Typhoid & Gossip Ch 53: Anne - Dark Night, an anne of green gables series fanfic

Author's Note:

So the last chapter which was how to in a teen / PG-13 way have explained to Anne what did and didn't happen. I'm afraid at times this story skirts the boundary with Mature rated, but I really wanted to dig into the consequences of sin, lying, and gossip.

Kim Blythe - You've caught up with the story! Truly thankful for each review you leave, even if it's not the latest chapter to share your thoughts. To answer your question... first of all, combine Anne's description of what happened in Chapter 11 and Chapter 52, and you'll pretty much know what happened. But she's not the most reliable witness about what happened as her understanding about what's supposed to happen isn't right because she didn't pay attention to her sex talk from Mrs. Lynde. Yes, its a bad fight and you'll see more of the after math below here. Now about your comment in Chapter 51, about Gilbert forgetting. That was actually a mistake I made, did the reveal too soon in chapter 49, and had to adjust the story so he didn't hear Anne distracted by the medical emergency. But I think its stronger then the original outline. Now why did Anne say she lost the child? She thinks she might have, and perhaps she thinks it is easier to think they lost it, then she never was? I think we're all enjoying making Charlie a villain.

Astrakelly - Well, see below, hopefully Aunt Maud will get some truth across, but will Anne listen? Thanks for the complement about the chapter and if he's a boobs guy, that came about thinking about how could Anne misconstrued what happened and be in hindsight really funny? Painful memory but funny? One that we'd hope they'd laugh about ten years later after the children went to sleep?

Denie1943 - Thanks! Yes it's close to time... and we're building up to as romantic of a scene as possible :D But this is the dark night of the soul where they have to face the ugly along with the good of a future together, or apart.

A Talking Cat - Yes, that scene no matter how I brainstormed it would be awkward. Only two ways to go about it. Awkward or sex charged... and I like awkward. Hehehe... I had considered having that conversation while watching the twins or Aunt Mary Maria in line of sight and trying to keep a straight face as they fight over the details about what happened and what didn't happen. Or maybe angry notes back and forth under their hymnals during the service? So really, it could have been far more awkward.

— Anne —

Saturday, July 31st, 6:30pm

Home of Doctor Dave, Glen St Mary, PEI

Insufferable man. I'd read that phase once in a book, though it escaped me where. I stood in the spare room, clutching my fists, as I righted my dress from the fall first, and Gilbert's inspiration to try doctoring on myself. When he was the one who had gotten us into this mess in the first place, and blaming me for the lying! I hated every moment of the lying, did he not know? But it was to protect our futures. If the world knew the truth of the sin he'd pulled us into. For it was him who first checked us into the room as man and wife, then confused took his husbandly rights. Then that promise he'd extracted from me, to stay until the end. I bit my lip glancing out watching as he lead the horse and bugging back up the yard to the barn.

I threw myself onto the bed and wept. For all that I'd lost. My innocence, my dignity, my moral compass. I heard Aunt Maud twice, and Uncle Dave once come to try to speak to me, yet I refused to answer either. Instead not even willing to think I sobbed. Clutching the pillow I felt the cold metal band with the string of pearls encased in it dig into my palm. If he was done with the lies then so was I. Yanking the ring off for it took some force, I glared at it. Perhaps it was best that we'd always run into issues to try to quietly marry. I was free. Free to admit what we'd done, and walk way. But how could I? It would be like removing an arm that I never knew was there until I lost it? Then his accusatory words, that we'd not. That he wanted to go back to how things were before. Fine. I had a few days to put my thoughts together. Then I would know what to do.

It was after dark, when with no more water to cry in my head, the room was suffocating. I could hear Uncle Dave's gentle snores, and Aunt Maud's muttering in her sleep. They slept with a cat at their feet, no doubt in concern for me, they slept with their door opened that they might hear me. Instead I slipped down careful of any creaking in the stairs. What future did Gilbert and I have? Could I trust him? He claimed to love me, yet with such accusations?

