V
After the seemingly endless, uncomfortable dinner had finally concluded, Anne, Gilbert, and the Irvings rose from the table. Miss Lavender turned to Anne and said, "Why don't you stay longer? We can have a nice chat-it will be just like old times."
Gilbert gave a regretful sigh. "I really better be going. I promised my father I'd help him with something. Is that okay, Anne?"
"Oh, I don't mind. In fact, I might just stay over all night, and walk back in the morning," Anne replied.
Gilbert made a motion for the door.
"Oh, no you don't, Gilbert Blythe! There's no way I'm letting you walk all the way home at this time of day. It's getting rather chilly out." Anne exclaimed.
"Yes, I'll have Stephan get the buggy and drive you home," added Miss Lavender.
Gilbert rolled his eyes. "No, I don't want you to go to all that trouble. I'll be fine."
"Oh, it isn't any trouble," Stephan spoke up.
"Besides, Gilbert, you really shouldn't be over-exerting yourself. You look a little flushed. Oh, I shouldn't have dragged you all the way out here!" Anne lamented.
Gilbert was indeed very much flushed, but whether it was from over-exertion or the fact that Anne was standing very close, looking at him concernedly, I'll leave up to the reader.
He gazed into her eyes for a moment, then felt that if she would just continue looking at him like that, he would acquiesce to anything.
"All right, all right," he consented, his delight that Anne was so anxious about him winning over his annoyance.
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After Stephan and Gilbert left, and Paul departed to visit an old school friend, Miss Lavender and Anne were finally alone to discuss the day's events.
Miss Lavender stared conspicuously at Anne, arms folded and eyebrows raised.
Anne, blushing, looked at the floor.
"Anne Shirley," Miss Lavender said, shaking her head with a sigh.
"What?" responded Anne, lifting her face innocently.
"Don't feign naivety with me, Anne. That was the most marked and obvious display of…well, I'll let you finish that sentence."
"You needn't have been so cruel! I don't think I've ever been more embarrassed! 'Why did you say no?' I mean, that is a pretty interrogative question to ask even in confidence!"
Miss Lavender smiled amusedly. "And why was it such an embarrassing question, Anne? Tell me that."
Anne, pretending to ignore her, turned her head and looked away.
"Because you're in love with Gilbert Blythe." Miss Lavender answered her own query.
Anne sat down, and was silent for a moment. "Yes," she finally murmured.
Miss Lavender waited, knowing that more was coming.
"You were right all along," she resumed. "I was so-so stupid. It must have been so obvious to everyone but me that I loved him. And you tried to tell me, but I didn't listen. I didn't listen to anybody. I thought myself so wise in the affairs of the heart."
"So when did you-well, realize?" Miss Lavender prodded.
"It was that night-a little more than a week ago, when I came back from visiting Stella. Marilla and Mrs. Lynde told me Gilbert was dying. Then, I knew. And oh, it was horrible-because I couldn't-I couldn't go to him. Of course, he didn't die…thank goodness."
"But you thought he was going to marry Christine Stuart," finished Miss Lavender. "And now, thanks to me, you know he's not. Goodness, Anne, why didn't you just ask him?"
"I have some pride," Anne responded stiffly.
"And look where it's gotten you! You thought he was marrying Christine, and he's not, and he thought you were marrying Roy, and you're not. Both of you have to swallow your pride," instructed Miss Lavender.
"'Tis a bitter pill," smiled Anne. Then, more quietly, "You think he's still in love with me?"
Miss Lavender gave an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, how dense are you? Did you not see the look on his face when you said that there was nothing between you and Roy? Do you not see the way he looks at you all the time? He clearly worships the ground you walk on."
Anne sat silently. Miss Lavender continued, "But even he is better at hiding it than you. How can you possibly have any pride left? For goodness sakes, Anne, you dropped your fork!"
"It slipped."
"Funny. And 'my second greatest mistake'?"
Anne gasped in distress. "You could tell what I meant by that? Oh, no! I-I didn't mean to say that. It just came out. I wasn't thinking."
"I thought you said it purposely until the display you put on afterwards. But Anne, Paul could probably tell what you meant. Especially after the way you blushed and looked at Gilbert. It was as clear as saying 'My biggest mistake was turning you down, Gilbert'." Miss Lavender said, laughing.
"Of course," she resumed, "if Gilbert is anywhere near as thick as you, then perhaps he didn't get it. But I don't understand you. Don't you want Gilbert to know you love him?"
"No-I mean, yes, but-I don't know," Anne moaned. "I do, but I don't want to completely humble myself before him. I-I know you're right, but what if you're wrong?"
"First of all, Anne, you just contradicted yourself. Secondly, he already made a fool of himself in front of you. Don't you think it's your turn now?"
Anne thought for a moment. "I guess so…"
Miss Lavender put her arm around the confused redhead. "When you're not sure, just think of what it would be like if you two were together."
Anne stood up suddenly. "I do!" she said vehemently. "I-I am in love with him, and sometimes, when I think about him, or when I'm with him, I just-just get these feelings that are so powerful that I can't even begin to describe them. It kind of scares me-to set my heart so much upon one human being."
Miss Lavender rose also, beaming. She knew that, somehow, this would all turn out all right. "It's getting late, Anne. You can sleep in the spare room-I know what a thrill that used to give you. I'll get you an extra nightgown."
