Typhoid & Gossip Ch 36: Gilbert - Celebration, an anne of green gables series fanfic

Author's Note:

DrinkThemIn - Glad you caught up and loved all your comments on every single chapter! Part of that conversation is below, and continue to enjoy the story! And your comment about Meg- I imagined her a social climber who likes to drop names of important people, and imagine she's one of them.

Faith-Hope-and-glory - Thanks for your encouragement, and yes Anne is worried sick and will continue to be, and yes she should have that conversation and originally I had her have that conversation a few chapters ago, then changed it because it just felt more intense to wait…

Kushinka - Sorry… the full conversation is still a few chapters away. I actually haven't even written it yet. :D

YodaChick - Reread the last chapter :) The clues are there.

Astrakelly - Thanks for the encouragement, and yes eventually Anne will tell Gilbert everything.

— Gilbert —

Saturday, July 9th, 7:00am

Apple Bough, Avonlea, PEI

I woke up early, grinning. Our families would be gathering that afternoon and finally it would be public knowledge that Anne Shirley was the future Mrs. Dr. Gilbert Blythe soon as I completed medical school. Though with her not hiding her ring, we knew everyone already had assumed, but still tonight there would be a toast to our future marriage when I announced it. I grinned at the thought, only the fear of the repercussions of what happened on the way home. Our two nights in the hotel, and the scandal that would create if it became known. I was determined that I would be worthy of Anne, be the best doctor to provide for our family and until I graduated I swore that morning I would not touch her more than any engaged man should his fiancé. Having learned to not trust myself and my carnal desires from my dreams, I was determined that though I fully intended to kiss her as soon as the month was up, I would be the perfect gentleman.

I rose slowly, and though over the typhoid, I knew it would take me months to restore my full strength, though I hoped I'd have plenty fo sweet rambles this summer with my fiancé. So I dressed with a smile in my Sunday best, because today I was going to propose properly to Anne the way she always deserved.

There was pleasure to be found in performing my own basic toilet, dressing in my Sunday best, and shaving my own face for the first time since I'd gotten sick. I had a new shirt Mother had made me, fitted to my thinner frame, though the suit hung slightly loose. I came to the entrance to see Anne finishing some touches to her hair in the entrance mirror dressed in a flowing green dress that seemed ethereal on her, and caught my breath. She pinned her hat on, slipped her gloves and took my arm.

"Now I've got your hamper tied to the back of the buggy. You're all packed Anne?" Dad asked.

"Oh," She smiled up at me. "While you were dressing this morning, I realized I've been gone from Green Gables far too long, and as you've made the stairs and no doubt wish for your own room back. Davy's coming to fetch my trunk for they're begging for me to be back tonight. A surprise Davy says though knowing him that means a hundred questions and someone truly must answer them. And I could see it in Marilla's eyes, she misses me being under the roof of Green Gables, she needs me home for a time. And we'll need to deep clean the spare room now that you're recovering..."

Dad helped us both into the buggy, with my strength still not what it was, handed me the reigns and we were off. "So, I've an idea of where we should picnic Carrots. A spot I doubt you've found before, bit far for a ramble, but with the buggy we'll make good time, with our stop at Ecco Lodge on the way back, a little cove on the shore beyond White Sands. I'd always wanted to take you there."

We passed a few on our way, Anne likely could have repeated the whole conversations and whom we met. I'm afraid I only had eyes for her, except for stopping to greet Charlie and Josie riding the other way back from White Sands I barely noticed whom we passed.

"Charlie, Josie." I grinned as I pulled the horse to a stop so we could greet them.

"Your'e not dead." Josie stared at me, but they hadn't stopped themselves.

"Nope." I shrug. "Anne wouldn't let me die, made it very clear I'm not allowed to go any time soon. Though I came close."

Charlie stuck his nose up. "Yes, well we all heard what sort of medicine Anne provided. If you don't mind we're in a hurry. Did you hear Jane Andrews is back, as is her sister Prissy with her husband. We've been invited over for luncheon, and would rather not be late. I'm sure you remember Mr. Philip's, Prissy's husband."

Something nagged in the back of my mind about them, but I just laughed. "He was always making moon eyes and it took Anne breaking her slate on my head to even notice anyone but Prissy."

