Typhoid & Gossip Ch 40: Anne - Reality, an anne of green gables series fanfic

Author's Note:

Anneomine - Yes Aunt Mary Maria should be blamed for much and she will go home… eventually.

DrinkThemIn - Yes… so much more to sort out and now they're dealing with the gossip.

Kushinka - So in that time a married woman had some limited options for working. Anne could write, may be able to find a teaching job but most wouldn't hire a married woman in fear she'd quit to have a baby. I envision her likely to be able to do some side work to help support them, but not able to in the same way if they wait to marry. Likely with the birth control they'd have access to and reasonable usage of it, they'd have about a 20% chance of getting pregnant each years… likely they'd be pregnant even trying not to be by year 3. But with Anne she'd likely be doing some teaching and or writing.

Faith-hope-and-glory - Yes I tried hard to show them struggling with the consequences of how they handle the gossip, and how they want to handle it differently, and the fears they're being pulled by.

— Anne —

Sunday, July 10th, 8:00am

Apple Bough, Avonlea, PEI

Mornings always are fresh with no mistakes in them. And there was something wonderful to wake in Gilbert's arms. That I had a lifetime to look forward to it. I heard a few noises below, and adjusted slightly to notice that Gilbert had his own dried tears in his eyes, though clearly his dream was much as that first night. The shock of the evidence had me flying from the bed, I heard him stirring and not wishing to discuss it, I rushed to the window, opening it to breath in the fresh air. "Oh Gil, the world smells so fresh and clean, as though the storm has washed it all pristine."

"Anne..." He spoke slowly. I blushed realizing I was standing there in just my chemise and drawers. I rushed to the pile of my clothes from the day before. "We need to talk about this."

I was closing the busk of my corset and paused glancing towards him. Of course he sat staring and watching me dress. We were married I reminded myself, in our odd way. "Of course, but I should dress. I wish to run over to Green Gables and change into another dress and have breakfast with Stella and Pris before church. Will you be up to going to church this morning or do you need to rest, your head?"

"It's fine." He cut me off, sighing and then rose from bed himself, turning his back to me. Muttering something about needing to think of Davy begging him to go fishing or Aunt Mary Maria. Truly it made no sense.

I'd begun to roll up my stockings, using the desk to raise my leg, as it made attaching the hose support ribbons to the stockings easier. I wanted to run but the truth was I needed to ensure we were on the same page. "Gil?"

"Anne, we need to confess the truth." His words burst out, but then he stopped, staring. I glanced towards him to see him staring at my leg with only two of the hose supports attacked of the four for that side. He swiftly turned away to put on his suit from the day before. "It'll look bad, but it'll look worse when our lies come out..."

"No." I glared at him as I quickly attacked the last of the support, thankful I'd already completed the other leg before he'd began to stare. I flounced my petticoats back down and glared at him. "Gilbert, it's not our dream wedding, but I'm too scared of you loosing the Cooper. You don't remember, you didn't hear the gossip. Gil, it was horrible! Our own neighbors. I... I overheard Charlie Sloane say he'd followed you and swore we were meeting in the woods near Patty's Place before graduation. That I was a light skirt, he claimed I was lifting my skirts to you and likely Roy and who knows whom other.."

"He what?" He broke from his haze, and his strange stance of standing with his pants still clutched in his hand half pulled up, they dropped, before he hurried to snatch them, finally pulling them on. "We didn't, you didn't."

"I know we didn't." I sighed. "Gil, if anyone asks, we'd convinced a minster to officiate, he was quite handsome in his brown suit, and we'd made our vows in a garden that was enchanted just for us. That's what I'll tell the girls."

"Anne, I think it's time you told me every detail of what happened, in order, from when I ran into you until I woke up from the Typhoid."

I pulled on my dress, beginning to button it up, in the hidden placket under my left arm. "There's a few tears in the skirt, but I'm afraid it'll have to do, I'll be heading home to Green Gables after church, you're welcome to join us. I'll be staying there tonight with the girls though."