After the seemingly endless, uncomfortable dinner had finally concluded, Anne, Gilbert, and the Irvings rose from the table. Miss Lavender turned to Anne and said, "Why don't you stay longer? We can have a nice chat-it will be just like old times."
Gilbert gave a regretful sigh. "I really better be going. I promised my father I'd help him with something. Is that okay, Anne?"
"Oh, I don't mind. In fact, I might just stay over all night, and walk back in the morning," Anne replied.
Gilbert made a motion for the door.
"Oh, no you don't, Gilbert Blythe! There's no way I'm letting you walk all the way home at this time of day. It's getting rather chilly out." Anne exclaimed.
"Yes, I'll have Stephan get the buggy and drive you home," added Miss Lavender.
Gilbert rolled his eyes. "No, I don't want you to go to all that trouble. I'll be fine."
"Oh, it isn't any trouble," Stephan spoke up.
"Besides, Gilbert, you really shouldn't be over-exerting yourself. You look a little flushed. Oh, I shouldn't have dragged you all the way out here!" Anne lamented.
Gilbert was indeed very much flushed, but whether it was from over-exertion or the fact that Anne was standing very close, looking at him concernedly, I'll leave up to the reader.
He gazed into her eyes for a moment, then felt that if she would just continue looking at him like that, he would acquiesce to anything.
"All right, all right," he consented, his delight that Anne was so anxious about him winning over his annoyance.
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After Stephan and Gilbert left, and Paul departed to visit an old school friend, Miss Lavender and Anne were finally alone to discuss the day's events.
Miss Lavender stared conspicuously at Anne, arms folded and eyebrows raised.
Anne, blushing, looked at the floor.
"Anne Shirley," Miss Lavender said, shaking her head with a sigh.
"What?" responded Anne, lifting her face innocently.
"Don't feign naivety with me, Anne. That was the most marked and obvious display of…well, I'll let you finish that sentence."
"You needn't have been so cruel! I don't think I've ever been more embarrassed! 'Why did you say no?' I mean, that is a pretty interrogative question to ask even in confidence!"
Miss Lavender smiled amusedly. "And why was it such an embarrassing question, Anne? Tell me that."
Anne, pretending to ignore her, turned her head and looked away.
"Because you're in love with Gilbert Blythe." Miss Lavender answered her own query.
Anne sat down, and was silent for a moment. "Yes," she finally murmured.
Miss Lavender waited, knowing that more was coming.
"You were right all along," she resumed. "I was so-so stupid. It must have been so obvious to everyone but me that I loved him. And you tried to tell me, but I didn't listen. I didn't listen to anybody. I thought myself so wise in the affairs of the heart."
"So when did you-well, realize?" Miss Lavender prodded.
"It was that night-a little more than a week ago, when I came back from visiting Stella. Marilla and Mrs. Lynde told me Gilbert was dying. Then, I knew. And oh, it was horrible-because I couldn't-I couldn't go to him. Of course, he didn't die…thank goodness."
"But you thought he was going to marry Christine Stuart," finished Miss Lavender. "And now, thanks to me, you know he's not. Goodness, Anne, why didn't you just ask him?"
"I have some pride," Anne responded stiffly.
"And look where it's gotten you! You thought he was marrying Christine, and he's not, and he thought you were marrying Roy, and you're not. Both of you have to swallow your pride," instructed Miss Lavender.
"'Tis a bitter pill," smiled Anne. Then, more quietly, "You think he's still in love with me?"
Miss Lavender gave an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, how dense are you? Did you not see the look on his face when you said that there was nothing between you and Roy? Do you not see the way he looks at you all the time? He clearly worships the ground you walk on."
Anne sat silently. Miss Lavender continued, "But even he is better at hiding it than you. How can you possibly have any pride left? For goodness sakes, Anne, you dropped your fork!"
"It slipped."
"Funny. And 'my second greatest mistake'?"
Anne gasped in distress. "You could tell what I meant by that? Oh, no! I-I didn't mean to say that. It just came out. I wasn't thinking."
"I thought you said it purposely until the display you put on afterwards. But Anne, Paul could probably tell what you meant. Especially after the way you blushed and looked at Gilbert. It was as clear as saying 'My biggest mistake was turning you down, Gilbert'." Miss Lavender said, laughing.
"Of course," she resumed, "if Gilbert is anywhere near as thick as you, then perhaps he didn't get it. But I don't understand you. Don't you want Gilbert to know you love him?"
"No-I mean, yes, but-I don't know," Anne moaned. "I do, but I don't want to completely humble myself before him. I-I know you're right, but what if you're wrong?"
"First of all, Anne, you just contradicted yourself. Secondly, he already made a fool of himself in front of you. Don't you think it's your turn now?"
Anne thought for a moment. "I guess so…"
Miss Lavender put her arm around the confused redhead. "When you're not sure, just think of what it would be like if you two were together."
Anne stood up suddenly. "I do!" she said vehemently. "I-I am in love with him, and sometimes, when I think about him, or when I'm with him, I just-just get these feelings that are so powerful that I can't even begin to describe them. It kind of scares me-to set my heart so much upon one human being."
Miss Lavender rose also, beaming. She knew that, somehow, this would all turn out all right. "It's getting late, Anne. You can sleep in the spare room-I know what a thrill that used to give you. I'll get you an extra nightgown."