Premise Anne Shirley has just accepted Gilbert's proposal. How does she
break the news to Marilla?
1.1 Missing Scene
The old cedar wood clock ticked in slow beats. At dinner it used to tick in perfect harmony with Anne's thoughts. But tonight, her thoughts were racing to quickly for Anne to single any one of them out. Thoughts mixed with flurries of emotion, with lips and body tingling as if she were a firefly. Her essence lit up, like a beacon, which could not nor would not ever be turned off. Her mind was set away from the little kitchen she sat in. at.
"You were home late, I didn't here you come in." Marilla motioned for the chair, and took comfort in its seat. The burrowing of her already noticeable forehead lines had deepened, a sign of concern and worry. The occupant who entered stared at her most peculiarly. Never had she been so silent, and was quite strange to find Anne ever so silent. Especially at dinner, there would be some tale to regal in or something to laugh
"I'm sorry if I worried you Marilla, just tonight was a night that beckoned me fourth into its domes of beauty"
"Worried child? Over you, why I don't know the meaning of that very word when you are concerned." Anne laughed dismally, her mind clearly set in another world. Her eyes drifted down to Anne's hands, as they clutched her knife and fork. Nothing on her plate had been touched, and she had been there at least fifteen minutes.
"child what is wrong with you, nothing on your plate has been touched. Are you ill."
A sigh escaped from her still lips, and the corners of Anne's mouth turned up into a smile. "Far from ill, though you may call what I have an illness. Even if it makes me scandalously happy-oh Marilla." Just then there was a knock on the front door, and with a groan Marilla went to stand up.
"Who could be calling at this time, it is nine o'clock for heavens sake."
But before Marilla could get up and finish her complaint, Anne had shot up announcing that she would get it. The caller was unmistakable, and Marilla moved to the doorway to find Gilbert standing there on Green Gables verandah. Marilla stared with curiosity, nothing had been said except a good evening. Now they just stood there staring, like two people in-no it could not be. Had Anne and Gilbert talked that afternoon? And has she accepted? No, no thought Marilla. Anne would have run home, and spilled out her news without need.
"I'm sorry to drop by so late, Anne. But you forgot your hat when you left."
"seems like another pitiful excuse to come and see me, don't you think? What use for a hat do I have at nine o'clock at night? Which I might add, earned a stern comment from Marilla when she heard you knock."
"I am just trying to be a gentlemen, but if this is the treatment for doing so. Then perhaps I should leave."
Perhaps Marilla was wrong. She could feel the beginnings of a quarrel beginning to take form, and all she wanted was for these two to stop this nonsense and get married.
"Oh Anne," came the voice of Marilla. "Why can't you just thank the young boy for being a gentlemen?" Marilla came from her hiding, moving towards the door. She didn't see the informed look Gilbert gave Anne, then solemnly turning a dejected face to Marilla.
"Tis all right Miss. Cuthbert, I am used to this treatment." He winked at Anne, who in turn gave him a resentful look.
"Would you like to come in, and have a spot of tea?"
"No Thankyou Miss. Cuthbert, I must get home. I fear father may be wondering where I am."
"Yes, yes of course. Good night Gilbert, and Thankyou for the hat, on behalf of Queen Anne here." Gilbert laughed, smiling admiringly at his Queen Anne.
"Since you are not fond on how I treat you, then perhaps you would not like it if I walked you to the end of the road?" asked Anne smugly as Marilla moved back towards the kitchen but stopped back in her hiding place in the door frame, listening intently. She hated to snoop, especially where Anne was concerned. But she had to know.
"My Queen Anne." he began in a low voice but it turned in a whisper as he leaned in whispering into Anne's ear. A sharp giggle was heard, then the door closed and Marilla found no trace of them there. She whisked her way to the drawing room window, and pulled the curtains back and was quickly drawn into smile when she saw Gilbert taking Anne's hand as they moved down the garden path. They were laughing, and smiling at one another. It was true, it had to be. But they had been close, always close. And people always mistook them as married, lovers or courting one another. They lingered slowly, the moonlight placing a path of silver along the road. Gilbert and Anne stopped short, theie hands still intertwined. Marilla gasped, as Anne leaned forward kissing Mr. Blythe with affection, and his own reaction confirmed Marilla's hopes and dreams.
The moon beams highlighted their love, and this day signified it as Anne's happiness as well as Marilla's. After years of flirting, fighting and repression Anne had now woken up into a dream of utter happiness. Everything was perfect, everything was how it should be.
They were gone for half of an hour, lingering in each others company. Marilla moving about the kitchen, placing things away. Burst of laughter would erupt from her mouth as she thought about the thought of her Anne and Mr. Blythe. But how long will they keep this secret? Or how long have they been keeping this secret? Would Anne say something, or would she walk upstairs without a word or phrase to usher her loved ones into her world of engagement.
Her thoughts had been so rigid that she did not hear Anne walk into the kitchen. There was a brief pause, but Marilla found words. Not ones that fit the occasion, and she kicked herself for saying them at such a moment. "I sincerely hope you thanked him for returning your hat."
"Yes, yes I did Marilla." Anne replied breathlessly.
"I am glad to hear young lady." Marilla glanced down at her hands, there was no glittering silver ring, nor diamond. But there was a ring, nor was it made of any metal, but of woven grass with a small white flower intricately placed within it. Words were not needed. The two women shared a smile, followed by a long embrace.