"Anne," He stalked towards me, buttoning his own shirt and I flushed as he stood close, the intensity in his eyes scared me. "Soon as we have time for that private conversation I expect it in detail. Especially of our wedding night that according to you all of Avonlea knows more about then I do, every question no matter how awkward... Wife."

I gulped. "Yes Gil."

He reached past me, for a fresh tie, from the top drawer of his dresser. "I don't like lying, and I've never known you to do so."

"Gil, I'm just too scared of what folks will say if they knew. And if we are expecting... I can't let our child be conceived in scandal."

Finishing the tie, he turned to me. "Then you best make sure they never find out, because I don''t know if I can face you, if we loose everything. Anne, this is a nightmare. This isn't the future I dreamed for us. Lying! But I'll keep my mouth shut for our child, as much as I hate lying. At least before you lied to everyone last night we could have redeemed ourselves, admit our failures, and survived. I had a fever, you were trying to save my life. But now? This is your scrape Anne, yours to find the answer. The sooner this marriage is legal, the better. And I won't lie. I won't deny, but any questions can go to you. I'll just say you tell it better."

Our faces are less then an inch apart. "Gil..."

"And you best stay at Green Gables until the month is up. You're not sleeping in my bed again until you're legally my wife, if were not married legally when I'm all clear of Typhoid you can invent an excuse why you're staying at Green Gables longer."

I gulped. "Gil?"

He reached out, caressing my cheek with his thumb. "You think we're really expecting?"

I felt tears well up. "I assume so. I mean we did procreate, and your father told me after we brought you upstairs, that even Rachel is convinced we are."

He nodded slowly his hand covering mine that had fallen to my belly still covered by my corset, absently I thought I would need a maternity corset like Diana still wore since the birth of little Fred in a few months. He glanced up at my eyes, biting his lip, a wild look in them. He swallowed and spoke, his voice cracking. "Best head down and eat, you're eating for two now."

I gulped, and quickly finished my toilet before slipping out of the room into the world beyond.

The downstairs was bustling, several stranded guests helping clean up before hurrying home to prepare for church. I stepped into the kitchen and biting my lip watched as the ladies scurried about making sure the men were fed.

"Gilbert up?" Abby asked. "I'll get you both a plate."

I nodded, trying to not turn bright red. "He'll be down in a few minutes I'd think."

"Sit. Eat." Mrs. Lynde nodded to the kitchen table, where one seat was left. "She should have day old bread. I've seen her expelling the contents of her stomach Abby lately. Soon as you eat Gilbert can drive the two of us to Green Gables. Marilla was mighty afraid of what mischief Davy might get into, didn't think your two friends could handle him. So was heading back soon as the crack of dawn. It'll be your first Sunday back at church as a married woman and you best change into something more sensible. That rich brown Sunday dress should do."

Somehow though I had hoped for time to think alone on the walk home to Green Gables, I found myself being driven in the wagon the Blythes had with Mrs Lynde sitting beside Gilbert pelting us with questions about the wedding, how far along I was and all my symptoms. Gilbert just kept saying I told things better, and I found myself repeating until it became more and more true in my mind the story I'd invented for him that morning.

We'd arrived finally and she'd told him to wait while I changed and we'd bring the girls to church with us, while she would ride with the rest of Green Gables in the other wagon. I rushed upstairs, finding Pris and Stella in my east gable with Dora dressing. They grabbed my arms and pulled me into the room.

"You sly thing!" Pris laughed. "Why didn't you tell any of us you were eloping, leaving Phil's wedding early."

"I… we hand't planned it. It was rather impulsive. Truly like I told you I hadn't seen him before we ran into each other on the way home. Well, he ran into me, just as the train was leaving Kingsport. Knocked me over, and next thing I knew he was lying on top of me staring into my eyes."

"That's romantic!" Little Dora sighed. "Did he kiss you then?"

I flushed as I pulled open my trunk searching for the right dress, pulling it out I fluffed out the wrinkles. Thankfully there were few for it had been carefully folded on top. "Our first true kiss was to seal our impulsive vows."

