Once back at the picnic, Marilla asked, a touch amused, "Everything all right, Gilbert?"
He nodded, getting his breath. "Just...thought I left the oven on, is all."
Anne frowned. There was nothing in the picnic that would have used the oven; they were having sandwiches, salad, and cake. "Took an awfully long time to turn it off," she said. "Did you make this lemonade? It's delicious!"
Matthew said, "Glad you're back."
Marilla wondered if Gilbert wanted them to eat first and he'd pop the question after lunch was over, or if he was going to ask now and they'd eat in celebration afterward.
Gilbert didn't seem to know which way he wanted it to go, either.
Marilla commented, "This is such a pretty place, isn't it? I love the pond."
Walter, also looking at the pond and seeing that ducks were coming into view, skipped closer to look at them. "Look, Mama, there's babies," he called back.
"What a nice surprise," Anne said to him. "I haven't seen any new ones yet."
"Good, then we have two surprises," Walter said happily, coming back over to join them.
"Walter, hush," Marilla said quietly.
Anne looked back and forth from Walter to Marilla.
"Gil-ber, give Mama the surprise now," Walter pressed.
"Walter," Marilla said a tad harsher.
"What surprise?" Anne asked.
Walter could not wait any longer and burst out, "Gil-ber not gonna go away no more. Now we can stay together all the time."
Gilbert let out a sigh. "He's talking about school. I got the Avonlea school, Anne. I interviewed and they offered me the position a couple of weeks ago...I'll be teaching here."
"But how..."
"I've decided to do my Redmond courses by correspondence," Gilbert said slowly. Should he ask right now? "...So that I can stay here with you."
Anne couldn't have been more surprised. "Oh, Gilbert, that's wonderful! You don't know how I've been dreading you going back! I didn't want to say it because I knew you'd just feel bad that I felt bad, and it wouldn't do us any good to be sad about it, even together, but- oh, I'm so glad!"
That alone would have been enough to make Anne's day, but Walter was not satisfied.
"Gil-ber give the present," he insisted.
"I think you and I ought to take a little walk," Marilla said, reaching out for Walter's hand. The little boy could not keep his mouth shut, and she wasn't going to let him spoil Gilbert's proposal.
"No, it's all right, I…" Gilbert laughed. He didn't want Marilla or Walter to miss the big moment. "You know what? Let's all walk," he suddenly said. "Let's go see the ducklings, Walter."
Gilbert really just needed a reason for Anne to get up. How could he get down on one knee and pop the question, if she wasn't standing up?
They walked around the perimeter of the pond, Gilbert feeling his jacket pocket where the ring was waiting.
He wanted to ask, but somehow it didn't seem...special enough now. Ducklings, reeds, a frog or two...it was a very pretty day, full of sunshine, the sky a clear robin's egg blue, but still...this was his simple country home, and he wanted Anne to be somewhere breathtaking- some place that matched her beauty, like a starlit balcony maybe.
But he didn't have a starlit balcony.
"Anne," he said slowly as they walked. "You know, you mean a lot to me."
You mean a lot to me? he asked himself in disgust. So does a library book. Say something better than that!
"You mean a lot to me, too," Anne said happily. "I'm so happy you don't have to go away. I was kind of dreading his birthday," she said regretfully, gesturing to Walter, "Because I knew that right after it you'd have to leave."
"We don't have a duck pond at home," Walter said loudly. "I'm glad we gonna live here, Mama, 'cuz now we got ducks!"
Anne looked at him. "Live here with the ducks?" she repeated.
I've got to stop putting this off or Walter will propose for me, he thought desperately.
He put starlit balconies out of his mind and came back to reality.
"Anne," he said. He stopped walking suddenly, taking both her hands into his own, looking deep into her eyes.
Anne could feel the very atmosphere around them shift, and startled, she looked at him.
Her breath seemed to catch in her throat. What…
Gilbert dropped to one knee. "When I met you, my life changed. You do that, you know, you- you make everything new, and different, and…"
"Gilbert," she exhaled, as if she could not process what he was doing.
"I love you, Anne. I worked it out so I can stay in Avonlea because I don't want to spend one more minute of my life without you. Being apart has been the most agonizing time of my life- and I'm done with that- if you would-" fumbling, he reached into his jacket pocket for the ring- "If you would agree to be my wife, I'd be the happiest man in the world...I only hope I'm worthy of you, darling. But I promise you I will do everything humanly possible to give you the life you deserve- you and Walter." His shining eyes were full of hope. "Will you marry me?"
Anne's mouth opened, but- so unlike herself, she found herself rendered speechless- and only a surprised breath escaped her.
Her first thought was to look over at her parents.
There was Matthew, dear Matthew, giving her a quiet, approving nod, and Marilla, standing with her hands clasped together under her chin, her smile wide and her eyes sparkling.
Anne looked back at Gilbert, laughing now. She felt tears spring to her eyes and before she knew it they were rolling down her cheeks.
She did not even stop to answer him. She leaned in and found her lips at his, unashamed to be kissing him in front of Matthew and Marilla, because now they were engaged.
They were engaged.
Marilla realized, then, why Gilbert had wanted them there.
Oh, sure, a part of it was his kindness in allowing them to witness the moment.
But the larger part was that he knew if he asked Anne to marry him, the very first thing Anne would say was But what will Mar-
With Matthew and Marilla invited along to be spectators, Anne knew instantly, without a doubt, that things were settled.
And because she knew that, she was just free to be as happy as she could be the very moment he asked her. There was to be no hesitation, no delay, no worry over if it would be allowed.
Marilla became emotional again with that realization. Gilbert truly did think of everything.
Now she watched as they kissed.
When Anne finally pulled away- tears still coming down- yet laughing despite them- Gilbert asked, "Is that a yes, then?"
They both laughed. "Yes," Anne said.
"Well," Marilla spoke up, clearing her throat, trying to settle her emotion, "I think the two of you ought to take a little stroll on your own, don't you? We'll look after Walter."
"I go too," Walter said, wiggling away from Marilla.
But she caught him, saying, "No, you stay right here with us."
Gilbert looked at Anne- his own eyes wet- and without a word offered her his arm. She took it, smiling quietly at him, and walking close together as one, they left to take that stroll.
Marilla and Matthew watched as they walked away.
"She ain't our little girl anymore," Matthew commented after a moment. "Makes you right emotional, don't it?"
"Fiddlesticks," Marilla answered, wiping inconspicuously at the corner of her eye. "There's no reason for all the fuss. She'll be so close by, after all, it won't be like anything's changed."
But her voice sounded a bit wobbly, Matthew noticed, and so he reached out and took his sister's hand, offering her- in his gentle and steady way- a quiet moment of solidarity.