XII
Author's Note: Well, I lied. Kind of . You at least get the *beginning* of the banquet in this part. Anyway, more is forthcoming, and soon, since Christmas break is close at hand ::jumps up and down in joy:: Unless my evil teachers give me a lot of homework (which is ::sigh:: entirely possible)
Monday and the banquet finally rolled around. Jane Inglis and her millionaire husband had reached port in mainland Canada on Friday, had sailed over to the Island Saturday, and spent Sunday in Charlottetown. Today they finally arrived in Avonlea, amid much pomp and fanfare (actually, just a large greeting by the extensive Andrews contingent).
Anne took one last glance at herself in the full-length mirror in Diana's bedroom. She had taken her dress over to the Wrights' so she and Diana could help each other get ready. She leaned closer to the mirror, scrutinizing her face. Oh well, so she was a little pale. At least she wasn't painted, as Josie Pye no doubt would be.
Diana took all of this in and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Anne, we're going to be late. We have to make sure the decorations are all set, remember? And goodness, you look fine."
Anne turned to Diana. "Just *fine*?" she mock-whimpered.
Diana rolled her eyes again. "Fine? What was I thinking? Ravishing." Then a sly smile began to creep up on her face. "Goodness, Anne, you seem to be going to a lot of trouble to look nice for David. Are there some secret feelings I don't know about?"
"Yes, of course, I'm head-over-heels in love with David," Anne answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I can't stop thinking about him. You know, I think he may be my Prince Charming."
"Well," Diana continued, still smiling, "if it's not David, then who is it? Maybe your *first* rather than *second*, greatest mistake?"
Anne dropped her jaw in astonishment. "Have you been talking to Miss Lavender?"
"Yes, she dropped by today. I'm hurt that you didn't tell me, Anne. Although you didn't exactly do a good job keeping the secret-you're so obvious."
Anne gave a sudden sigh. "You know what? I-I can't do this. Please-please don't mention him to me tonight. He's going with Josie, I'm obviously worth nothing to him."
Diana raised her eyebrows. "All right," she said, "but he clearly *does* think you're worth enough to fight with."
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Diana, true to her word, didn't say anything more about Gilbert as she and Anne rode with Fred and David in the Wrights' carriage to Avonlea Hall. David kept looking at Anne in amazement. He had never realized she was so pretty. But no, he reminded himself. He was just there to make sure destiny ran its course.
The four were among the first to arrive at Avonlea Hall. Anne cringed at the first sight of the brilliant blue. That old mistake still hadn't lost its sting. And it had been the Pyes' fault, at that! Goodness, the Pyes were just thorns in her side.
As if on cue, the Blythe carriage pulled up at that moment. Josie smirked at Anne as Gilbert helped her out of the carriage. Suddenly, though, her sneer transformed into a look of horror. Anne followed Josie's eyes until she noticed upon whom they rested. Diana, who had just then lifted her head toward Josie, contorted her face into a similar expression of dismay. Anne, David, and Fred could barely contain their snickers. Josie and Diana were wearing the exact same dress, down the material and pattern and everything!
Anne quickly grabbed Diana, who looked as if she was about to faint, by the arm and dragged her inside the Hall. "Oh, this is the most embarrassing thing ever! I cannot be seen like this! I have to go home and change!" Diana moaned.
"Into what?" Anne asked tactfully. Diana's dress size had, er, changed a bit since she'd given birth to little Fred, so she didn't really have another proper dress to wear. "Anyway, Diana," Anne continued, "I thought that pattern you used for your dress was, um, exclusive. New to Avonlea, at least. Where did you get it?"
"From Aunt Atossa's Charlottetown cousin!" Diana moaned again, but this time a little more resignedly.
"Aunt Atossa! The one who died last year, whose mother was a Pye?" Anne asked.
Diana just nodded miserably. "I guess I should have remembered she had Pye relatives."
Anne turned abruptly to hide a laugh. Oh, this was too funny. But she really shouldn't laugh, *she* would be horrified if that happened to her. She put her arm around Diana. "Don't worry, you look ten times better in it than she does. And at least you weren't bragging all week about your *Charlottetown dress* like her," she told her friend comfortingly.
"She *does* look kind of like a little pig in pink," Diana agreed with one last sniffle.
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"I can't believe she stole my dress pattern!" Josie fumed to Gilbert. Though he made a show of nodding concernedly, Gilbert truly didn't care at all. In fact, he was thoroughly amused. He had always thought that girls put too much thought to their appearance. Now it was catching up with them.
Josie suddenly tugged on his arm. "Right, Gilbert?" she asked.
"Huh?" Goodness, did he really have to pay attention to her *all* evening?
"At least she and Fred don't fashionably match, like we do, right Gilbert?"