"I'd forgotten he'd married her." Anne sighed. "Well, we're off for a picnic, tell Jane hello for me would you Josie? I'll stop by and see her next week now that Gilbert's on the mend."

"Yes." She smirked before turning to Charlie and we continued on towards White Sands and them towards Carmody where the Andrew's home was located.

I didn't think much of it, for everyone knew both Josie and her sister Gertie always had a thing for me, and Charlie, well there was a good reason I had taken to sleeping with Anne's photo under my pillow instead of my night stand and that was his own infatuation with her for years. Though thankfully he seemed to have moved on. So I wrapped my arm around Anne's shoulder and drove us one handed towards the cove I knew of beyond the White Sands hotel by about a mile.

It was small, hard to get to, and if the tide was high impossible to reach, though part of the cove sand always remained dry except for in the King tide. The tide was out when we parked the buggy, and from the looks of it we'd leave in time to enjoy ourselves even a nap before leaving for our tea at Ecco Lodge. I helped Anne down, and she took the hamper and quilt on top of it, and I lead her down the path to the shore beyond, then shaking around the cliffs, we approached the small cove, where only a person standing above on the cliff edge would be able to see us, or a lone fisherman. We found a spot on the dry sand, shaded by the cliffs above, and setup the quilt, and laid out the picnic.

"Gil..." Anne said as she unpacked the sandwiches that Mother made us. "What will we tell our families tonight? They'll want to know when we plan to marry... But perhaps we might want to marry now, I almost lost you..."

"We'll be practical. We can't afford to marry until I graduate."

She bit her lip watching the waves not looking at me. "Perhaps we should marry this summer, I..."

"Anne, but we've got to be practical. The truth is. Anne, I can't afford to support a family on the Cooper. Between commitments for the Cooper at the Clinic, and what they pay me at the clinic, and not to talk of medical school. I've seen the life the students lead. Anne, I won't even have enough extra for new clothes in the next three years unless I take summer jobs, just supporting myself, and only the plainest fare. And I couldn't work this summer." I slammed my fist against the sand. "Anne I'll provide well for our family once I'm done with medical school, maybe not right away, but a Doctor will be a good career to provide for our family. But if we married now, we'd struggle just to put food on the table this year."

"So practicality wins over romance?" She asked, leaning against me, her hand on her small waist. "Gil, what if there are consequences of the hotel?"

"Consequences?"

"You know, for what we did, at the hotel..." She wouldn't look at me, instead stared out at the waves.

"We'd face them together, and I'd marry you today if I could afford it." I cupped her chin in my hand so she'd look at me. "But as much as I hate the thought of three years apart from you, we've got to be practical. We'd best wait."

Her eyes were wet with tears. "Marry me today then."

"Anne?"

"Oh we'll do the proper wedding in three years, but let us swear and speak our vows today." Her own hand had reached for mine. "Hester Gray's garden would be a short walk from the New Bridge road on our way back from Ecco Lodge, this afternoon. Let us make our vows, to swear our lives together. In sickness, health, for richer and for poorer, until death do us part, and then I beg our children will burry us in one grave together."

"Anne... I..." My eyes were on her lips. "I'll be kissing you properly soon as the month is up. I'm not risking you getting the typhoid."

We sat there, our sandwiches forgotten, foreheads pressed together. Until I pulled away, and we ate. Then for a blessed two hours in the mid day, as the sun came down, Anne and I slept together on the quilt, our faces hidden from the sun by our hats, our hands entwined.

I misjudged the tide though when it's time to leave,and we had damp feet as we scurried across just in time, our boots in my hands as Anne carried the hamper, and we laughed.

We were packing up the buggy when I suddenly froze, remembering the committee. "Anne... it's not that I don't wish to marry you, it would be better I don't draw attention to myself. Well, it would be better if we wait. The ethics and moral agreement I signed. Anne, if anyone found out about our journey home, it might cause a scandal that my scholarship might not survive."

She sighed. "Me too... I've a letter from Summerside, I'll read it tomorrow, no doubt more info on the morals and ethics. I am certain they've sent more to me on their expectations on the standards of the character of the principal at the high school then what they expect me to teach! Thankfully they'll know about the hotel..."

