Typhoid & Gossip Ch 58: Gilbert - Dora Speaks, an anne of green gables series fanfic

Author's Note; Yes... Gilbert calms down... :D

— Gilbert —

Wednesday, August 4th, 5:00am

Apple Bough, Avonlea, PEI

I did not sleep the whole night, instead with the first hints of light I rose to help tend the animals and see what I could do to help Dad with continuing to clear out the ruined parts of the barn. Between Anne's rejection and then to come home only for a telegram to arrive from the committee. I was to report and explain myself in one week's time. The only bright side was I had not outright lost the scholarship.

Dad found me spreading fresh hay for the horse and sighed. "Quite the pickle. Don't look like you slept."

"No."

"Well, give it a few days and then bring Anne some flowers or chocolates. That's what I do when I'm in trouble with your mother."

I rolled my eyes, flinching as the movement aggregated the bump on my head she'd left. "This is Anne. You don't convince her of anything. Lord knows I've tried. I'll head back to Kingsport, and report before the committee and try to save my scholarship and place. Then I'll pack the rest of my trunks up, and come back. Talk some sense into Anne. Maybe it's for the best. We'll be able to marry, I mean she'll see sense when I loose the scholarship..."

"Don't be so pessimistic Gilbert." He shook his head. "What day's..."

"My trial? Week from today." I shoveled the last of the hay in. "Keep an eye on Anne until I'm back. Maybe then she'll see reason."

We spoke no more on it. My heart though broke at Anne's threats, the possibility of a future without her. I'd rather give up being a Doctor then her. And as we finished the last of the morning chores I knew that was my future. Fine, if Anne wouldn't marry before I'd go and bow out. Admit defeat and return home and show up daily at Green Gables and ask her to marry me until she relented and said yes.

After breakfast though Dr. Spenser returned. He'd given me my bill of health the afternoon before, offering to write a letter to confirm that I'd been deathly ill with the typhoid. "Gilbert? I'd come with some letters of testimony, wrote two copies and mailed the second to the committee directly. Could we speak privately?"

We sat down in the parlor, as he handed me the unsealed letters. It wasn't just in his own hand, but also in Anne's. "I passed her on the way home, your girl looked lost. Well, she wants to protect your dream. Begged me to help, and to examine her to confirm she was a maiden. Don't you worry Mrs. Spenser and our neighbor, Mrs. Irving came as witnesses for that. She asked me to deliver to you. That girl's taking the blame."

There in black and white in her hand was her testimony, claiming to have seduced me. That I'd been sick, high in fever and not responsible at all. All with the aim to be my wife, a position she admitted to not be worthy of. Perhaps it was her words so final that threatened the tears to return. I was sitting there reading her stark words, of what had happened each day. Claiming to have taken advantage of my obsession for her, with the aim that any girl attends college for - the Mrs. title.

I wanted to burn those confessions. Yet knew a second copy was already on its way to the committee. She was destroying her reputation in Kingsport with this. Any chance she had of working while I went through school should I have the crazy favor to keep my scholarship and position in the medical program would be gone.

Then the commotion outside caught my eye. A blur of bright blue ribbon on a sandy head flying up the path from the lake of shining waters, with a second green ribboned head following more slowly. The two figures paused, the first red in the face not only from the running but hard tears.

"Dora?" I spoke through the open window.

"Gil...Bert..." She panted through sobs. "Anne's left. Never coming back, at least not until she's found a rich husband like Miss Andrews out west. She's going west to stay where Miss Andrews lived to help start the high school. Since Miss Andrews left she didn't come home until she brought that rich husband home... I begged her to stay. I told her no rich man out west could love her as much as you."

Minnie May had finally reached her, clutching her side. "Everyone knows Gilbert Blythe loves Anne Shirley. Maybe Anne just doesn't..."

"No..." Dora shook her her head. "But she is right. We saw it, so did Mrs. Lynde, he yelled at her, and didn't cherish her."

"She's gone..." It had finally registered.

"Halfway to Bright River I'd guess." Minnie May supplied.

I clutched the chair sinking into it. The horsehair fabric rough under my fingers. "Gone..."

"Well, grab your horse young man and stop your girl." Dr. Spenser spoke.

"What's the use? Last time I tried she slammed a vase on my head." I sighed. Defeated. No one could control fiery Anne.

"You didn't cherish her." Dora spoke, her voice slower. "Davy may be a poor example at times of what a man should be. But I know that a man should cherish his wife. Does Anne know you love her?"

"Of course she does." I spat out, why couldn't they leave me to grieve.

She shook her head. "I... I'm only thirteen, and there's a lot I still have to learn about life. But I know Anne. And Anne needs romance as most folks need air. How does she know you cherish her?"

Then a memory returned, of my last morning in Avonlea before Dad and I left for Alberta praying for his recovery. I was only ten years old, and feared never coming home. Not able to sleep that night I'd gone to the shore, watching the sunrise praying for his life. For three years out west, without the things I'd loved of home, Mother, the apples, the island, my friends. I'd remember that sunrise and a hint of hope that Dad would make it. I'd never seen anything quite to match that shade until back in school for the first time in three years, behind the other fellas my age, I spied a girl with hair like that sunrise. The only thing that had ever come close to that sunrise were carrots. Yet they lacked the luster of that sunrise. Her hair though... I didn't know what overtook me, instead I reached over, tugged a strand and in a loud whisper, Carrots...

Did she even know her hair was like the Island shore at sunrise? Did she even know how much I loved her? I'd been so caught up in trying to save our reputations. "You're right. Tell my folks, won't be back until I've brought her home."

Dr. Spenser then handed me a ten dollar bill. My eyes went wide. "Wedding gift. Go get your girl."

With it slipped into my wallet beside her ring back in that hidden pocked it had lived in for years I left. Determined to not rest until she knew she was cherished, and had that ring back on her finger. I hadn't even bothered to saddle the horse, instead galloped off as fast as the slow horse would go. Praying that per usual the train would be late.

—*—*—*—*—

Author's Note: Due to trying to finish this and life getting busy - I'm publishing the first drafts for the final chapters. The aim is to edit the whole story perhaps in the fall to clean it up.