Chapter Eight

Mr. and Mrs. Holbrook came home accordingly before supper the following day. Sara hurriedly told them the whole story with Elizabeth next to her, nodding and gesticulating. Mrs. Holbrook was devastated at her own behavior towards Anne.

"I'm so sorry, Sara, I will make it up to her if it's the last thing I do," Mrs. Holbrook hugged Sara.

"You should be telling this to Anne, not me," Sara said, overflowing with happiness.

"I know, I know," Mother wiped her eyes, "I know what we'll do. We'll take her along with us when we go to the annual Christmas ball this year. Then she may spend the night." Sara jumped for joy.

"But first, we'll invite Anne over for supper to tell her all about it, to see if she may go. Why, I'll go over myself this very minute. It's not suppertime yet; it's only two o'clock. Yes, I'll go myself." Mrs. Holbrook grabbed her coat and scarf and set off on her mission.

Sara sighed and smiled out at the falling snow. A line from somewhere floated through her mind, 'Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it yet.' Now, everything was all right again. She sat looking out over the fields, dreaming, and thinking of the wonderful times she and Anne were going to have, making up for time gone by. Lovely romps in the snowy twilight, sleigh rides, walks to school again, and the Christmas ball. Oh, yes, the Christmas ball, that will be the high moment of the season.

"Hello, stranger," a voice said behind her and Sara whirled around to come face to face with Anne Shirley.

"Oh, Anne, we can be bosom friends again. We never have to be apart!" Sara hugged her friend around the middle.

"But, dearest, we were never really apart. 'Friends are always together in spirit.' Especially kindred spirits."

Sara grinned. It had to be the best Christmas ever.



"Oh, Anne, it's beautiful," Sara felt the soft material in her fingers and twirled the dress around.

"I'm so glad Marilla decided to let me go. It was really Matthew who put her up to it. And then he bought me this beautiful dress with puffed sleeves." She emphasized the puffed sleeves part because of course the puffed sleeves were the crowning glory.

"Marilla says I'll have to walk sideways to get through the doors, but I don't care. I was too happy to take any of her silly sarcasm."

The lovely dress was a filmy green with a soft satin sash and little embroidery roses on the edge. The sleeves were indeed puffed, with the latest fashion, and it came with a pale green ribbon to match.

The girls were getting ready in Sara's room for what promised to be a glorious night. Sara prepared her new dress, which was of the palest pink. "Like a tiny baby rosebud," Anne had said. She, too, had puffed sleeves with a lace collar and for her hair, a rose with a blend of color no other rose could win over. Sara gave Anne pretty kid slippers for Christmas, which came in useful for the ball that night. Anne also had a flower to tie in her hair. Mrs. Holbrook had provided her a spray of white lily-of-the- valley. Anne, accordingly, put them in her hair and looked in the mirror.

"It's too bad this flower makes my face look so pale. The freckles stand out even more. But I'll just continue pinching my cheeks to make a blush of color in them."

Sara pulled the sash tight on Anne and tied it in a small bow. Anne turned around and Sara gasped.

"Oh, Anne, it really is beautiful. Red-heads are meant to wear green."

"And fair-haired to wear pink. It's too bad redheads can't wear pink, it is the loveliest color. I hope someday if I have a daughter, she'll have nut brown curls, so she can wear pink."

Sara giggled and tied her own sash. She pinned the rose into her French braids that were twisted into two hoops on the sides of her head, just above her ear. Then helped Anne with her flowers. The lily-of-the-valley flowers blossoms were stuck securely in Anne's hair, which was half pulled up into a clip.

The two girls surveyed each other in the mirror.

"We are angels, aren't we?" Anne grinned at her reflection. Mrs. Holbrook came in looking very regal in purple and a smart-looking hat and furs.

"You too look beautiful, now let's go, the carriage is waiting outside."

The sleigh, more-like, was festooned with holly and jingle bells. They sang carols loudly as they packed into the three rows of cushions stuck neatly together on their benches. Even Danny and Teddy were there in their tiny little suits and ties. The twins looked grand in red and blue. Elizabeth looking very healthy now and flushed in her red velvet dress. Katie in her soft blue gown, laughed joyously at Peter joking and singing.

When they were all packed into the sleigh, coats, mufflers, gloves, hats and all, they were off, the bells jingling merrily and the snow falling softly. They talked and sang with each other into the silence of the night.

"This is what I would call an epoch in my life," Anne said to Sara, gazing at the happy crowd of people. Sara couldn't agree more.

