XVII
Pre-Author's Note: Humph. So don't expect quite as fast an output now. I'm back in school and finals are coming up. ::looks around in fright:: I even have ::gulps:: two finals on my birthday! I know, what a travesty! I'll probably be studying during the very moment I turn 17. An outrage! I should be going to an 'R' rated movie or driving after midnight or doing one of the other things I'll then be allowed to do, but noooo... I'll be *studying*. Sorry, a little bitter. Anyway, here's more story. I think I'm becoming predictable--several of you guessed what would happen in this part. Enjoy.
**Half an hour earlier…
Having concluded their paint fight, Gilbert and David attempted to clean themselves up at the pump. David glanced over to the still pinkish fence. "Didn't make much headway there, did you Gil?" he asked, hiding a snicker.
Gilbert, too, laughed a little, his sense of humor returned to him. "Ah, it's inevitable. That fence was foreordained to be pink, and pink it will stay."
"Almost like *destiny*, huh Gil?" David quipped, looking at his friend significantly. "Speaking of which," he continued, ignoring Gilbert's glares, "shouldn't you be going to see Anne right about now?"
Gilbert silently leaned against the fence, his heart fluttering in excitement. He both eagerly awaited and dreaded seeing her. Perhaps last night was just an aberration in their relationship. But, upon recalling her shining eyes, he knew that not to be so.
Noting the flicker of doubt on Gilbert's face, David spoke. "Come on, Gil, I know how much you love that arguing, romantic tension thing. But goodness, enough is enough."
"What are you-" Gilbert began in anger.
David went on, paying no heed to his friend's offended glare. "But if you're going to go see her, you certainly can't wear that. I mean, she might have put up with the pink tie last night, but *this*" he gestured towards Gilbert's paint-splattered clothes "is altogether too much."
Gilbert finally just laughed at his persistent friend. "You know, I really do owe you one," he said, picking up the near-empty paint can and brushes.
"I know. How about making me godfather of your children?" David responded, dodging an airborne brush. "Or, better yet, naming one of your children after me?"
Gilbert dumped the remaining contents of the paint can on David's head and then darted inside. "It could be a boy *or* a girl!" David called after him. "David or Davidina!"
**********
Hands stuffed in the pockets of his newly changed pants, Gilbert nervously ambled down to Green Gables. Thinking deeply, he stared absently at the fresh wheel tracks imbedded in the lane, not really seeing them. This scenario wasn't really different than the one that occurred two weeks ago, except that, well, everything had changed. He no longer thought Anne engaged to Roy Gardiner. Too bad for you, Roy, he thought, inwardly smirking. He didn't know that five minutes later he would be looking back at the irony of that reflection.
Not seeing Anne anywhere in the yard, Gilbert knocked on the Green Gables door. Marilla answered almost immediately. Upon recognizing him, she raised her eyebrows and bit her lip. It almost looked as if she were struggling not to laugh, though Gilbert had not a clue what possibly could be so funny. He wondered agitatedly if he had missed any splotches of pink paint. Presently Marilla spoke.
"Gilbert Blythe," she said evenly, not trusting her normal tone of voice. "You've come to look for Anne?"
"Yes, I-" he began.
"Well, she's out down that path, by Violet Vale or whatever fool name she gave the little hill near Mr. Barry's field," Marilla interrupted, not looking him directly in the eyes.
Then, her sense of humor getting the better of her, she added, "The minister and his wife are coming to tea, along with Fred and Diana Wright. Won't you join us?" She purposely left out the other invited person.
"Thanks, I will," he said. Wondering how much Anne had told Marilla, he turned to give her one last queer look. But the door had been promptly shut. What he didn't know was that behind it Marilla was laughing so hard that she was panting for breath.
"Oh, poor Anne!" she gasped. "First that Kingsport man, and now Gilbert. She's going to kill me, but I couldn't help it."
Mrs. Lynde came in then, and stared at Marilla in amazed consternation while she doubled up with laughter. "Whatever happened, Marilla?" she asked inquisitively.
"Rachel, we have to set two extra places for tea tonight," she managed to spit out between breaths.