Only taking a shawl of Aunt Maud's not even shoes for I'd forgotten them upstairs. I'd crept out to search for the woods to calm me. The moon was neither full nor new, in that passing in between stage. Such that the stars were out, twinkling in the summer night air, warm enough though I shivered with just the shawl as I found myself wandering towards the shore.

That was, I found myself perhaps past midnight staring at the shore. There, beyond I could just see a light house, lit and joyful winking at me. Perhaps it was foolish, yet I could not resist to explore. So walking miles along the shore towards the point, Four Winds I'd heard. I wandered the empty shore with only the wind and the crashing waves for company in the night air.

Eventually I'd reached the light house, now with freezing toes, a parched mouth and exhausted.

"Well I'll be." An old man, no doubt an old sailor spoke from where he was whittling some wood outside it. "Another soul who can't sleep? The names Captain Jim. Man the lighthouse, now most nights It'll go by itself for some short naps through the night. But tonight the wind was calling and the sea, and my old bones just could not rest. So I grabbed a knife to whittle. Who might you be? I heard that the nephew of Doctor Dave had come with his red headed wife for a visit. That be you?"

I blinked at his speech. Then suddenly found my manners, reaching out my hand. "Yes, well yes and no. No, that is..." I sighed. Gilbert had been right. Not that I wanted to see him, for just the memory of his words has me bristling and thinking to walk all the way home to Green Gables. Even if it was fifty miles. "Gilbert and I are visiting his Aunt and Uncle, but we're not married. It's a long story that I'm afraid if I repeat, I might break something of yours. I've had far too many know far too much of my personal life, and having to lie to try to save face. The house just got too suffocating for my thoughts so I meant to escape them. I'd lost my way somewhere between, and I have to find it. I'd been so wrapped up in first trying to save his life then all the gossip that ignited and trying to stay afloat."

"Well, keep me company and I'll tell you yarns from the sea." He smiled. "I'll enjoy the audience and company, and such a pretty thing too. Even with your red eyes from tears no doubt. For I've known my share of heart aches. Now there was the time..."

So he spun story after story such that I nearly forgot completely about Gilbert except for the strange emptiness on my finger. The memory of him slipping it back on when I'd tried to give it back after his fever broke. Instead I shook that memory from my thoughts. And as in the old days when I'd refuse to think of my arch nemesis, Gilbert Blythe, I stared rapturously at the old man who wove stories after stories until the sun began to rise over the sea and he rose to put out the light. He'd sent me home insisting that Doctor Dave would be worried sick, and that I was to visit him again some time. Oh he truly was a kindred soul.

My heart had lightened some, though the sight across the harbor at the harbor village, where in one of the small homes Gilbert was sitting at the beside of a small boy recovering I gulped. Why was I stuck with this Gilbert? The practical one. The one who would lecture me about maiden hood, and demand in front of his aunt no less exactly what happened, doubting my word! The nerve of Gilbert John Blythe!

A worried Aunt Maud met me at the kitchen, saw the state of my feet, now slightly bloody for my night stroll. She sent me up to my room, with a hot foot bath that stung, and insisted I could do with one morning from church and sleep instead. She did though recommend I read the word. She'd be back after church and once I'd slept she'd bring up a tray for us both.

I'd meant to read, perhaps reread that scandalously Song of Songs we'd read laughingly that last night when I was just a girl. Just Anne Shirley with no more thought then that I'd be a principal at Summerside High. Something sadly not an option now. What were my options now? Marry a man I did not trust, or face a life being known as a fallen woman?

My dreams were nightmares. Gilbert didn't come back for me. Gilbert died. Gilbert... I was alone facing it all. Men tried to take what Gilbert had already and more. Calling me names. I could not find work, for my reputation was all over the Island. Instead I was an outcast in my village. It couldn't be that bad. And yet then the dream got worse, Gilbert finally returned, came, from where I did not know, he crushed my heart. His scholarship was more important. They'd give it back if he'd reject me.