They sighed at that.

"You really eloped? Within hours of running into each other?"

I worked on removing the green dress to replace it with the brown one. "I… I've always only been the only one for Gilbert." I truly did hate lying. But more than that I feared the truth being known. "And next thing I knew we were married. Anne Blythe. I'm still getting used to it."

"But what about a regular wedding. Didn't you want a proper wedding?" Dora asked.

I turned from them briefly, adjusting the dress, forcing my eyes to clear. I was doing this for our child. Giving up my dreams of an ideal wedding. And Gilbert, how could he be so cold? It really was better to hide our mistakes at such a grand scale, could he not see our whole future was at stake. "I don't regret it." I forced a false cheer into my voice. "Whirlwind yes. But, romantic, ever so much so." And I forced myself to remember instead that moment of our vows. When I was praying my fears were not true. That we had a future we could trust ahead of us.

Thankfully the conversation until we reached the church had shifted to hearing about the girls adventures since we'd parted at Phil's wedding. None of us had heard much from her, though Pris laughed saying she expected a whole lot more details on the marriage bed from Phil then me, for I'd been surprisingly quiet on it. But then I didn't dare admit that Gilbert seemed to have no memory of that night.

Everyone openly stared Gilbert and I as he lead me into the Apple Bough pew, to which Pris & Stella followed Davy & Dora to the Green Gables pew. I sat straight though, stiffly keeping my hand when we were seated in Gilbert's though his felt sweaty and shook periodically. Finally though the service was over, and we were able to step out. Several of our neighbors and friends came to congratulate us, only after a bit I noticed Mr. Philips and Prissy coming towards us.

"Mr. & Mrs. Blythe." Mr. Philips spoke stiffly. "Scandal seems to follow you two. Thankfully none in our hotel though caught Mr. Blythe's typhoid so that should be a benefit. Though it was quite clear you weren't too worried about catching it Mrs. Blythe. You always did prefer his company when you were my student. But then, it's clear he's always been wrapped around your little finger since you broke that slate on his head all those years ago. He said you were keeping secrets. Things didn't quite add up when you stayed at the hotel. Let me tell you I believe in finding the truth. Always the truth."

"Gosh," Prissy smiled shaking her head at her husband. "Teddy's always a stickler for propriety but then Gilbert told me all about the wedding when he checked you both in. So romantic! To elope as soon as he proposed! I've been hearing all the gossip. Don't mind Teddy, we've spent far too much time with our mothers this summer I'm afraid and it's rather been affecting him. But then Teddy's got friends in high places and means to move up, there's talk of him taking over a hotel in Kingsport soon, a friend of his had talked him into it. Gardiner something or other. Well, I must be going!"

I felt Gilbert shaking, and leaned into the arm I had wrapped my own around, whispering. "Gilbert this is the truth now. We have to be united. We can't risk…"

He wrapped his free arm to squeeze my hand on his arm, his bible and hymn book pressed into his arm like a football on the other side. "Anne, today, the truth. Let's go for a ramble."

I glanced over towards the girls. "The girls are heading home tomorrow. We'll drive them to the station then we'll talk. Tomorrow. And you should rest."

"Tomorrow." He stared into my eyes. "Everything. Leave nothing out. Especially our wedding night. Every detail."

I gulped. How could I talk about what we'd done? I could explain most of it, but what had happened in that bed? I'd already told him and he wanted more details.

—*—*—*—*—

Author's Note: Hello Lovely Readers!

So good news I went through the outline and realized that there was so much more depth to expose of Anne & Gilbert struggling with the truth vs pushing under the rug their mistakes and sins. So… the story has been tentatively expanded to 80 chapters instead of the original 60. Did you know that when I first started this story I envisioned this story to be just 60-80k, and now I'm looking at 140-160k! Oh well, we'll keep on the adventure, and more to enjoy.

So some hints of what's to come… Anne & Gilbert are going to go visit Uncle Dave and meets some of the folks in the Four Winds. So With the revised outline we're now at the halfway point.