**********
Gilbert was just about to turn out of the Green Gables yard when something caught his eye. The sun gleamed off an unfamiliar black carriage he'd been too blind with worry to see when he came up to the house. What was more, a strange-looking man sat in the driver's seat, clearly waiting. Noticing Gilbert's stare, he lifted his hat and said, "Good day, sir." Evidently this man was some sort of servant. Gilbert picked up his pace as he walked toward Violet Vale.
Not even all these hints, however, prepared Gilbert for the shock he got when he saw someone else with Anne. Especially since that someone else was Roy Gardiner.
Deciding not to make his presence known just yet, Gilbert hid himself behind a tree and shamelessly eavesdropped on their conversation. He shifted uncomfortably upon noting that Roy's hands were over her eyes and he was standing very close to her.
Wait, what was Anne saying?
"-I didn't mean any of those things I said."
Roy looked almost as shocked as Gilbert was himself. "What?"
"Yes, I take them all back," Anne continued. "I was worked up-a little out of my head, I guess."
"Really?" Roy responded incredulously. Really? Gilbert thought to himself in disbelief. What was going on?
"Yes. And listen, I-I just wanted to, um, say-" Anne began.
"Yes?" Roy encouraged. Gilbert banged his head very softly against the tree. This was not happening, this was not happening, he repeated over and over to himself.
"Um, I'm sorry," Anne finished.
"Anne, I-I wasn't quite expecting this, but of course I'm extremely pleased-you don't know how much so. I guess all that remains to be said, or, rather, asked, is a question I posed awhile ago…" NO! NO! Oh, Gilbert had to stop this, he had to! But his horror kept him glued to the spot where he was standing.
"So, Anne, you *will* marry me this time?" Roy asked. Gilbert kicked the tree as hard as he could, then had to stifle himself from crying out in pain. How could Anne do this to him? Last night--he had thought...
Suddenly Anne threw Roy's hands off her face and whirled around. "Roy!" she exclaimed, astounded. "What are you doing here?"
Taken aback, Gilbert stopped bemoaning his fate and looked on interestedly. Now *this* was an unexpected development.
Roy looked down at her, stunned. "You didn't know it was me?"
"No, I thought-I mean, I couldn't really hear you."
"What? But you were responding to me in an, um, *intelligent* manner. You could hear me. What's going on, Anne?" Roy looked as baffled as Gilbert felt.
"No, what I meant to say was that I *could* hear you, but not your tone of voice, because my ears got clogged when I washed my hair this morning." Anne covered her face in her hands. Oh, this was so horrible.
But not to Gilbert. He could have danced a jig on the spot. So Anne hadn't known it was Roy. Had she thought it was *him*, then?
"I see. So you could hear the words I was saying, but couldn't tell who was saying them." Roy drew his mouth into a suspicious line.
"Yes, exactly." Anne replied, relieved. Perhaps he would understand, after all.
"Well, who in heaven's name did you think I was, then?!" Roy demanded, throwing up his arms.
Anne opened her mouth and then closed it again. Even from where Gilbert was standing, he could tell she was blushing profusely. "I, um, I-I don't know," she finally stammered, obviously flustered.
Roy, too, noted the blush. "So you didn't mean any of what you were saying to me?" he asked dully.
"No, I'm really sorry. And, pardon my asking, because this is very rude, but, really, Roy, why are you here?"
"I-I *was* in Europe, trying to get over you, but nothing really seemed to console me. So I figured I'd come back and try again."
"Listen, Roy, I'm really sorry that I hurt you, you know I didn't mean to," Anne said.
"How *do* I know that?"
"I-I'm not like that, Roy. I really thought I was in love with you, you must understand that. But I was a little foolish-I didn't know what love really was-and you don't either, I'm sure you'll find someone else-someone that's *meant* for you. But I apologize again, leading you on was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made..."
Gilbert suddenly stepped out of the shadows. "The biggest, or the second biggest?" he asked meaningfully.
