Typhoid & Gossip Ch 44: Gilbert - Fishing Hole, an anne of green gables series fanfic

Author's Note:

YodaChick - Yes too funny… I must admit I started that scene with a totally different goal… only Prissy opened her mouth… I kept imaging that woman whose had several kids, and is a firm believer in enjoying the marriage bed but that it should be honored also and not defiled. And a bit too frank about her ideas.

Astrakelly - Is he any or horny? Likely both. Yes Prissy does, she's that woman who believes every married woman should enjoy the marriage bed and NOT think of Queen Victoria when one's husband visits. And likely is convinced that maidens should be educated to guard against cads and truly enjoy the marriage bed and ignore their mother's counsels.

— Gilbert —

Tuesday, July 12th, 6:00pm

Apple Bough, Avonlea, PEI

Anne's report of the sewing circle left me quite distracted for hours afterwards. I barely noticed anything after I dropped her off a Green Gables. Then finding a map in the sitting room of the Island I began to make a list of villages on the other side of the Island where we might go. It was only Aunt Mary Maria talking about her gift to us and her plans to visit us at school in the fall. The thought of her coming to my two small rooms and refusing to leave. With that turned thoughts of how we'd set up housekeeping in the two small rooms, even without a guest.

"There won't be room unless you wish to sleep on a couch shorter then you are Aunt Mary Maria." I spoke before going back to thinking about coming home from long days of classes and clinic to Anne. Perhaps there was something to be said for the consequences of starting a family sooner then we'd planned. So I sat there and daydreamed about Anne that winter, big with our child cooking our supper as I studied. She'd spend her days no doubt writing when I was at classes, and we'd have to be creative with food and everything. She'd need new clothes though. Her dresses weren't cut right for her waist that would grow.

We'd need some form of birth control. I'd heard of methods, but not until after our first one was born, so plenty of time to think on that. We couldn't risk growing our family any more then we already were. So I'd fallen asleep to dreams of a little babe at Anne's breast as she sat in a rocker. I would before the child was born find some way to find and fit a rocker into our little rooms.

I was dreaming of Anne and our future, waking to her when it wasn't Anne who woke me up, but Davy. It was still dark, and he leaned over me, dressed in overalls, shaking me awake. "Gilbert! We're going fishing!"

I groaned.

"That's what brothers do. I've got our gear already downstairs. Your dad's gone and fetched your old pole. Said it's been ages since you've fished. Come on…"

I was dragged out of bed, dressed in some old work clothes that again Mother had saved far too long, and some thick slices with jam from Mother, to which Davy crooned about it being plum jam. He lead me to what he declared to be the best fishing hole, and I found just as it was getting light Anthony Pye already there with his fishing pole, and coming up the other way, two other boys.

"Next time Fred Wright aught to come." Davy said as we set up our poles. "He's alright you know. Said he'd fill in for you when you're gone, you know big brother duties."

"Big brother duties?"

Anthony laughed. "Sure… All the fellas have been having their older brothers or older cousins of Davy's set plan their birthday parties. Who was it that started it?"

Another young man about Anthony's age shrugged.

"Well I'm going to have the best birthday ever! It's in a week you know." Davy cast his rod. "I'll finally have another man about. Too many women folk. They were warning me, being the man about the place how I've got to approve of each beau for my women folk. You'll have to help now of course."

"Of course." I spoke absently.

"Now finding a beau for Mrs. Lynde will be impossible! She's too strong minded for any man. Mr. Lynde must have been one of a kind."

"You think Mr. Jonah Bell though will work for Miss Cuthbert?" Anthony asked. "I saw him just the other day at the general store over in Carmody."

"Don't know. He's related to Frank Bell." Davy sighed. "And don't know if any of the Bells are worth knowing. I won't be inviting Frank Bell for my birthday that's for certain nor will I let any Bells cross the threshold at Green Gables."

"Davy…" I spoke slowly. "Just what did Frank Bell do? You said he called Anne and Dora light skirts. Just what…"

"He was forcing himself on Dora." Davy growled. "Wouldn't take no for an answer. I find any fella disrespecting Anne or Dora or Mrs. Lynde or especially Marilla I'll do what I did to Frank Bell."

"What did you do?" one of the boys asked.

"Got Dora free enough, and him distracted so that she could kick him in the balls." He grinned.

"Well, you going to let Mr. Jonah Bell court Miss Cuthbert then?" Anthony asked. "Not all Bells are fools."

"Just as not all Pyes are pigs. Just your cousins." One of the boys laughed.

I couldn't argue with that about Anthony's cousins.

"Well I need more men about the place, unless Gilbert you and Anne want to move back to Green Gables? I guess I could drop trying to find a beau for Mrs. Lynde or Marilla. I've decided Dora's too young. I won't let her court until she's seventeen and old. Maybe older."

I spoke slowly, trying not to break out in deep belly laughter that would have hurt my sore recovering and growing muscles. "I'm afraid I'm rather set on being a Doctor. You do know that marrying off any of your women folk would mean them moving with their man not the other way around? And I'd guess Mrs. Lynde and Marilla are old enough to see to their own courting if they wish it."

"Well, I'll think on it. I picked you out for Anne and look how quickly you worked out. Why we were talking first about it only days before you came home, weren't we?"

