Typhoid & Gossip Ch 49: Anne - Four Winds, an anne of green gables series fanfic

Author's Note:

Life & Work got busy - so Wednesday's update got missed. There hopefully will be an extra update this weekend to stay on schedule. :)

Astrakelly - Yes it was Charlie - thanks!

A Talking Cat - Yes it was rushed, and I'm afraid I didn't get the reactions - but I put them in here at least in memory for Anne, because I didn't see them showing much of the reactions to Gilbert because he's been through so much. I saw Anne getting the blunt of it and timing with the scenes we're just not there when those happen.

— Anne —

Wednesday, July 28st, 7:00pm

Bright River Station, Bright River, PEI

We spoke nothing until we found that spring. Then taking out his pocket knife, Gilbert cut a strip of birch bark, shaping it into a cup that he dipped into the small spring I sat next to on the rock. He handed it to me, filled. "Anne…"

I sipped from it, before handing it back to him. He refilled then sipped from the same place. There was romance in that - that our lips… Only even I struggled to find the romance in it. He sat beside me, slightly facing away, the two of us staring out.

"I guess we're not getting married today." He spoke at last.

"Perhaps the minister in Souris now?" I asked.

He shook his head. "You heard her, a gossip. Seems she is one even. Her son works at white sands. Anne, we can't come back to the Reverend here when he's back. We'll have to find another. That or just go home and confess it all and face the consequences."

I turned towards him, leaning my head on his shoulder, not wanting to remember the lectures I'd gotten when Gilbert had left. First from Miss Lavender, then Diana. Everyone was quite clear this was my scrape... I couldn't go back to that though. And face Marilla knowing! No, I forced my thoughts back to the present. "But if words gets to the scholarship committee… it's not very christian behavior what we'd done. Gil, they'll brand us as immoral and rip the scholarship away from you."

"Perhaps I deserve that." He huffed.

"No!" I glanced down at my fingers. "I shouldn't have confirmed their rumors… but they'd all known we'd… well… you know."

"It's too late to go to Uncle Dave's tonight Anne." Gilbert sighed rising. "We best walk back to the boarding house before it gets later. We'll visit as promised then we're going home. I don't care what people say. I want to marry you properly which means in front of our friends and family Anne. Not in secret. We'll just confess our mistakes. Maybe it was a sign that Reverend Lewis wasn't home."

"You'll loose the Cooper prize!" I gasped. "Gil, if word comes out, you know it'll come to the board."

"Well, maybe I deserve it." He stood up then offering me a hand. "And really what example am I setting for our child and any other future children we might have if I brush what we did under the rug? I'd rather work as a farmer and give up being a doctor…"

"No Gil," I wrapped my arms around him, leaning my head against his shoulder. "You're going to be Dr. Gilbert Blythe, and one of the best doctors on the Island. I won't let you give up your dream. It's our future."

"No." He stared down at me. "You and our child are."

"I'm not…"

"Anne, we're not discussing this. We'll leave for Uncle Dave's tomorrow. We'll plan a small wedding. Fred, Diana, our families, and the Ecco Lodge folks. Maybe a few more friends. But at the end of the day we're not eloping."

"We'll tell your uncle the truth?"

"I'm tired of lying." He growled. "Let's go. I'll take the floor tonight."

So we walked mostly in silence. I thought on how I might tell Gilbert about our loss. Yet, he felt like a balloon ready to pop. So instead I entwined my arm through his, and walked beside him towards the boarding house, reaching it just at sunset. We watched the sunset behind us on the Island before entering, waving to the landlady as Gilbert unlocked our room. He left me to prepare for bed while he went for a walk. Then returned in the dark, undressed and settled on the floor with the pillow and blanket I'd left for him. The floor was rough and wide planked wood. In far need of a good sanding wash. So as we laid there I thought of the pattern we used at green gables to wash the floor, creating a beautiful pattern that brought to life mystery in my mind and sensibility in Marilla's. Perhaps he was right.

We both gave up with the arrangement after an hour, for he clearly could not get comfortable, and each movement made the floor creak. "Oh give up and come to bed. We've shared a bed before. Sleep on top if you must but neither of us will sleep until your comfortable."

So he made himself comfortable on top of the bed sheets, and we fell asleep side by side facing the ceiling our hands entwined.