They arrived in due time. Sara grabbed Anne's arm in excitement as they proceeded into the grand hall. The orchestra played loudly and there was a table for refreshments in the corner. Many couples were dancing a waltz out on the dance floor. There was a small stage on the right where the orchestra was playing. A chandelier hung in grand display in the middle of the ceiling. Sara saw Gilbert dancing with Josie over on the other side. Anne must have seen too because she narrowed her eyes.

"Here, girls, these are your dance cards, be sure to get a dance," Mrs. Holbrook handed them two white cards with a little ribbon attached. They each had their names written on them in lovely script, "Have a good time."

Sara hurried to take off her coat and get to the dance floor. Anne followed.

"Look at Gilbert dancing with Josie, he doesn't look too happy to be dancing with her. And, ooh, I'm going to wear my hair just like Alice Bell's when I'm older. But she's only seventeen, and I think she looks ridiculous. I'm going to wait until I'm eighteen," Sara looked around at the couples dancing.

"Anne, look, Gilbert stopped dancing and he's talking to someone. You shouldn't have been so horrible to him, he might have asked you to dance. I bet you couldn't get him to dance with you."

"All right, Sara, you're on," Anne spoke for the first time since they got there and walked firmly towards Gilbert, pinching her cheeks. Sara watched from her spot. Anne started talking to Gilbert, but Gilbert ignored her, talking to an older woman. The woman left and Gilbert leaned against the punch table, gazing at everyone except for Anne. Anne got a glass of punch and tried unsuccessfully to talk to him. Sara walked over.

Gilbert saw her coming and walked over to her, grabbing her hands, "Hello, Sara, this place is great, isn't it? You have a merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Gilbert," Sara replied, looking after him, confused, as he walked away.

"How can you wish that person a merry Christmas?" Anne asked disgusted. Sara looked back at her guiltily.

"I take it that person didn't ask you to dance after all," Sara took her hands, "Well, if he won't, may I have the honor?"

Anne brightened up jovially, "Why, of course!"

And they twirled around, laughing, across the dance floor. As they were dancing, Sara noticed Gilbert walk over to the punch table and pick up a slim piece of paper. It was Anne's dance card. She must have left it there when she took the glass of punch. Looking around, Gilbert slipped it into his coat pocket. Sara thought nothing of it, until they were back twirling around to the music of the record player in the sitting room in their nightgowns.

"Anne, I think Gilbert took your dance card," she said, gasping for breath from laughing as the music ended.

"Oh, let him keep it, I don't care."

"Hey, Mother says we can sleep in the spare room bed tonight because you're the guest."

"Oh, how wonderful! I've always loved sleeping in spare rooms, they sounded so grand. But I've never slept in one, so I wouldn't know," Anne collapsed on the couch.

"Hey," she said, "let's race to the room to see who gets the warm side of the bed!"

Sara giggled and sprang up from her chair.

"Ready, one..two..three!" The girls ran up the stairs and to the right, burst through the door and jumped at the same time onto the lumpy covers. Lumpy?

A groan came from in between the pillows and an old woman sat up, staring grumpily at them, in her nightcap and dressing gown.

"Aunt Josephine!" Sara gasped, "Mother said you weren't coming till next week."

"Well, I'm here and trying to get some sleep!" The two girls stood, transfixed and shivering, in their nightgowns.

"How dare you! Can't an old woman get some sleep anywhere? I suppose not with two hoodlums like you. Well, I'll be writing to your mother, Sara, about the music lessons I was going to pay for. You need a little lesson in behavior than in music, young lady! Now get out, and let a poor woman get her beauty sleep!"

Sara and Anne walked swiftly back downstairs and sat rigidly on the parlor bench.

"Oh, dear, I'm always making mistakes aren't I?" Anne shook her head at the floor, "I'll just have to have a talk with her in the morning."

"Oh, Anne, don't. She'll eat you alive," Sara whispered softly.

"Oh, I've had lots of practice apologizing before. Don't worry, I'll get your music lessons back."

There was a pause.

"But wasn't her face so funny?" Anne laughed suddenly and made a face, pretending to gasp. Sara giggled.

"Well, I suppose there had to be a little bit of adventure to color the evening a bit. But I must tell you, without the spare bed, you'll have to sleep on the window seat in my room."

"Oh, I don't care, I'll stay awake imagining things to say to your Aunt Josephine tomorrow anyway."

With a sigh, they pulled their tired bodies up to Sara's room and went quickly to sleep.