Anne watched the train disappear around the bend with mixed feelings. She knew Marilla worried how they could manage without John and she was concerned for her, but the train also took Gilbert away.

Ugh why were boys so confusing? She had mostly ignored Gilbert when she was on the ship, but he had intrigued her when they returned. His deep hazel eyes and that shock of dark hair. It wouldn't do to lead him on, but there were times she wished she could have said something, anything to let him know that she didn't find him completely abhorrent even after he teased her about her hair. Oh, she tried to tamp it down deep within herself but somehow it was Gilbert Blythe's face that came to mind when she woke in the morning and she'd try to spy on him while they did their chores.

Mari knew, she saw the way Anne reacted when Gilbert was in any sort of proximity, which since they mostly lived together had to be quite a bit of the time. Anne had no sense of humour about it. They had been studying Hamlet at school and the phrase the lady doth protest too much came to mind when Mari thought of Anne's attitude Gilbertwise. Mari decided to bide her time. One day perhaps she'd be able to say, I told you so.

Like everyone Mari tried to provide comfort to Marilla. She was concerned about John of course, but there wasn't much anyone could do for him. It was Marilla's delicate mental state that they were all acutely aware of rather than John's physical one. Live or die he was far away, and it was Marilla who was close and whom they could help in whatever way they could. Mari took to visiting Marilla on her way home from school and just casually doing a chore or two, peeling some potatoes or playing with the baby without being asked to. Marilla never said much, she was too busy to spare the mental capacity to do so, but Mari hoped it helped.

As they prepared the school lunches one morning Rachel commented upon it. "She may not say much you know but Marilla appreciates your help." Mari smiled shyly. "And I do too, she's confided that she's expecting again," murmured Rachel so that only Mari could hear. "So, we're going to have to keep the support up." Mari gazed at her mother in shock, "last time…"

"Yes, well we'll do our best to keep her safe. At least she's on dry land. You might have to do more as she progresses. We all will I expect."

"Is she, is she alright?"

Rachel led Mari out to the pantry for a bit more privacy. "She was in tears yesterday."

"It's so strange," Mari replied. "On board I never saw her cry - until the end. Didn't matter how much the ship was tossed about in the maelstrom she stayed stoic; but she's rattled now, I can see."

"In a way I can understand. Storms must be terrifying, but this is a different fear. She has to hold it together inwardly. She can't afford to lapse, it's a terrible burden."

"She knows she has us."

"She does, but she is also cognisant that the children rely upon her with John and Gilbert away, and there's the farm to manage. We can, we will assist her, but she has to steer the ship."

Mari smiled sadly, "that used to be the Captain's job."

"Mm?" queried her mother.

"Steering the ship, that was John's role."

Rachel sighed and patted Mari's shoulder, "I know, I know."

The first time it happened Marilla woke in the late afternoon and lay in her bed in that half-awake stage while she got her wits about her. She sat up suddenly wondering where the baby had gotten to. Fixing her hair as she walked downstairs, she could hear suppressed giggles coming from the kitchen and was astounded to see Mari and Anne chopping apples accompanied by Susanna and Goliath who were engaged in a silent tug of war over a spiral of peel. When it inevitably snapped Susanna's face went purple and Mari snatched her up just as she took the deep breath before the scream and Anne diverted her by thrusting a piece of apple into her chubby hand.

The tableau was so unexpected that Marilla stopped in the doorway. Anne saw her there and grinned, then pointing at the monkey with her paring knife said, "we've got dinner in hand Marilla. Would you like me to fetch you a cup of tea?"

"You're quite the team you two," said Marilla relieved. She pulled out a chair, took the piece of peel that Goliath handed her and sat down with Susanna in her lap. "Something smells delicious."

"We used some of the spices, hope you don't mind," Mari replied. She'd never admit it to her mother, but she far preferred the meals Marilla prepared. Spices added so much to a dish, no wonder they were highly prized.

Marilla watched as Anne poured water into the teapot. "I got a bit of a shock when I woke, I must apologise for napping. It's …"

"Completely necessary," finished Mari. "Ma warned me you'd be exhausted. Anne and I will help after school," she added matter-of-factly in a tone that brooked no argument. Marilla just stared at her and then at the rosebud teacup when Anne poured the tea. She felt a little dazed by their generosity.

"You'll miss Mari no doubt, she has chores I know," she said to Rachel later.

"No matter I've got Vicki, she's old enough now," Rachel said complacently. "I'm happy with the current arrangement and I know an extra hand won't go astray," she added as she bit into a cookie."

Mari podded another pea and laughed out of the blue. "What's so funny?" Marilla enquired.

"I was just recalling that story about the mermaids er dugong," Mari explained. "How ridiculous that anything so ungainly could be viewed like that."