Anne gasped, then stared at him for a moment, gaping. Their eyes locked briefly, and she reddened even more deeply than before. Roy just blandly looked at him in surprise, then narrowed his eyes a bit. He followed Gilbert's gaze to Anne, then back to Gilbert. The intense connection between the two of them was almost visible.
Gilbert waited until the significance of his words had taken the proper effect in Anne's mind, then said, half-apologetically, half-triumphantly, "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something? I just walked up, and heard voices..." He let his own voice trail off.
"No, you're interrupting nothing, because I was just leaving," Roy responded listlessly, his eyes flickering again between Anne and Gilbert. Of course, how could he have been so stupid? The little things came back to him in a rush-the way her attention had drifted whenever Gilbert's name was mentioned; the odd looks of either triumph or despair on her face at dances; the disparaging glares Gilbert had always shot at *him*; the flowers at Convocation-the little things that had meant nothing at the time but now signified so much. It all added up. He'd just been too blind to see it.
"Don't leave, at least stay to tea," Anne pleaded politely, ignoring Gilbert's glares.
"No, really I should be getting back. Wilmer is waiting."
Gilbert tried not to laugh. His servant's name was Wilmer? Of course.
Roy walk back in the direction of the house through the trees, leaving Anne and Gilbert alone. She was utterly conscious of his eyes on her and feigned interest in her fingernails, examining them carefully.
Gilbert took a few steps toward her. "Well that was odd," he finally said, in a voice that was not his own.
Anne peered up at him and then chuckled softly, revealing a smile that, although not dimpled, was indeed very pretty. "What?" Gilbert demanded, noticing her amusement.
She pointed to his hair. "You have a little, um, paint," she answered, snickering.
Gilbert patted his hair in horror. "Where?" he asked, panicking.
Anne shook her head at him. "No, no, you're not going to get it out by doing that."
She grabbed him by the hand and led him over to Willowmere, the nearby pond ringed by willow trees. "How on earth did it get there, anyway?"
"Oh, David and I had a little paint fight earlier this morning. I asked him if it was all out-he must have lied to me, the scoundrel."
Gilbert dipped his fingers in the water and let them drip onto his hair. "Did I get it?"
Anne rolled her eyes. "No. Just-just let me do it." She cupped some water in her palm and then brushed her damp fingers on the white spot. Goodness, his curls were so soft. She ran her fingers through his hair repeatedly, barely noticing when the paint disappeared.
"Is it gone?" Gilbert silently cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth, for now she would stop stroking his hair.
"Oh-yes," Anne said, shaking herself out of her reverie.
An awkward silence ensued. Gilbert was about to open his mouth when suddenly-"Anne! Come on, we need help getting ready! The minister and his wife are coming for tea!" Mrs. Lynde's shrill voice resounded through the trees.
Anne gave Gilbert an annoyed smile. Any hope of escaping was then thwarted by Mrs. Lynde's actual presence, as she appeared off the path guiding Roy by the arm.
Anne raised her eyebrows as Mrs. Lynde turned to Roy. "I can't believe you were thinking of leaving without tea," she was saying to him. Roy just shrugged impassively.
Anne suddenly gasped with dismay. If anything could be *more* uncomfortable... Neither Gilbert nor Roy looked exactly thrilled, either.
Seeing Anne wasn't going to say anything, Mrs. Lynde took charge of the situation, as she was wont to do. She turned to Gilbert. "Now, you boys can just sit in the parlor while we wait for the Wrights and the minister and his wife. Come on, Anne."
There was no getting out of this. Anne looked helplessly at Gilbert. Misreading the glance, Mrs. Lynde then yelled, "OH, ANNE, ARE YOUR EARS STILL BLOCKED? CAN YOU NOT HEAR ME? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TEA."
"No, I'd say she can hear just *fine* now," Roy put in sarcastically. Anne flinched a little. Was this how the entire afternoon was going to be?
Unable to do anything else, Anne followed Mrs. Lynde, Roy, and Gilbert back to Green Gables, lamenting her ill-fated lot.
Post-Author's Note: Okay, now review, please please? Lotsa reviews might convince me to not study for my Spanish final and do this instead. Actually, I might do that anyway...