"Anne, let's not worry about that. No one knew us there."

She bit her lip and looked away. "No, no one did, but what if there's evidence?"

"Evidence?" I laughed. "I don't think we have to worry about that."

She glared at me. "There might be consequences... Consequences we can't hide."

"Anne, we'll face it together then. But I rather don't think anyone will ever know."

"They'lol know..."

"Anne..." I helped her into the buggy.

Her face was white when she turned to me. "Gil, we should talk about it tomorrow but I'm scared. I'm late."

I tapped her nose before turning around to the other side of the buggy. "We'll worry about that tomorrow and you're right we're late for Ecco Lodge. Tomorrow then, and there's nothing to worry about. No one will notice. Nothing we did do we need to worry about repercussion besides gossip. I think I remember most of that time now."

"Tomorrow." She sighed. "You really think so?"

"Yes."

We had a wonderful time at Ecco Lodge, laughing, smiles, and a joyful gasp from Miss Lavender and Charlotta the fourth when they saw Anne's ring. And so they were the first to hear our news. They'd been invited that evening to dine at the White Sands hotel with some friends of theirs, and with our own announcement coming to our families when we got home, and joined them for dinner and my own energy waning, thinking I could sleep until noon the next day already, we climbed into the buggy, and Anne taking one glance at my exhausted face, took the reigns, and signaled the horse to get going, before wrapping her arm around my waist, letting me lean into her.

"Gil, should we tell them you're too tired? Make our announcement so you can rest? Wait a few days to do our own vows? We could meet at sunrise..."

I shook my head. "Now. Anne-girl. We'll call it my proper proposal. The one we can tell our grandchildren about."

So I let Anne drive us towards Hester Gray's Garden, and when we were as close as we could be, we left the buggy and hand in hand we walked towards the garden. She'd sat me down to rest on the bench there, and hurried about preparing our crowns of flowers. Wild white roses she wove with other flowers she called Phlox and bouncing bets. She wove them into crowns and placed one reverently upon my head, our hats abandoned upon the green mint at our feet, and the other she held for me to place upon her head. I tried to kneel, yet she pulled me towards her, and we whispered reverently vows pledging our lives together. The usual vows I've heard through the years in church weddings and we'd make one day, and vows only Anne would think of. Too cherished to even retell to another. We'd only broken briefly to hear a brown sparrow singing above us, before my own vows were replaced by hers even more precious then my own.

I ended it with a growl. "I'm going to kiss you Anne Shirley properly soon as Dr. Spenser says the mo..." I hadn't a chance to finish it, for she pulled me to her, kissing me with abandonment. When I could finally speak I pulled back just enough to speak, though I kept her in my arms. "Anne! It's too dangerous. We can't risk you catching typhoid, I can't loose you..."

Tears were running down her eyes. "Gil, the night you finally broke the fever, I almost lost you three times. Three times you stopped breathing and I... I... I breathed for you until you could breath again, one kiss to seal our vows. Providence will not take me from you for sealing our vows... Now, lets head home, knowing Davy he'll have Marilla making plum puffs and I could swear I saw your mother working on one of her strawberry apple cakes she's known for. And am I now not your helpmate? Perhaps we must wait to call me wife, but helpmate I've sworn to be. And your helpmate is determined to see you home, to enjoy our families celebrating our news and then you'll sleep and dream of me tonight in your own bed and I in mine until I can meet you with the Cuthbert veil upon my head, and meet you in the Green Gables orchard." She spoke as we climbed into the buggy again.

"Perfect, Future Mrs. Dr. Gilbert Blythe." I grinned before falling asleep, my head resting on hers as she started us on our way home. "But let's get them to hurry up that cake, for I am ready already for bed. Wish you weren't returning home tonight. I'll miss our midnight visits."

"And that, Gil, is why I should return to Green Gables! But I'll be back, for another ramble after church to talk more." She clapped the reigns and all was right in the world.

—*—*—*—*—*—*—

Author's Note: Please remember Gilbert's pre-med at this point, and though has more info then Anne, the conversation which happened in part, went over both their heads.