Typhoid & Gossip Ch 35: Anne - Late, an anne of green gables series fanfic

Author's Note:

Kushinka - Yes… Drama is coming next week :) Oh Gilbert will…

— Anne —

Thursday, July 7th, 2:00am

Apple Bough, Avonlea, PEI

I woke in Gilbert's bed, to him kneeling before me, his hand quickly covering my face so that my shock wouldn't wake the others. That he'd managed to walk up the stairs, I wanted to rejoice at him returning to normal only at his statement. He remembered our consummation of our future marriage. At least he did enough if he remembered the kiss.

I could only see a vague outline, and that he was exhausted was clear though. I sat up on the bed, reaching over to take the matches and light the lamp on the bedside. When we were encased in the warm glow I bit my lower lip. He clearly had been exhausted climbing the stairs for I could see it on his face. Perhaps when he'd hinted at the hope I'd come downstairs I should have, but I… I didn't want this conversation. Denial is far more comforting.

"Anne…" His hand cupped my cheek, yet I found I didn't want to think about it. Remember it. I pulled back, flushing at the memory of that kiss. And all else. It didn't help that due to the heat I'd not bothered with my nightgown and we were dressed much as we were then. "I'm kissing you soon as the month is up."

I bit my tongue, perhaps I should bring up what else we did, but this was not the place to talk about it. A sudden thought came, of remembering Diana complaining to me last September after her wedding how every older woman had asked if her courses ceased. That I was so late. I bit my tongue. I'd remembered Mrs. Hammond before each set of twins, well not the first set but the second two.

He sat on the bed's edge, and it felt it dip with his weight. I though kept the quilt pulled up as I sat with him. I might have been wanton once, but I would not again. My stomach though churned at the thought. Of anyone knowing. He wouldn't expect us to do such behavior again now, but three years until our wedding?

"Anne..." He grinned. "My mother would have a heart attack if she found us, don't know why they haven't given us a lecture yet. Well, Aunt Mary Maria has a few times, I guess they figure she's good enough to put enough fear into anyone about that."

I glared at him. "I think Gilbert that it's time you return back downstairs to your own bed. Clearly since you managed the stairs I can plan on in a few days returning to Green Gables and my own east gable. Where I dont need to worry about you accosting me in bed!" I hissed.

He leaned in close, "Rather tempted to move up our wedding date."

I bit my lip again, a nasty habit I'd fallen into this summer. Was it the perfect summer or a Jonah Summer? I could not tell. But then the practicalities of being raised by Marilla came before my eyes. "We really should stick to me going to Summerside. Three years will go past faster then we know..."

He sighed. "You're right, money will be tight even if we don't marry this summer, and I won't be able to afford to provide you much even after the first year. We'll do good to keep food on our table until. I graduate..."

I shoved him towards the door whispering. "Right now you best head downstairs to your own bed, before Aunt Mary Maria hears us and we've got a shot gun wedding this weekend."

He pulled me towards him, his back against the door and held me in a tight hug, kissing the top of my head. "Anne-girl, I can't wait to marry you, start a family and have a half dozen children, though at least one needs your hair."

I humphed. "Go back downstairs and to sleep. I'd rather they all have yours."

My sleep that night was fitful, nightmares of finding we were expecting, perhaps it was his comments, or the fact that I still was late, nearly two weeks now. Starving as Gilbert tried to study and I cared for our child, of course with red hair, rocking on our small rented room in some attic in Kingsport. Of people realizing and doing the math that the baby had not come early.

My monthly courses just had to come! I Rushed out of bed, I rushed to the toilet stand, to clean myself, a sponge bath before dressing.

The lack of blood on the cloth I used to clean myself made me nervous. I hadn't heard back from Stella, though I'd yet to fetch my mail from Green Gables. Perhaps I had an old belt at Green Gables I thought, and began to dig in my trunk. I was just late. It would come any day. My heart though was racing in fear, what if I wasn't just late? I dug through the trunk finding the crumpled drawers I'd worn that fateful night, I'd tear them up as rags for when my monthly did come. I hadn't dared look at them, or the stain on them. They were torn from him rubbing against them and had a strange milky stain that had hardened and flaked off slightly now near the waist band on the left side. I groaned at the memories they brought back. They were quite damaged. Testimony of what we'd done.

They also brought back the memory of the pain, my breast had hurt for days after hurt, testimony I was no longer a maiden. Well, I'd just pray hard my monthly started. At least, he wasn't upset, if he'd remembered the kiss, for remembering that meant he had to remember what we'd been doing, and I hadn't needed to confess to another that I wasn't a maiden anymore. Though the whole mechanics of the marriage bed still puzzled me. Why did a man need to try to squeeze out milk. I groaned and crumpling up the drawers again, hiding them at the bottom of the trunk. I couldn't face them even to tear them up. Hopefully it would forever be our secret that we hadn't waited, and that our first kiss had been beyond scandalous.

I dressed quickly, and went downstairs to find Gilbert asleep, clearly wiped out from his midnight adventure to visit me. I avoided him, glaring at him when he'd requested I read to him, reminding him that it was time he could read again himself. We were not expecting. I refused to think it. Willing away the fear of it, I threw myself into helping where ever I could that would keep me away from Gilbert.

I collected my mail from Green Gables, only to return planning to read them sitting in their orchard, near the window where Gilbert could see me, my anger ebbing slightly, though it'd flare and I'd wonder why he couldn't keep his hands to himself.

But when I returned, planning to fetch a blanket to sit on under the tree as I read, he'd tried too hard to push himself and had fallen and my letters were forgotten as I rushed to help him towards the porch and instead of reading my letters I found myself sitting on the rockers with him talking of everything but the worry we both had.