They both knew, but Anne said it in a whisper. "-- I'm getting married."
2 THE END
1.1 Missing Scene
The old cedar wood clock ticked in slow beats. At dinner it used to tick in perfect harmony with Anne's thoughts. But tonight, her thoughts were racing to quickly for Anne to single any one of them out. Thoughts mixed with flurries of emotion, with lips and body tingling as if she were a firefly. Her essence lit up, like a beacon, which could not nor would not ever be turned off. Her mind was set away from the little kitchen she sat in. at.
"You were home late, I didn't here you come in." Marilla motioned for the chair, and took comfort in its seat. The burrowing of her already noticeable forehead lines had deepened, a sign of concern and worry. The occupant who entered stared at her most peculiarly. Never had she been so silent, and was quite strange to find Anne ever so silent. Especially at dinner, there would be some tale to regal in or something to laugh
"I'm sorry if I worried you Marilla, just tonight was a night that beckoned me fourth into its domes of beauty"
"Worried child? Over you, why I don't know the meaning of that very word when you are concerned." Anne laughed dismally, her mind clearly set in another world. Her eyes drifted down to Anne's hands, as they clutched her knife and fork. Nothing on her plate had been touched, and she had been there at least fifteen minutes.
"child what is wrong with you, nothing on your plate has been touched. Are you ill."
A sigh escaped from her still lips, and the corners of Anne's mouth turned up into a smile. "Far from ill, though you may call what I have an illness. Even if it makes me scandalously happy-oh Marilla." Just then there was a knock on the front door, and with a groan Marilla went to stand up.
"Who could be calling at this time, it is nine o'clock for heavens sake."
But before Marilla could get up and finish her complaint, Anne had shot up announcing that she would get it. The caller was unmistakable, and Marilla moved to the doorway to find Gilbert standing there on Green Gables verandah. Marilla stared with curiosity, nothing had been said except a good evening. Now they just stood there staring, like two people in-no it could not be. Had Anne and Gilbert talked that afternoon? And has she accepted? No, no thought Marilla. Anne would have run home, and spilled out her news without need.
"I'm sorry to drop by so late, Anne. But you forgot your hat when you left."
"seems like another pitiful excuse to come and see me, don't you think? What use for a hat do I have at nine o'clock at night? Which I might add, earned a stern comment from Marilla when she heard you knock."
"I am just trying to be a gentlemen, but if this is the treatment for doing so. Then perhaps I should leave."
Perhaps Marilla was wrong. She could feel the beginnings of a quarrel beginning to take form, and all she wanted was for these two to stop this nonsense and get married.
"Oh Anne," came the voice of Marilla. "Why can't you just thank the young boy for being a gentlemen?" Marilla came from her hiding, moving towards the door. She didn't see the informed look Gilbert gave Anne, then solemnly turning a dejected face to Marilla.
"Tis all right Miss. Cuthbert, I am used to this treatment." He winked at Anne, who in turn gave him a resentful look.
"Would you like to come in, and have a spot of tea?"
"No Thankyou Miss. Cuthbert, I must get home. I fear father may be wondering where I am."
"Yes, yes of course. Good night Gilbert, and Thankyou for the hat, on behalf of Queen Anne here." Gilbert laughed, smiling admiringly at his Queen Anne.
"Since you are not fond on how I treat you, then perhaps you would not like it if I walked you to the end of the road?" asked Anne smugly as Marilla moved back towards the kitchen but stopped back in her hiding place in the door frame, listening intently. She hated to snoop, especially where Anne was concerned. But she had to know.
"My Queen Anne." he began in a low voice but it turned in a whisper as he leaned in whispering into Anne's ear. A sharp giggle was heard, then the door closed and Marilla found no trace of them there. She whisked her way to the drawing room window, and pulled the curtains back and was quickly drawn into smile when she saw Gilbert taking Anne's hand as they moved down the garden path. They were laughing, and smiling at one another. It was true, it had to be. But they had been close, always close. And people always mistook them as married, lovers or courting one another. They lingered slowly, the moonlight placing a path of silver along the road. Gilbert and Anne stopped short, theie hands still intertwined. Marilla gasped, as Anne leaned forward kissing Mr. Blythe with affection, and his own reaction confirmed Marilla's hopes and dreams.
The moon beams highlighted their love, and this day signified it as Anne's happiness as well as Marilla's. After years of flirting, fighting and repression Anne had now woken up into a dream of utter happiness. Everything was perfect, everything was how it should be.
They were gone for half of an hour, lingering in each others company. Marilla moving about the kitchen, placing things away. Burst of laughter would erupt from her mouth as she thought about the thought of her Anne and Mr. Blythe. But how long will they keep this secret? Or how long have they been keeping this secret? Would Anne say something, or would she walk upstairs without a word or phrase to usher her loved ones into her world of engagement.
Her thoughts had been so rigid that she did not hear Anne walk into the kitchen. There was a brief pause, but Marilla found words. Not ones that fit the occasion, and she kicked herself for saying them at such a moment. "I sincerely hope you thanked him for returning your hat."
"Yes, yes I did Marilla." Anne replied breathlessly.
"I am glad to hear young lady." Marilla glanced down at her hands, there was no glittering silver ring, nor diamond. But there was a ring, nor was it made of any metal, but of woven grass with a small white flower intricately placed within it. Words were not needed. The two women shared a smile, followed by a long embrace.
They both knew, but Anne said it in a whisper. "-- I'm getting married."
2 THE END