Pre-Author's Note: Humph. So don't expect quite as fast an output now. I'm back in school and finals are coming up. ::looks around in fright:: I even have ::gulps:: two finals on my birthday! I know, what a travesty! I'll probably be studying during the very moment I turn 17. An outrage! I should be going to an 'R' rated movie or driving after midnight or doing one of the other things I'll then be allowed to do, but noooo... I'll be *studying*. Sorry, a little bitter. Anyway, here's more story. I think I'm becoming predictable--several of you guessed what would happen in this part. Enjoy.
**Half an hour earlier…
Having concluded their paint fight, Gilbert and David attempted to clean themselves up at the pump. David glanced over to the still pinkish fence. "Didn't make much headway there, did you Gil?" he asked, hiding a snicker.
Gilbert, too, laughed a little, his sense of humor returned to him. "Ah, it's inevitable. That fence was foreordained to be pink, and pink it will stay."
"Almost like *destiny*, huh Gil?" David quipped, looking at his friend significantly. "Speaking of which," he continued, ignoring Gilbert's glares, "shouldn't you be going to see Anne right about now?"
Gilbert silently leaned against the fence, his heart fluttering in excitement. He both eagerly awaited and dreaded seeing her. Perhaps last night was just an aberration in their relationship. But, upon recalling her shining eyes, he knew that not to be so.
Noting the flicker of doubt on Gilbert's face, David spoke. "Come on, Gil, I know how much you love that arguing, romantic tension thing. But goodness, enough is enough."
"What are you-" Gilbert began in anger.
David went on, paying no heed to his friend's offended glare. "But if you're going to go see her, you certainly can't wear that. I mean, she might have put up with the pink tie last night, but *this*" he gestured towards Gilbert's paint-splattered clothes "is altogether too much."
Gilbert finally just laughed at his persistent friend. "You know, I really do owe you one," he said, picking up the near-empty paint can and brushes.
"I know. How about making me godfather of your children?" David responded, dodging an airborne brush. "Or, better yet, naming one of your children after me?"
Gilbert dumped the remaining contents of the paint can on David's head and then darted inside. "It could be a boy *or* a girl!" David called after him. "David or Davidina!"
**********
Hands stuffed in the pockets of his newly changed pants, Gilbert nervously ambled down to Green Gables. Thinking deeply, he stared absently at the fresh wheel tracks imbedded in the lane, not really seeing them. This scenario wasn't really different than the one that occurred two weeks ago, except that, well, everything had changed. He no longer thought Anne engaged to Roy Gardiner. Too bad for you, Roy, he thought, inwardly smirking. He didn't know that five minutes later he would be looking back at the irony of that reflection.
Not seeing Anne anywhere in the yard, Gilbert knocked on the Green Gables door. Marilla answered almost immediately. Upon recognizing him, she raised her eyebrows and bit her lip. It almost looked as if she were struggling not to laugh, though Gilbert had not a clue what possibly could be so funny. He wondered agitatedly if he had missed any splotches of pink paint. Presently Marilla spoke.
"Gilbert Blythe," she said evenly, not trusting her normal tone of voice. "You've come to look for Anne?"
"Yes, I-" he began.
"Well, she's out down that path, by Violet Vale or whatever fool name she gave the little hill near Mr. Barry's field," Marilla interrupted, not looking him directly in the eyes.
Then, her sense of humor getting the better of her, she added, "The minister and his wife are coming to tea, along with Fred and Diana Wright. Won't you join us?" She purposely left out the other invited person.
"Thanks, I will," he said. Wondering how much Anne had told Marilla, he turned to give her one last queer look. But the door had been promptly shut. What he didn't know was that behind it Marilla was laughing so hard that she was panting for breath.
"Oh, poor Anne!" she gasped. "First that Kingsport man, and now Gilbert. She's going to kill me, but I couldn't help it."
Mrs. Lynde came in then, and stared at Marilla in amazed consternation while she doubled up with laughter. "Whatever happened, Marilla?" she asked inquisitively.
"Rachel, we have to set two extra places for tea tonight," she managed to spit out between breaths.