I pretended to sleep as he dressed in the morning. He kissed my hair to wake me, mentioning a walk on the shore while I dressed and he'd meet me outside. The train would not leave until mid morning. So dressed I joined him to breakfast on the shore with some faire provided by our landlady. We sat on the shore in silence, before again in silence went back to gather our things, and as Gilbert settled our bill I walked ahead to the station, determined I'd find us a minister near Glen St. Mary that could keep his mouth shut and see us properly married that day ideally.

The train to Glen St. Mary was uneventful except for Gilbert staring out the window the whole time, clutching his fist. I nearly told him several times about our loss only thought he was about to brust as it was. No, it was better to wait.

We'd given no notice to Uncle Dave as to the exact day of our arrival. So none were there to meet us at the station in Glen St. Mary, instead we glanced about curious before Gilbert got directions to the Doctor's home. And only three miles and the two of us as poor as church mice, he turned out the offer to hire a buggy and we walked.

Uncle Dave and his wife, Mrs. Doctor Dave as everyone called her, were kindred souls as soon as she spotted us in the middle of her washing in the yard. She threw up her arms and laughed then ushered us inside to have some lemonade, while she quickly finished the wash gushing on about Dr. Dave should return shortly soon as that babe was born.

"Your mother wrote me all about it. Your elopement, the Typhoid and the gossip you've been under, and that there's some hopes…"

"We're in a horrible pickle, Aunt." Gilbert sighed. "We're actually not married. We messed up in the worse scrape possible. We've been trying to marry quietly, the gossips all assumed we were, and Anne was…"

"I was cornered, oh it's an awful scrape. I didn't know what was worse to confess to being married and eloping, we did exchange vows but with no minister just a sparrow as witness before I was cornered. To lie and try to right it quietly, or admit we'd anticipated our vows, for one of the worse gossips I've ever met walked in on us."

"Now that's quite a story and no doubt you'll want to tell it to Doctor Dave. Just have some scones and rest. We'll find a solution don't you worry. Why didn't Abby write of this? I assume Gilbert your folks don't know you lied?"

"No…"

"Well, we'll straighten things right out. The reverend's gone to his Mother's she's been quite ill lately, and won't be back until the last train on Saturday, worried even he'll be stuck and made Doctor Dave prepare a sermon just in case. Which means we might hear all about Jesus as healer. It'll be too late to have him over then, but Monday we'll have the Reverend over for tea… There, you can tell me all more later, but that should solve it. We won't lie though, Doctor Dave or me…"

And like a whirlwind it seemed a new solution was before us. Three hours later, Uncle Dave, who in character made me think much of Gilbert came in, kissed his wife soundly before greeting us both and hearing the whole story. I was quite red through parts of the retelling. But in a way it was easier then when we'd confessed to Miss Lavender and her husband and then Diana and Fred. Diana had been the worse for as soon as Gilbert had fallen asleep she'd swept me into her room, sent Fred off to rock little Fred to sleep and demanded details I wouldn't even dare confess to Gilbert!

We would stay for two weeks it was decided, and until the reverend could put our patched together marriage to rights with a license, I was placed in the spare room, and Gilbert in the cot Doctor Dave kept for his late nights in his office.

We spent the next two days at their little home. Gilbert relaxing in the garden with one of Doctor Dave's medical books, talking excitedly about his upcoming studies with Doctor Dave in the evenings, while Mrs. Doctor Dave and chatted and worked on her weekly chores -something I insisted on helping with. We both breathed easier with the end in sight. Soon as the Reverend could be brought around we'd be quietly married.

It was Saturday afternoon when we'd left to walk the shore towards the Four Winds Point. Quite a few miles from their home, but worth the walk according to our hosts. So arm in arm, more relaxed we walked the shore, the salt wind in our faces, a warm breeze, and the glistening blue sea beyond.

"Uncle Dave mentioned retiring in a few years Anne… It's not Avonlea, but he suggested maybe when he's ready of giving me his practice… It'd be a good home for us and our child. I'd have to graduate first of course, but think of it, three years from now moving here, our son or daughter totaling in the waves… Maybe the future isn't so bleak. It'll be hard with a little one through medical school but if anyone can do it we…"

"I lost the babe." I forced myself to whisper, I couldn't let him hope, feeling tears threatening. "I…"

He froze. "Anne…"

—*—*—*—*—

Author's Note: In the books, She's Mrs. Doctor Dave, and honestly I didn't feel like making up a name for her so we'll just refer to her as Aunt / Mrs. Doctor Dave.