I did though read my letters, when he began to doze on his rocker, the first from Phil was quite descriptive, informing me far more about what Phil thought of Jo in bed then I cared to know, now that I knew the worse and Gilbert had confirmed it. There was no news from Summerside, but a cheery letter from Phil saying she'd try to come and visit soon, and was dying for the news I was hinting at.

I grabbed his hand, and truthfully what was done was done. They of course all knew we were engaged, but were waiting. I heard Mr. Fletcher come by when I was dozing in the rocker beside Gilbert, that his daughter, Gilbert's younger cousin would be coming home from Queens in time for the dinner. And offered to bring things over. "Will be glad when they finally set things right with their news... never seen gossip so bad in Avonlea."

Gilbert joined us for dinner at the table, though he still had to eat soft and easy foods, enjoying his first slice of fresh bread though as we all gleamed at him. He'd had to return to bed right afterwards, and his father and I helped him into his bed clothes. Well, I turned down the bed, and Mr. Blythe helped him with his bed clothes. We both knew, Gilbert and I, that our lack of chaperoning would fall away as the danger for his life ended.

Friday I woke bright and early, and still no sign of my monthly. My stomach was beginning to turn with worry, and I couldn't eat. What if we were? What if? They must have noticed, for Mr. Blythe who patted my hand and suggested I have some day old bread instead of the eggs as they were eating, and that I really should call him John now. Gilbert who had joined us, though still in his nightshirt, for Aunt Mary Maria insisted he had to return to bed after eating. Looked at me in worry through it.

So I'd found myself worrying my insides, as I tossed and turned back in Gilbert's room, in his bed. What would his folks say if it was true? What would Marilla? Oh I could never live it down. What I had eaten I lost to the chamber pot with my worry, and unable to sleep I then went up, and decided to visit Diana again.

That her baby be called beautiful would be like calling a cow a chicken. Little Fred Wright was perhaps the ugliest baby I'd ever seen, but still, adorable in his own way. He had Fred's fat cheeks, and was still red all over, though I maintained the required five foot distance from him and Diana as I exclaimed over him visiting Diana in her parlor. I couldn't stay long though, and wandered far and near, and remembering that Ecco lodge was opening up again I thought to visit, but a glance down at my hand and my ring, instead I found myself drawn back to Apple Bough.

So I spent the afternoon instead with Gilbert, him now able to walk himself to the porch and instead of the rockers, we enjoyed the porch swing, bundled up despite the warm afternoon, and his hand hidden beneath the blanket covering us, holding mine, near my stomach. I daydreamed to the future, my stomach large as Diana's had been only weeks before, rocking with him on the swing, the first signs of spring, his hand over our child. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad I thought as I fell asleep in the warm breeze, my head on his shoulder as we rocked back and forth.

And so when over dinner, Gilbert reaching for my hand often under the table when everyone was praising how much Gilbert was improving, and the dinner planned for the next night. I smiled. We'd of course visit Diana and Fred after church the next morning to announce our news. I could just imagine it, for I didn't doubt Gilbert would be well enough to leave his bed.

"Perhaps you two might wish to visit Ecco Lodge in the afternoon?" John Blythe said as he dished his plate. "I ran into Steven Irving this afternoon and he asked me to pass on the invite. If you think Gilbert you're up for a drive tomorrow?"

He was holding my hand under the table, and squeezed it, grinning at his father. "I think I will be, won't be up for a ramble walking that far, but I'm sure we'll manage the horse, especially if I rest a spell there for a quick nap before we return."

"Good, that's settled then. You're cousin's coming home and it'll be a right good time, I'm sure Green Gables folks will be over by the time you get back. We'll start our celebrations then, and looking forward to your announcement though we've all guessed."

I bit my lip. They'd of course demand of us tomorrow night when we planned to marry. That summer or in three years? Wisdom said to wait three years if we weren't expecting, and most would expect that announcement. Perhaps it would be best to share my worry with him the next day. But if we were... I didn't know what we'd do, let alone the conversation to tell him, and others. Perhaps we'd have a picnic first, where we could talk about it, and so what was originally to be a day outing morphed into a picnic lunch followed by tea at Ecco Lodge. We might be as poor as church mice, and if we married whether or not a child was born my employment options would be limited. My mind whirled that night as I tried to sleep. How could we afford the next three years? And even if we were expecting, we couldn't risk more children. I didn't sleep at all that night, instead I tossed and turned, worrying over the future. And the most difficult conversation the next day.

—*—*—*—*—*—

Author's Note:

Hello lovely readers! I greatly enjoy going on this journey with you, pursuing what would have happened had Anne been the one to discover Gilbert ill with Typhoid on the way home, and the gossip they might incite. Due to increased workload, some writers block that I had, and longer chapters then I started out with I'll be needing to change the posting schedule.

This is a growing and learning experience writing this, and I plan to continue it, but the lead I've maintained of writing ahead of posting by 10-20 chapters I've now lost and I'm down to just 3 chapters ahead completed, and two currently in the first draft. For this reason starting next week I'll be switching to posting 3x a week, Sundays (generally some weeks may be early Monday), Wednesdays & Fridays.

I am currently writing / editing chapters 39 & 40 and have planned for the story to be 60-61 chapters total. (The epilogue will be Davy's letter with all his questions and that will be chapter 60 or 61 TBD). I am focusing on writing and not editing chapters posted at this time, until I'm back to being a few weeks ahead (which will be easier with this new schedule). I will though for certain go through and edit the whole story for minor inconstancies and wrong names etc, when I finish the whole story.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and I'll see you Sunday night for the next chapter.

Nell