"Oh, right," he responded with an inward groan. Josie had dropped by his house last night to give him a tie to wear to the banquet. In the dark, it had looked a nice maroony color, so he'd agreed to wear it. He should have paid attention to the fact that she wanted him to wear it because it *matched*, though, because closer inspection, in proper lighting, revealed the tie to be a brilliant shade of pink.
He looked up to see David Owen grinning amusedly. Gilbert glared back at him. Of course, David had every right to laugh at him, as he had come with Anne, while Gilbert was stuck with Josie Pye.
"Oh, there's Julia!" Josie suddenly shrieked. "I'll be right back, Gilbert, okay?"
"Take your time," Gilbert muttered under his breath.
"Less than pleased with the lady?" David asked sarcastically, walking up beside him. Then, glancing at Gilbert's neck and snorting, "Nice tie."
"Oh, shut up." Gilbert's mood was rapidly declining.
"Have you seen Anne yet? You know, the one *not* wearing a pink dress?" David asked.
"No, and it's no great loss to me, anyway," Gilbert responded. Both Josie and David had screened him from even a glimpse of Anne when his carriage had pulled up.
"Well, your prayers are answered," David said, as Anne and Diana came out of the hall, strewing fresh flowers along the walkway.
Gilbert just gazed at her, unable to come up with a snappy retort. Wow. She looked, well, stunning-radiant, even, in her pale yellow dress. Ugh, why did she have to be so beautiful?
Disclaimer: Okay, let's see. L. M. Montgomery owns Anne, Gilbert, Diana, Fred, little Fred, Josie [though I don't know who would want her, anyway], Marilla, Mrs. Lynde, Davy, Dora, Miss Lavender, Stephan Irving, Paul, Aunt Atossa, Julia Bell, Jane Inglis nee Andrews, Mr. Inglis [what's his name, anyway?], Christine Stuart, Roy Gardiner, Stella Maynard, Phillipa Gordon, Avonlea, White Sands, the blue hall, Green Gables, Orchard Slope, Echo Lodge, Hester Gray's garden, Mr. Lawson's store, ummm...what else have I mentioned in my story so far? Oh well. I own David, George [Josie's cousin that was mentioned once], Aunt Atossa's Charlottetown cousin, Gilbert's pink tie, and all the plot [including "my second greatest mistake" by the way]. No infringement is intended. Now please review!
Author's Note: Well, I lied. Kind of . You at least get the *beginning* of the banquet in this part. Anyway, more is forthcoming, and soon, since Christmas break is close at hand ::jumps up and down in joy:: Unless my evil teachers give me a lot of homework (which is ::sigh:: entirely possible)
Monday and the banquet finally rolled around. Jane Inglis and her millionaire husband had reached port in mainland Canada on Friday, had sailed over to the Island Saturday, and spent Sunday in Charlottetown. Today they finally arrived in Avonlea, amid much pomp and fanfare (actually, just a large greeting by the extensive Andrews contingent).
Anne took one last glance at herself in the full-length mirror in Diana's bedroom. She had taken her dress over to the Wrights' so she and Diana could help each other get ready. She leaned closer to the mirror, scrutinizing her face. Oh well, so she was a little pale. At least she wasn't painted, as Josie Pye no doubt would be.
Diana took all of this in and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Anne, we're going to be late. We have to make sure the decorations are all set, remember? And goodness, you look fine."
Anne turned to Diana. "Just *fine*?" she mock-whimpered.
Diana rolled her eyes again. "Fine? What was I thinking? Ravishing." Then a sly smile began to creep up on her face. "Goodness, Anne, you seem to be going to a lot of trouble to look nice for David. Are there some secret feelings I don't know about?"
"Yes, of course, I'm head-over-heels in love with David," Anne answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I can't stop thinking about him. You know, I think he may be my Prince Charming."
"Well," Diana continued, still smiling, "if it's not David, then who is it? Maybe your *first* rather than *second*, greatest mistake?"
Anne dropped her jaw in astonishment. "Have you been talking to Miss Lavender?"
"Yes, she dropped by today. I'm hurt that you didn't tell me, Anne. Although you didn't exactly do a good job keeping the secret-you're so obvious."
Anne gave a sudden sigh. "You know what? I-I can't do this. Please-please don't mention him to me tonight. He's going with Josie, I'm obviously worth nothing to him."
Diana raised her eyebrows. "All right," she said, "but he clearly *does* think you're worth enough to fight with."
***********************************************************************
Diana, true to her word, didn't say anything more about Gilbert as she and Anne rode with Fred and David in the Wrights' carriage to Avonlea Hall. David kept looking at Anne in amazement. He had never realized she was so pretty. But no, he reminded himself. He was just there to make sure destiny ran its course.
