are you hurt, Gilbert?" Anne tilted her head up to see what he hit his head on to.
"I just hit the top of my head on this fool barrel behind me." He let out trying to regain some composure.
"Did you get hurt Anne?" He was more worried about her right now.
"My boot is still caught up in the hem of my skirt. I just can't believe this is happening to me Gilbert." She moaned as she tried to lift up the back of her foot to awkwardly reach for her hem.
"Anne, if you would just, here, lift your leg up a little bit further, I think I can reach it. You will hurt your poor back more trying to undo it yourself." He instructed her while he tried to reach down to grab ahold of her ankle to steady it so he could fix the trouble.
"Please be careful. I don't mean to be such a whiner but..owww..I think I twisted my ankle again! I just can't believe this!" She cried out as he tried as gently as he could to pull the bottom of her skirt loose from her boot.
"I have it loose now. I'm sorry that hurt Anne. I was trying to bend it as little as possible." He told her feeling guilty for having to hurt her.
"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about. Can you move at all?" She now leaned comfortably against his broad shoulder, resting her head back so that she could see his face now.
"I really doubt it." He answered before moving some of her squelched hair away from her lovely face.
Now normally, he wouldn't be too pleased to find himself thrown back against a very hard stone floor. He really did fear he was really bruised up from behind. Yet, he quickly turned his thoughts to taking in every curve of her body lying down softly against him. How does one cry out in agony when his secret love is found foolishly resting against him? This was an opportunity he thought he could only dream about but it seems fate is more than being kind to him.
He lifted his hand to stoke her tired head and as he did, he pulled it backwards so he could admire her even more. Without much of a thought of it in his fool head, he leaned down as if to kiss her but just as quickly, he laid down his head to once again rest it on top of her own. Just in time he remembered his Father's warning. It's still too early. He didn't want this to look like something he had carefully planned out. He knew he was already guilty for dropping the pot. If he kissed her now, she would just accuse him of trying to kill her just so he could steal a kiss.
He liked the kissing idea but the killing part wasn't quite in his long term plans.
"I'm so sorry Gilbert. Are you bruised very badly?" She asked, slowly acknowledging that with these words she herself was fighting the urge to just hug him close to comfort his poor hurt body. He did after all do this to help her.
"I just need to lie here a few moments. Long enough to unscramble me brains. That really did shake me up a little." He admitted.
"Just a little bit?" She questioned his honesty.
"Right, a lot!" I was trying to keep you from hitting the lantern you left on the ground when you went to open that carrot barrel." He wanted her to know the truth.
"Than it is as I have said, Gilbert. Nothing good comes of carrots. I know I have to get up but I'm afraid of how much I hurt my ankle. I don't want to fall back down on you once more." She described her dilemma for him.
"Just rest a moment than Anne. I'm afraid to move too." He answered back but his thoughts were more comfortable thinking about her. All he could think about was that here he was, with the girl he can't stop dreaming about. Fred was never going to believe this.
He decided the only reward he could get away with today was the comfort of holding her close finally in his arms.
Slowly, due to his bruised up, extended arm, he brought it to rest around Anne's waist, leaning against his somewhat better arm. Then he tried to focus all of his thoughts to just feeling her comfortably pressed up against him. Gently, since he feared she might have suffered some from his forcing her to land crushing up against him, he started to squeeze her tighter in his arms. This feeling just filled him to overflowing. He could easily be buried right here, right now, as long as he knew Anne was nestled up lovingly against him like this.
"Gil, I'm so sorry I hurt you. It just caught me by surprise. I always overreact a little when my ankle gets twisted up like that. I just don't like cold, musty places. Or wild animals for that matter. I am more friends with the trees and flowers I'm afraid to say." Anne made her confession, feeling guilty because it did seem rather nice to be caught up this way some.
"I'll survive, I guess. Really. I can bend my left arm so I didn't break it, thankfully. The lantern survived the fall. I was so afraid of it setting your skirt on fire Anne. I mean I really was terrified when I saw you trip like that." Gilbert found his heart beating as he relieved his panic with the passion of his words.
"As you say though. It didn't break so at least my guardian Angel was watching out for us today." Anne smiled and Gilbert liked that he could tell this was true since she absently snuggled up against him.
"Do you want me to get rid of that pest for you now? I think I better move before Mrs. Lynde burns me up in your fireplace. It's probably only some wild cat." He told her, now stroking her head softly, knowing she was sure to resent his theory.