"Sure were." One of the boys said. "Course, we were all shocked by the news. Ruined Frank Bell's birthday party it did. Guess he'll forever regret his mother insisted on we meet at his house instead of the woods like he wanted."

"We'll meet here." Davy said. "For my birthday. No front porch where silly women folk have a chance to ruin it!"

"Just what happened?" I asked.

"Frank got the Boy's Own Book, and we were reading it by turn." The older of the two boys I didn't recognize spoke. "We were sitting on the porch while the sewing circle met in the parlor. Course they had all their windows open so you could hear everything. Well, coming late, like always."

"She's always late for church even." The younger boy added.

"Came up the walk, Mrs. Harmon Andrews. Waving a letter and announcing the news her daughter Prissy Philips wrote to her about. How you and Anne had eloped, came to her hotel and you'd announced the two of you were expecting a girl named Little Diana."

"If you have to except it better be a boy. At least the Wrights saw reason." Davy growled. "I've got enough women folk about."

"Well, go over and see my Dad anytime it's too much." I slapped his shoulder. "I had a fever, and mixed up a dream and reality. We weren't expecting a little Diana then."

"Mrs. Lynde says you are now." Davy sighed. "Better be a little Gilbert instead."

I sighed. "Still, truth is we'll be in Kingsport most of the year, I'll have to work next summer. Don't know if we'll even have the funds to come home at Christmas as we'll have to save for anything we'll need for the babe."

"Not come home for Christmas!" Davy gasped.

"It's expensive. $15 round trip each." The sun was coming up now. I glanced noticing that two fishes had been caught. "I'm afraid I have to be off. Your'e welcome to stay but I must pick up the mail. Promised Anne I'd stop by the post office this morning for her. She's expecting a letter form her friend Phil. She's convinced it came on the late afternoon train yesterday."

He waved me off, and I walked down the road back to Avonlea, walking towards the post office, a small one room structure that sat near the cross roads. There was a letter from Phil, thick such that Anne would gleefully insist on reading it right away no doubt. I had my own letter, one from Ronald Stuart, along with two others including one from the Carols. So taking the letters I went up lovers lane to see Anne at Green Gables.

She was in the kitchen, peached on a chair chatting with Marilla who was busy kneading breed. Marilla took one look at me and nodded. "I'll get more done if you take her out. Anne takes some of them scones I baked for him to regain his strength."

So I found myself with a blanket, Anne and a plate of scones sitting in the Green Gables Orchard a few minutes later quite content as I handed her her letter.

"Oh good." Anne grinned, seeing the thick letter. "She promised to finally write far more then she should no doubt. But it's for my eyes only so I shall not share."

I tapped her nose. "I've my own letters, which I doubt you'll want to share. Guess I better write to inform my corespondents that I'm a married man. Or I will when we finish what we need to make it stick."

I started off with the letter from an old student of mine from White Sands, then another from a classmate. They'd heard about the typhoid and wished me well, more of concern though when I opened the letter from Ronald…

"Greetings Blythe, I may not be about Kingsport much, but my sister wrote me that you've gone and done it finally. She heard from someone she knows that you've gone and eloped with Anne Shirley. Should have known. I might take a page out of your book with all I've seen of Christine's wedding preparations. Mother insists it'll take a year to plan. Also heard you brushed with death so I guess that's your excuse. I don't think that will fly by with my mother. Glad you're alive and ticking. - Ronald Stuart."

"Anne…" I glanced towards her. She was quite red reading.

"Yes?" She looked up holding the letter to her breast. "News of our elopement reached Kingsport."

I quickly opened the last letter from the Carols, and not surprising Mrs. Carol who always heard the gossip had written to confirm. For She'd never repeat it from her favorite boarder without written confirmation, and was quite looking forward to getting to know my young wife.

"Anne." I glanced at Phil's letter, when I heard a gasp. "Just what did Phil write?"

"She and Jo went on a wedding trip to the eastern tip of Nova Scotia and had been quite too busy to write, though she's made it up now. She's convinced when I wrote we'd eloped after I left her wedding early that I'd made it up. It's not a false hood."

"Anne," I felt the blood drain. "It is. We're still not officially married."

"We are too. That little Sparrow officiated." She snapped. "Yes we need the license still, but we won't let our sins be exposed. I'm afraid our lives are far too exposed as it is. We've consummated the marriage, said our vows, we just might be missing a piece of paper." She shrugged. "The important parts are done."

"Anne. Let's just confess to our families. We'll get that license and just have them help us stop the questions about our elopement. I'm tired of lying."

"We're not…"

"We are Anne Shirley." I growled lowly. "And until we get that paper don't forget that's your name still."

"Tomorrow. We'll go to Ecco Lodge for the rest of the week. They won't mind. We'll talk to Miss Lavender and her husband. They'll have ideas…"

"Fine." I growled. "But if they don't have a solution after the twin's birthday we'll have a reason to leave for Kingsport early, Jo Blake should do."

"They'll have a solution." She squared her shoulders. "I won't miss a day on the Island. We'll go back when we have to and not a day sooner."

"Well, I'm done with lying. Next one who asks I'll say I'm done with repeating myself. Just remind them it's your story. I'm ashamed I've been lying, we've been lying…"

"It's for our child." She whispered. "I…"

"Stil late?" I asked.

"Yes. We might as well accept it. Over two weeks late now." She scooted closer.

"For our child." I whispered as I pulled her into my arms. "To protect our child."