**********
Gilbert was just about to turn out of the Green Gables yard when something caught his eye. The sun gleamed off an unfamiliar black carriage he'd been too blind with worry to see when he came up to the house. What was more, a strange-looking man sat in the driver's seat, clearly waiting. Noticing Gilbert's stare, he lifted his hat and said, "Good day, sir." Evidently this man was some sort of servant. Gilbert picked up his pace as he walked toward Violet Vale.
Not even all these hints, however, prepared Gilbert for the shock he got when he saw someone else with Anne. Especially since that someone else was Roy Gardiner.
Deciding not to make his presence known just yet, Gilbert hid himself behind a tree and shamelessly eavesdropped on their conversation. He shifted uncomfortably upon noting that Roy's hands were over her eyes and he was standing very close to her.
Wait, what was Anne saying?
"-I didn't mean any of those things I said."
Roy looked almost as shocked as Gilbert was himself. "What?"
"Yes, I take them all back," Anne continued. "I was worked up-a little out of my head, I guess."
"Really?" Roy responded incredulously. Really? Gilbert thought to himself in disbelief. What was going on?
"Yes. And listen, I-I just wanted to, um, say-" Anne began.
"Yes?" Roy encouraged. Gilbert banged his head very softly against the tree. This was not happening, this was not happening, he repeated over and over to himself.
"Um, I'm sorry," Anne finished.
"Anne, I-I wasn't quite expecting this, but of course I'm extremely pleased-you don't know how much so. I guess all that remains to be said, or, rather, asked, is a question I posed awhile ago…" NO! NO! Oh, Gilbert had to stop this, he had to! But his horror kept him glued to the spot where he was standing.
"So, Anne, you *will* marry me this time?" Roy asked. Gilbert kicked the tree as hard as he could, then had to stifle himself from crying out in pain. How could Anne do this to him? Last night--he had thought...
Suddenly Anne threw Roy's hands off her face and whirled around. "Roy!" she exclaimed, astounded. "What are you doing here?"
Taken aback, Gilbert stopped bemoaning his fate and looked on interestedly. Now *this* was an unexpected development.
Roy looked down at her, stunned. "You didn't know it was me?"
"No, I thought-I mean, I couldn't really hear you."
"What? But you were responding to me in an, um, *intelligent* manner. You could hear me. What's going on, Anne?" Roy looked as baffled as Gilbert felt.
"No, what I meant to say was that I *could* hear you, but not your tone of voice, because my ears got clogged when I washed my hair this morning." Anne covered her face in her hands. Oh, this was so horrible.
But not to Gilbert. He could have danced a jig on the spot. So Anne hadn't known it was Roy. Had she thought it was *him*, then?
"I see. So you could hear the words I was saying, but couldn't tell who was saying them." Roy drew his mouth into a suspicious line.
"Yes, exactly." Anne replied, relieved. Perhaps he would understand, after all.
"Well, who in heaven's name did you think I was, then?!" Roy demanded, throwing up his arms.
Anne opened her mouth and then closed it again. Even from where Gilbert was standing, he could tell she was blushing profusely. "I, um, I-I don't know," she finally stammered, obviously flustered.
Roy, too, noted the blush. "So you didn't mean any of what you were saying to me?" he asked dully.
"No, I'm really sorry. And, pardon my asking, because this is very rude, but, really, Roy, why are you here?"
"I-I *was* in Europe, trying to get over you, but nothing really seemed to console me. So I figured I'd come back and try again."
"Listen, Roy, I'm really sorry that I hurt you, you know I didn't mean to," Anne said.
"How *do* I know that?"
"I-I'm not like that, Roy. I really thought I was in love with you, you must understand that. But I was a little foolish-I didn't know what love really was-and you don't either, I'm sure you'll find someone else-someone that's *meant* for you. But I apologize again, leading you on was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made..."
Gilbert suddenly stepped out of the shadows. "The biggest, or the second biggest?" he asked meaningfully.