Anne slowly took in his words. Whether he had her by mentioning Mrs. Lynde, the Cat or a sudden desire to toss his wicked self into the fireplace he found her reaction amusing. She suddenly pulls herself out of his embrace, propping her arms on both sides of him so that she could look him straight in his mocking eyes.
"It is not some feral Cat! What are you doing here any ways, Gilbert? I really don't believe a raccoon would be so concise to pull out a pot, drag it all the way to our Root Cellar only to drop it down our staircase either." She tried to look at him with an angry look in her eyes but Gilbert couldn't help but pout. Really, her rash movement at first hurt like, it was really painful but as she was lecturing him, he looked down not sure if he should feel guilty but not wanting to see her angry with him and ruining his good, if seriously painful, mood right now. His eyes fell slowly but then he found he better look up at her.
"Now what is it Gilbert? Why are you looking at me that way now?" She asked him feeling very tired.
"Anne, you need to either lay down or sit up please? If you don't, I just know I'll do something that surely you will beat me with that broom for." He looked down quickly over her and just as fast, looked up to make his point.
The site of her leaning over him so close that he could easily touch her first took his breath away. Anne though saw the situation differently of course. To her, Gilbert seemed more trapped than that poor animal she was sure must be huddling frightened back in one of the corners in the back of this room. The strange thought suddenly became overwhelmingly funny to her and she started to laugh at his ridiculous situation. Gilbert watched this unexpected reaction and at first he wondered if he should feel embarrassed about something? Then he just joined in with her laughing because this really was starting to become some kind of game between the two of them.
He liked to see it as some kind of ritual or right of passage. Every time he found himself alone with Anne, it felt like some invisible barrier between them was starting to fade away. Whittling away slowly and bringing them closer together. That type of thinking brought him now to a new kind of joy that he was more than happy to laugh and feel jolly over with her. Even if for now, it might only be for him to see now. It was enough to motivate him to do what he knew he must to make all of his dreams come true in life. Surely she will be his motivation when things grew more difficult and uneasy to manage at times.
He laughed with her and then just stared up at her with a satisfied smile. She noticed he had stopped and met his gaze with her own. She wondered how long they could stare at each other without blinking.
It took more than a moment before Gilbert finally gave in catching onto to her silly game.
"You blinked. I win!" She smiled with glee feeling rather superior over her witty advantage. Not quite willing to give into her completely. He knew he could have waited longer but he really was starting to wonder how long could this moment last before they were discovered and some wild scandal erupted from it? He cringed in anticipation of the pain he knew was coming but the temptation and moment of triumph was just too much for him to give up right now. He quickly turned her over and loved that he had her full attention as he pulled this stunt on her.
"Gilbert, please!" She protested, starting to quiver under the sudden shift of his weight against her.
"Just remember, Queen Anne. Sometimes I let you have the advantage over me. Not because you are so willful but because it really does make me laugh when you think you can best me in all things." He found this to be even more fun.
The quiet moment gave the other poor trapped animal the hopeful courage to try to make it's way across the floor but an abandoned piece of broken Carrot Anne threw earlier got the best of this hungry beast. It's sudden sprint though caught the two of them off their guard. Anne rolled Gilbert over but he was heavier than she cared to admit. Her action only threw her once more on top of him, forcing Gilbert to just sigh in repentance once again while he cushioned her fall.
"I'm sorry Gilbert." Anne said in an uncomfortable rush before she forced herself to rise up to her knees and brave her aching ankle to see how much she hurt it. She carefully pulled up her skirts to inspect it for damages.
Finally realizing he was free from her torture, so Gilbert first pulled up his knees and as if performing a well practiced sit-up he then lifted his torso, bracing his strong arms to boost himself up to his feet as well. This was however painful but he decided it was no worse than being thrown from a Horse or smacked good sideways by an ornery Heifer.
"Are you going to be well enough to walk right now?" She mentioned seeing how he had to gage so much of his weight just trying to make a stand.
"I can get up Anne. I'm tougher than you think. Though you sure love to put me to the test." He hoped she got his meaning, while he walked now across the room to a pile of left over onion sacks left under the staircase.
Gathering one up he pulled it methodically open and headed straight over to where he was sure he saw the poor fugitive run too. He had to bend at the knee to reach the animal but Gilbert bagged him quickly with a swift shove of his well heeled leather boot to it's backside.
He than held it up proudly for Anne to prove that it was indeed captured and ready for her inspection.
"You just can't resist showing off can you? I didn't even think of using one of those old onion sacks. Of course I really didn't want to find myself close enough to risk getting myself bit either." She honestly wished she wasn't so afraid of these wild animals.