Marilla turned to her and pushed a wayward strand of hair off her forehead, "I was so proud of you."

"Me?" Mari was incredulous.

"Yes, I know you had second thoughts when you arrived on board. Can't have been easy. I bet you had no idea what you were getting yourself into when Anne made her decision on the beach."

Mari laughed again, "not remotely."

"Yet you buckled down to it soon enough."

"Once I got over my sea sickness," Mari replied remembering the way her stomach flip flopped on the ceaselessly moving deck.

"Well, it's not easy to be at ones best when you're bilious." Mari leaned into Marilla's side. "But you're right about the dugong. I was incredulous too when I heard the story. They're beautiful in their own way I suppose, but not exactly mermaid quality. Those sailors must have been desperate sure enough."

"Delusional."

"Perhaps their flour was off, and they were all a bit doolally," Marilla suggested. "Still, it was a common misperception. Must have been a lot of bad flour."

"I suppose they are quite curvaceous, dugongs," Mari could picture them lolling in the sea on that special morning.

Marilla drew a picture of curves in the air and moved her shoulders back and forth. "So provocative." They laughed together.

"I could never have this sort of a conversation with Ma," Mari said thoughtfully once they had stopped giggling.

"Your mother does her best, but she hasn't had the experience you have. Don't be too hard on her," Marilla took up another peapod and felt them tickle through her fingers to the bowl. "I think that's enough, don't you?" she said as she pushed herself up from the table. She moved with the awkwardness of one with child, Mari noticed how Marilla's centre of gravity had shifted. Marilla stopped for a moment and rubbed her pinafore gently. "Is it moving? Mari asked.

Marilla nodded, "come," she stretched out her hand and took Mari's when she approached. Mari could feel a bubbling across Marilla's front. "So strange," she murmured.

"I love this feeling, at first you think it's just gas," Marilla said with a smile. "Then one day you realise what it truly is. It's as if it's the first time you meet your little one."

"Do you...?" Mari stopped feeling stupid.

"Do I what?"

"No, it's silly. Forgive me."

"There now, there are no silly questions between us."

"Do you ever talk to it?" Mari asked shyly.

"Occasionally. Mostly just in my head but if we're alone, say in bed, then I sing it lullabies." She did not add that she poured out her concerns to it; that she told it she was sorry to be bringing it into such an uncertain time for the family. That its father was not near but that he loved it already. She told it things she only ever told Goliath. If Mari thought she was silly Marilla knew she certainly was. What good could talking to your baby do? Regardless she found herself murmuring her thoughts to it most nights before she sent a prayer, "may God keep you safe," to her distant husband and fell asleep in her lonely bed. Out on the prairies at approximately the same time John would send the same prayer back to her. They had written each other about it and found they were praying for the same thing. It was one small thing that united them regardless of the distance.

It seemed to Marilla that Johnny's sweet temperament got left behind in the sea that time he nearly drowned. He looked fine when he came to as though nothing had upset him at all. Oh there was the odd tiff, but it was nothing you might not expect from brothers. But as he grew, he became colder, more aloof, more clinical in his behaviour. Jacob bore the brunt of it and more often than not Marilla would have to tear the boys apart and comfort a crying Jacob while Johnny watched on implacably. When Marilla tried to talk to him about it, he showed little contrition. Arguing that he gave his younger brother ample time to back out of whatever wayward antic he had dreamt up. And indeed, Marilla couldn't fault Johnny. Except of course the younger boy looked up to his older brother and wished to emulate him in all things, even if they were fool-hardly. It was hard to admit to herself that Johnny might be doing it deliberately, but it grew more apparent with each incident that it might in fact be the case.

There was the time he urged Jacob to swap the sugar and salt around in the pantry so that the next batch of plum puffs was inedible. Jacob tearfully told Marilla he didn't realise they'd taste so horrid; he was upset because they were his favourite. Once Johnny locked Jacob in the attic having told him ghost stories beforehand. Worse was when he involved the stock; knocking over the cow's water one evening so that she had nothing to drink all night. They all missed their breakfast milk the next day. Marilla would stare into Johnny's bright blue eyes and wonder what had happened to her sweet little boy.

Still she was not much worried the evening Jacob did not come in for his tea. If she could rely on one thing it was that her boys would be home for dinner; with their prodigious appetites. Still as the twilight deepened, purple giving way to blue indigo Jacob did not appear. Johnny feigned ignorance. Despite her misgivings Marilla still never liked to outright accuse him of wrongdoing especially without evidence. "Are you sure you've no idea where he is?" Marilla asked Johnny once again. And again he said he hadn't seen his brother for hours. She sent Anne to fetch Matthew and together they turned the house and outbuildings upside down.

Jacob was nowhere to be found.