Anne gasped, then stared at him for a moment, gaping. Their eyes locked briefly, and she reddened even more deeply than before. Roy just blandly looked at him in surprise, then narrowed his eyes a bit. He followed Gilbert's gaze to Anne, then back to Gilbert. The intense connection between the two of them was almost visible.
Gilbert waited until the significance of his words had taken the proper effect in Anne's mind, then said, half-apologetically, half-triumphantly, "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something? I just walked up, and heard voices..." He let his own voice trail off.
"No, you're interrupting nothing, because I was just leaving," Roy responded listlessly, his eyes flickering again between Anne and Gilbert. Of course, how could he have been so stupid? The little things came back to him in a rush-the way her attention had drifted whenever Gilbert's name was mentioned; the odd looks of either triumph or despair on her face at dances; the disparaging glares Gilbert had always shot at *him*; the flowers at Convocation-the little things that had meant nothing at the time but now signified so much. It all added up. He'd just been too blind to see it.
"Don't leave, at least stay to tea," Anne pleaded politely, ignoring Gilbert's glares.
"No, really I should be getting back. Wilmer is waiting."
Gilbert tried not to laugh. His servant's name was Wilmer? Of course.
Roy walk back in the direction of the house through the trees, leaving Anne and Gilbert alone. She was utterly conscious of his eyes on her and feigned interest in her fingernails, examining them carefully.
Gilbert took a few steps toward her. "Well that was odd," he finally said, in a voice that was not his own.
Anne peered up at him and then chuckled softly, revealing a smile that, although not dimpled, was indeed very pretty. "What?" Gilbert demanded, noticing her amusement.
She pointed to his hair. "You have a little, um, paint," she answered, snickering.
Gilbert patted his hair in horror. "Where?" he asked, panicking.
Anne shook her head at him. "No, no, you're not going to get it out by doing that."
She grabbed him by the hand and led him over to Willowmere, the nearby pond ringed by willow trees. "How on earth did it get there, anyway?"
"Oh, David and I had a little paint fight earlier this morning. I asked him if it was all out-he must have lied to me, the scoundrel."
Gilbert dipped his fingers in the water and let them drip onto his hair. "Did I get it?"
Anne rolled her eyes. "No. Just-just let me do it." She cupped some water in her palm and then brushed her damp fingers on the white spot. Goodness, his curls were so soft. She ran her fingers through his hair repeatedly, barely noticing when the paint disappeared.
"Is it gone?" Gilbert silently cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth, for now she would stop stroking his hair.
"Oh-yes," Anne said, shaking herself out of her reverie.
An awkward silence ensued. Gilbert was about to open his mouth when suddenly-"Anne! Come on, we need help getting ready! The minister and his wife are coming for tea!" Mrs. Lynde's shrill voice resounded through the trees.
Anne gave Gilbert an annoyed smile. Any hope of escaping was then thwarted by Mrs. Lynde's actual presence, as she appeared off the path guiding Roy by the arm.
Anne raised her eyebrows as Mrs. Lynde turned to Roy. "I can't believe you were thinking of leaving without tea," she was saying to him. Roy just shrugged impassively.
Anne suddenly gasped with dismay. If anything could be *more* uncomfortable... Neither Gilbert nor Roy looked exactly thrilled, either.
Seeing Anne wasn't going to say anything, Mrs. Lynde took charge of the situation, as she was wont to do. She turned to Gilbert. "Now, you boys can just sit in the parlor while we wait for the Wrights and the minister and his wife. Come on, Anne."
There was no getting out of this. Anne looked helplessly at Gilbert. Misreading the glance, Mrs. Lynde then yelled, "OH, ANNE, ARE YOUR EARS STILL BLOCKED? CAN YOU NOT HEAR ME? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TEA."
"No, I'd say she can hear just *fine* now," Roy put in sarcastically. Anne flinched a little. Was this how the entire afternoon was going to be?
Unable to do anything else, Anne followed Mrs. Lynde, Roy, and Gilbert back to Green Gables, lamenting her ill-fated lot.
Post-Author's Note: Okay, now review, please please? Lotsa reviews might convince me to not study for my Spanish final and do this instead. Actually, I might do that anyway...