Typhoid & Gossip Ch 45: Anne - Ecco Lodge, an anne of green gables series fanfic

Author's Note:

Fun fact - did you know that LM Montgomery based the figure of Anne on Evelyn Nesbit an American artists model? Look her up. Found that in the Anne of Green Gables wiki.

— Anne —

Thursday, July 14th, 4:00pm

Ecco Lodge, Middle Graften, PEI

I was a nervous butterfly as Gilbert and I walked towards Ecco Lodge. He carried a small valice with our things, mostly mine as he'd only planned to spend one night while I'd spend a few days. I'd blushed when he'd slipped the paper parcel he'd tied with twine of the few items he'd need into the top of my valice. So arm in arm we'd rambled across fields and woods towards Ecco lodge, taking the shorter back fields route.

We'd arrived in time for a late tea, and as expected Miss Lavender, for even though she was a happily married woman of four years she'd forever be Miss Lavender, she stood at the door smiling at us.

"Anne dear, the rumors about you and Gilbert have been flying. Why even here enclosed from the world with our echoes for the summer we've heard them. You were engaged when we saw you last week, now the rumors are that you've eloped." Miss Lavender started off.

I flushed glancing towards Gilbert whose own face flushed.

"We've gotten into the biggest of scrapes. It puts every scrape we've been in to shame." I cried. "It's worse than any scrape I'd had before, even the time I died my hair green! Worse then all of them combined."

"Well, from what Stephen's heard of the rumors I think you best tell me it all. Perhaps we might find a solution. I'd thought it might be a bit much so I sent Paul and Charlotta the Forth to visit Stephen's mother for tea. They'll see you for supper. Now sit down with Stephen and me and perhaps we might find a solution out of the mess you're in."

We sat down at the dainty spread, Gilbert and myself across from Mr. Irving and Miss Lavender. I gripped his hand tightly as I gulped before speaking. "It's an awful scrape."

"Well start at the beginning."

So I recounted it all. Running into each other. The hotel. That we got carried away and consummated the marriage yet to happen. Mr. Philips and Prissy and the gossip they started. The Typhoid. The ring. How I'd assumed I'd implied we'd gotten engaged. How we had gotten engaged when he'd recovered. The day we'd visited them and our private vows after the visit before going to Apple Bough to announce our engagement to our families. Only to learn it'd turned into a bonfire with over half of Avonlea present, and the shock that they all believed we'd eloped because we were expecting. Trying to save face. Trying to not force Gilbert to loose his scholarship for medical school. I'd confessed that they were partially right. We had eloped, but any child was conceived afterwards. And now everyone and we were thinking we'd have a babe in the spring.

When I'd paused for breath. Miss Lavender reached across the table, patting the hand that was twisting the tea cup while the other held Gilbert in a death grip. "Oh Anne. The good book says in Proverbs, I forget where but my mother made me memorize it. 'He that covert his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesses and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Can you not just confess the truth and get married?"

"But the gossip has reached everywhere." Gilbert hissed. "Even friends who have no connection to Avonlea have heard of it. But I agree. We should just confess Anne. Then marry quickly with our friends and family."

"They'll know though. They all know I'm not a maiden anymore Gil. The Philips have been far too vocal about our behavior when Mr. Philips walked in on us. And they have a sign stating no immoral behavior tolerated at their hotel. I panicked and didn't correct them when you'd accidentally signed us in as man and wife. But Gil! What moral character is it to openly talk about one's private activities in the bedroom. And in front of Jane Andrews and Josie Pye! Bad enough that Prissy spoke too freely of her own private activities. And if words gets to the scholarship committee..."

Mr. Irving laughed. "Quite a scrape you're right Anne. Well, in the long run I'd say it'll be forgotten. And it would add more to the gossip confessing the truth Lavendar."

"Perhaps we could swear to secrecy a minister and bring him here? Marry among the echoes?" I suggested.

"No." Miss Lavender shook her head. "You best marry where none know you. I've a second cousin whose a minister, out on the eastern side of the Island. Over in Rollo Bay. You take the train to Souris, it's about a four mile walk. I'll write to him and explain it all. He'll not gossip don't you worry."

"Thank you." I sighed relieved.

"We can visit my Great Uncle Dave on the same trip, on our way back." Gilbert suggested. "For our wedding trip. It'd be on our way back."

And so the plans were set. We had a lovely afternoon and evening when Paul and Charlotta the fourth returned. Mr. Irving explained without lying or sharing the gossip that we'd had some things to straighten out about our marriage, and weren't quite finished getting married to which Charlotta sighed several times. That night I slept in the guest room while Gilbert bunked up with Paul in his room.

He'd walked me to my door, taking his paper parcel out of the valice and brushed some loose baby hairs that had worked their way free in the day out of my face smiling. "We've answers now. We'll leave in a week or two such that we can have a proper wedding night. One I can remember."

I laughed. "Yes."

"Anne-girl. This is a dream come true." He whispered suddenly pulling me close. "I'm scared stiff about the future, but it's a future with you and our child. I wish we were just telling the truth, but it's best I guess. Not to let our child be born into scandal. I dreamed about our child last night. A sweet little girl with your eyes and my hair full of joy."

I sighed and nearly leaned in to kiss him.

"Sweet Dreams Anne." And he was gone, closing the door behind him.

I hummed softly day dreaming about our wedding trip and then the next year, and our future child. Scared I might be as was Gilbert, but the thought of such a child in our arms. To not be separate from Gilbert for the next three years as we prepared for our future. I slowly undressed, carefully folding my dress and undergarments. Then bare I carefully filled the bowl from the pitcher on the vanity and with sweet lavender soap I washed with a rag, imagining the changes that would come with our child. Then as I finished washing I glanced down at the rag to see it streaked with blood. A quick panicked check followed.

My monthly courses. My breathing was shallow as I stared down at the rag, I panicked then. I'd not brought my sanitary belt, so convinced I was now expecting. Tears welled in my eyes, as I rushed into the bag glancing through it. There at the bottom was a small pillow I was working on with the batting as a gift for Miss Lavendar. She'd get it later I thought as I wrapped a bit of the cotton and improvised in a method that Stella had told me about once before. Then glancing down at the small rag I washed it until all evidence was gone. I didn't sleep much that night, instead when all were asleep I took the bloody water out to toss among the echoes keeping my tears silent so that the echoes could not repeat them.

—*—*—*—*—*—

Authors note:

oh poor Anne... what do you think is going through her mind?

Those wondering, according to The Diseases of women, the causes and cure familiarity explained: With practical hints for the prevention, and for the preservation of female health, published in 1847. Homemade tampons were used, though it describes wound strips of cotton or linen unlike the wad of batting here I personally would never want to be in Anne's shoes in this story but id truly love to know what you think of Anne's situation now... good or bad.