That woke me with a start. Panting I sat up in the bed, the clock chiming below the hour. Premonition I knew that Gilbert would have two choices. The scholarship, becoming a doctor. Or... Or... me. He'd choose me, not because he could not imagine another future. He'd... I could see it. A future where he gave up all his dreams to save face with me.

Perhaps he was right. I should have corrected them at the bonfire. Confessed our mistakes, our sins. I knew then what I'd need to do. If I'd see him, perhaps I'd loose the nerve. The first train to Charlottetown would leave early. For I'd studied the time table. He wouldn't be home that soon. I wouldn't lie. I'd leave a note for Uncle Dave and Aunt Maud also, to thank them. I'd go home, find out just what the situation was, and if I could. If I could save Gilbert from the threat of the scholarship, loosing his dream. I'd take all the blame.

I'd find my own future. Perhaps out west like Jane. Then the memory of our vows in Hester Gray's Garden. That kiss to seal them. I would remain faithful I decided. Faithful and alone. I'd given up my ideals for Gilbert, my romantic ideals only to have a glimpse I might have them, yet knew I would not.

I'd meant to begin the letter to him, but could not for soon after Uncle Dave and Aunt Maud returned. He went off then to check on the boy and Gilbert, informing me that he'd keep Gilbert there until he returned for the final check on Monday. Laughing that I might as well get used to it the life of being a Doctors wife. Yet, I silently thought I would not. I would die an old sprinter out west, yet I would remain faithful and true to my love. For none could compare to that glimpse I saw in Gilbert, yet I could not imagine such a future with him, as I bristled in memory of the evening before in Doctor Dave's office. That I was not spoiled goods, just a jar of jam that had fallen off the pantry shelf, cracked, but just a dusting of the rag to get the dust of the floor off before setting it on the shelf for another to take one day. Yet all would know...

Aunt Maud tried to explain more, laughingly and even offered to let me read Doctor Dave's medical book, about the mechanics of the marriage bed. I flushed the whole time as she quizzed me making me feel a utter fool. No wonder Gilbert so despised me. So as quickly as I could I turned the topic over to Captain Jim, and other locals I'd met. And perhaps in concern my anger at Gilbert which was still fighting with my love for him, she'd left well enough alone after a few minutes. In total when she finally left, I had to admit that if I'd just paid more attention to Mrs. Lynde with her lecture instead of daydreaming about what ever that had caught my fancy that day. Had it been the apple tree Gilbert had shown me? Our own sweet wild apple tree? The one in then thousand. For wild apple trees that bear sweet fruit are like the pearl the wiseman sought.

That evening by candlelight, I'd pulled a composition book from my valise tearing out pages to write my note for Uncle Dave and Aunt Maud. Then the hard one that used up almost all the pages and hours with my attempts. Between tears blotting the ink, anger, and trying to find the words. Again it neared sunrise when I finally finished. Making an envelope of the paper for the letter, my heart was torn in half as I slipped the ring of pearls. That in the dim light one last time I read his inscription. That he'd thought that way of me all those years ago when we were facing the future bright. I'd been wearing black for mourning Matthew then, and we'd just become friends. My heart dropped into the letter and I forced myself to quickly seal it.

It truly was for the best. I did not know if I could face a future where for the next fifty years he'd accuse me of stealing his dreams. Of being Doctor Gilbert Blythe. So I would take the blame as he laid it on me. I'd give him the dream, and if I had to go west. But my heart now his would be his forever more.

—*—*—*—*—*—

Author's Note... So we're reaching the final stretch here. We're roughly about 3/4 of the way through the story. I'm going to be aiming to post 2 chapters between Fridays - Mondays and one hopefully mid week, but exact days ... are up in the air due to my business having picked up, but that's the aim.