The four were among the first to arrive at Avonlea Hall. Anne cringed at the first sight of the brilliant blue. That old mistake still hadn't lost its sting. And it had been the Pyes' fault, at that! Goodness, the Pyes were just thorns in her side.
As if on cue, the Blythe carriage pulled up at that moment. Josie smirked at Anne as Gilbert helped her out of the carriage. Suddenly, though, her sneer transformed into a look of horror. Anne followed Josie's eyes until she noticed upon whom they rested. Diana, who had just then lifted her head toward Josie, contorted her face into a similar expression of dismay. Anne, David, and Fred could barely contain their snickers. Josie and Diana were wearing the exact same dress, down the material and pattern and everything!
Anne quickly grabbed Diana, who looked as if she was about to faint, by the arm and dragged her inside the Hall. "Oh, this is the most embarrassing thing ever! I cannot be seen like this! I have to go home and change!" Diana moaned.
"Into what?" Anne asked tactfully. Diana's dress size had, er, changed a bit since she'd given birth to little Fred, so she didn't really have another proper dress to wear. "Anyway, Diana," Anne continued, "I thought that pattern you used for your dress was, um, exclusive. New to Avonlea, at least. Where did you get it?"
"From Aunt Atossa's Charlottetown cousin!" Diana moaned again, but this time a little more resignedly.
"Aunt Atossa! The one who died last year, whose mother was a Pye?" Anne asked.
Diana just nodded miserably. "I guess I should have remembered she had Pye relatives."
Anne turned abruptly to hide a laugh. Oh, this was too funny. But she really shouldn't laugh, *she* would be horrified if that happened to her. She put her arm around Diana. "Don't worry, you look ten times better in it than she does. And at least you weren't bragging all week about your *Charlottetown dress* like her," she told her friend comfortingly.
"She *does* look kind of like a little pig in pink," Diana agreed with one last sniffle.
************************************************************************
"I can't believe she stole my dress pattern!" Josie fumed to Gilbert. Though he made a show of nodding concernedly, Gilbert truly didn't care at all. In fact, he was thoroughly amused. He had always thought that girls put too much thought to their appearance. Now it was catching up with them.
Josie suddenly tugged on his arm. "Right, Gilbert?" she asked.
"Huh?" Goodness, did he really have to pay attention to her *all* evening?
"At least she and Fred don't fashionably match, like we do, right Gilbert?"
"Oh, right," he responded with an inward groan. Josie had dropped by his house last night to give him a tie to wear to the banquet. In the dark, it had looked a nice maroony color, so he'd agreed to wear it. He should have paid attention to the fact that she wanted him to wear it because it *matched*, though, because closer inspection, in proper lighting, revealed the tie to be a brilliant shade of pink.
He looked up to see David Owen grinning amusedly. Gilbert glared back at him. Of course, David had every right to laugh at him, as he had come with Anne, while Gilbert was stuck with Josie Pye.
"Oh, there's Julia!" Josie suddenly shrieked. "I'll be right back, Gilbert, okay?"
"Take your time," Gilbert muttered under his breath.
"Less than pleased with the lady?" David asked sarcastically, walking up beside him. Then, glancing at Gilbert's neck and snorting, "Nice tie."
"Oh, shut up." Gilbert's mood was rapidly declining.
"Have you seen Anne yet? You know, the one *not* wearing a pink dress?" David asked.
"No, and it's no great loss to me, anyway," Gilbert responded. Both Josie and David had screened him from even a glimpse of Anne when his carriage had pulled up.
"Well, your prayers are answered," David said, as Anne and Diana came out of the hall, strewing fresh flowers along the walkway.
Gilbert just gazed at her, unable to come up with a snappy retort. Wow. She looked, well, stunning-radiant, even, in her pale yellow dress. Ugh, why did she have to be so beautiful?
Disclaimer: Okay, let's see. L. M. Montgomery owns Anne, Gilbert, Diana, Fred, little Fred, Josie [though I don't know who would want her, anyway], Marilla, Mrs. Lynde, Davy, Dora, Miss Lavender, Stephan Irving, Paul, Aunt Atossa, Julia Bell, Jane Inglis nee Andrews, Mr. Inglis [what's his name, anyway?], Christine Stuart, Roy Gardiner, Stella Maynard, Phillipa Gordon, Avonlea, White Sands, the blue hall, Green Gables, Orchard Slope, Echo Lodge, Hester Gray's garden, Mr. Lawson's store, ummm...what else have I mentioned in my story so far? Oh well. I own David, George [Josie's cousin that was mentioned once], Aunt Atossa's Charlottetown cousin, Gilbert's pink tie, and all the plot [including "my second greatest mistake" by the way]. No infringement is intended. Now please review!