"He didn't even come close. The carrot was a convenient distraction though." He thought he could give her a little credit for his easy capture.
"It could have easily bitten you Gilbert, if it wanted to. Your hands were much too close to it when you scooped it up. Why you didn't even wear your gloves." She shook her head in shame.
"That was kind of foolish of me but it would still require this crazy creature to drop his prize. I don't think there are too many things that will make any animal sacrifice something that they find dear to them very easily. Don't you agree?" He found there was a tinge of similarity in his sentiments and this amused him even more.
"I believe you have a good point Gilbert. You easily saw the solution to my problem. Much better than my plan I must admit." She confessed.
"Actually, I've done this more than a few times before, Anne. I think that is what made it so funny to watch you try to do it in the beginning. You are so stubborn at times. It might do you well to allow someone else to help you out once in a while." He offered her kindly, making a very strained bow.
"Poor Gilbert. I admit I am stubborn sometimes when I could benefit from the help of others. Most of the time, I only had my wits to see me through. If I could not find my own courage from within, I may not have gotten as far as I would have, if I always allowed someone else to face my challenges for me? This doesn't mean I'm not grateful for your assistance Gilbert. Rather, given a little more time and effort, I would have succeeded in getting that thing out of our Cellar.
"Now, let's see if we can be rid of it and if I can still put together a decent meal for my Family tonight." Anne smiled back at him and he nodded in agreement with her plan.
"So what will you have me do with this uninvited guest of yours? You really weren't planning on having him over for Dinner were you?" He peered into the sack and pretended he could see what was hiding away in his borrowed sack. He couldn't though because it was too dark to see what was really inside it. Now he grinned over at her marveling at her whimsical smile.
"Heavens, no! Do you suppose the thing is rabid, Gil?" She wondered cautiously, not wanting to set free something that might harm another.
"I really can't see it Anne. Rabid creatures panic a lot more. This poor soul, he probably is shivering itself to death as we speak." He reasoned and her compassionate heart granted his freedom.
"Here my Lady, please let me help you to your feet. I'm afraid I cannot join you there at this moment because I have this coon caught up in this sack. I must confess though this was an experience I doubt I'll ever forget. I'll say this Miss Shirley, you do have a way of making my visits here very meaningful." He gave her a bold wink before leaving her with something to think about. He is still awfully stiff but manages to help Anne to her feet as gracefully as his bruised back would allow him. She started to pull back her hand once she regained her balance. He waited until she looked up at him before raising her hand ceremoniously to his lips to kiss her hand softly.
Anne gives him a warning look but hadn't the heart to actually yank her hand back away from his. The way he has been looking at her lately was making her feel so nervous, sometimes even becoming clumsy around him now more than normal. She felt like she swallowed butterflies whole and they only started to flutter around when he walked into the room. She bows her head first, afraid that somehow her looks gave away what was in her heart.
He didn't however leave her but continued to wait patiently for her to give him her undivided attention once more.
"Thank you Anne. That was more than enough of a reward for this sorry back of mine. Who knows also, what strange and dreadful disease, this rodent could have been carrying? I'm only thankful that I made it here in time. I know all the boys in Avonlea would miss you terribly. Well, all except for the Blairs, who will be appreciative of the increase in business for Dark Suits and fancy handkerchiefs." He told her teasingly bringing a smile to those lips he longed forever to kiss. Such is life. He gave in to defeat once more while he started out on his way to getting rid of this stray.
"You better behave yourself Gilbert. Next time you might be finding that raccoon served up on a plate." She threatened him for his boldness.
"Sounds great! Just don't forget Mom's special BBQ sauce. It's a real winner." He offered up gleefully causing Anne to give up the fight. At least for the moment.
Anne picked up this unfortunate lantern and hung it on a nearby nail. She than reached over for the broom, so that she could clean-up the mess that she made, chasing both of those naughty rogues all about her Cellar. She re-checked the barrel that Gilbert sealed up earlier, just to make sure every one of them were securely locked up safely. That is after she made sure she had the ingredients she needed for her Chicken Dinner.
Gilbert walked through the well polished Entrance way and into the Kitchen for he planned on releasing his catch into the outer woods marker.
He reached out to unlock the Kitchen side door when, as if a Ghost walked over not only his future Grave but he was sure all those who fell before him as well! The tide of her entrance would surely send a sharp ripple throughout all of his Generations and maybe even those yet to come!