Castle's in the Sky
Anne stared at Morgan Harris. This was far too unreal. "Anne, what is it?" He asked.
Anne thought for a moment. She desperately missed Green Gables, Marilla, Diane, and even Rachel. Anne looked at Morgan with tear-filled eyes, "I need to go home."
Morgan nodded, "I've been thinking about that. We could live in Boston and visit your Green Gables often."
Anne sighed, "But it won't be the same."
Morgan put his hands on her shoulders, "Anne Shirley, I couldn't live without you."
Those were the magic words to seal the deal. Anne reached up and stroked the right side of his face, "I do."
Morgan's face exploded into a grin and he kissed Anne passionately.
***
Anne nervously played with her hair. She and Morgan had been engaged for weeks now and she still had said nothing to Marilla. She was a little frightened to even do so. What would she say? Everyone in Avolena expected her to marry Gilbert Blythe. But Gil was engaged to Christine she reassured herself. He wouldn't care.
"Oh Miss Shirley this is so exciting!" Emma Len cried, "I can't wait to see this Green Gables of yours."
Anne hugged her stepdaughter to be. "Emma Len, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Miss Shirley?"
Emma Len laughed, "Old habits do die hard."
"That they do." Anne agreed.
They were on their way to Avolena now. A carriage would pick them up at the train station in Carmondy and off they would be to Green Gables. The train landed at Carmondy at six o'clock, just as promised. But when Anne stepped off the train she received a nasty shock.
Gilbert Blythe was there with Christine Stuart. "Anne!"
"Gil!" Anne cried in shock. They embraced quickly, "Gil this is my fiancé Morgan Harris and his daughter Emma Len."
The look on Gil's face nearly broke Anne's heart in two. He quickly recovered and said, "You remember Christine Stuart, my fiancé, don't you?"
Anne politely shook Christine's hand, "Quite so. Good to see you again."
"And you. Why the whole town of Avolena is gonna roar when they hear that their famous authoress is getting married."
Anne gave a brief nod of her head, "Yes well, there is nothing those people love to gossip more about."
***
Marilla didn't take the news of the engagement well. After Morgan and Emma Len had left to go board in town for the evening Anne found herself getting a tongue lash from both Marilla and Rachel, "Anne Shirley you just charge ahead without a thought!" Rachel cried. "What is Gilbert going to say about this?"
Anne sucked in a breath and drew herself to her full height, "For your information Gilbert Blythe is happily engaged to Christine Stuart and we saw him at the train station. He was meeting Moody there."
"And he knows of your engagement to Mr. Harris?" Marilla asked.
"Yes." Anne bit back.
***
Diane Wright did not receive the news very well either. "Anne this is insane!"
Anne threw up her hands, "Why does everyone keep saying that."
"Because we all know you're in love with Gilbert Blythe." Fred said.
***
All week Anne got both congratulations and tongue-lashings from the people of Avolena. The wedding was to take place in two weeks and everyone from Avolena to Boston to Kingsport was attending. Anne wanted a simple ceremony but that was never going to happen. Diane was her maid of honor, naturally, and Pauline was coming with her fiancé to Avolena just in time for the wedding.
It was a grand affair. The morning of, Anne's stomach was full of butterflies. "Oh Marllia my stomach is just jumping up and down."
"What did you tell me, Anne?" Diane asked, "Everyone survives the ceremony its afterwards."
Anne smiled at her dearest friend. "I need a few moments."
Marilla and Diane exchanged knowing looks and soon left. Anne looked out at the crowd that was beginning to gather. "Anne." Anne turned to see Gilbert Blythe standing there.
"Gil, what are you doing up here?"
Gil's hair was a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. He had a defeated look upon his face. "I had to see you one last time."
"One last time?" Anne asked. "What are you talking about? You're my friend we'll see each other often." When Gil didn't answer Anne whispered, "Won't we?"
Gil swallowed and closed his eyes. A single tear slipped from his right cheek. "No."
Anne's breath quickened. "What's going on? Gil, you're scaring me."
Gil didn't answer he just left. Anne called out, "Gil! Gil!" Anne closed her eyes and let the tears slip out. What was she doing? She didn't love Morgan, she realized. Anne ran blindly down the stairs and out the door. "Gil!"
Gil had only reached the edge of the property. He slowly turned. "What is it?"
Anne only kissed him. "I love you. I want to be with you." Gil stared at her, unbelieving. When he didn't answer Anne recalled their past conversation and said, "I want to be with you. I don't want castles in the sky just you."
Gil smiled and kissed her back. Moments later they were off in the Blythe's carriages.
THE END
Anne stared at Morgan Harris. This was far too unreal. "Anne, what is it?" He asked.
Anne thought for a moment. She desperately missed Green Gables, Marilla, Diane, and even Rachel. Anne looked at Morgan with tear-filled eyes, "I need to go home."
Morgan nodded, "I've been thinking about that. We could live in Boston and visit your Green Gables often."
Anne sighed, "But it won't be the same."
Morgan put his hands on her shoulders, "Anne Shirley, I couldn't live without you."
Those were the magic words to seal the deal. Anne reached up and stroked the right side of his face, "I do."
Morgan's face exploded into a grin and he kissed Anne passionately.
***
Anne nervously played with her hair. She and Morgan had been engaged for weeks now and she still had said nothing to Marilla. She was a little frightened to even do so. What would she say? Everyone in Avolena expected her to marry Gilbert Blythe. But Gil was engaged to Christine she reassured herself. He wouldn't care.
"Oh Miss Shirley this is so exciting!" Emma Len cried, "I can't wait to see this Green Gables of yours."
Anne hugged her stepdaughter to be. "Emma Len, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Miss Shirley?"
Emma Len laughed, "Old habits do die hard."
"That they do." Anne agreed.
They were on their way to Avolena now. A carriage would pick them up at the train station in Carmondy and off they would be to Green Gables. The train landed at Carmondy at six o'clock, just as promised. But when Anne stepped off the train she received a nasty shock.
Gilbert Blythe was there with Christine Stuart. "Anne!"
"Gil!" Anne cried in shock. They embraced quickly, "Gil this is my fiancé Morgan Harris and his daughter Emma Len."
The look on Gil's face nearly broke Anne's heart in two. He quickly recovered and said, "You remember Christine Stuart, my fiancé, don't you?"
Anne politely shook Christine's hand, "Quite so. Good to see you again."
"And you. Why the whole town of Avolena is gonna roar when they hear that their famous authoress is getting married."
Anne gave a brief nod of her head, "Yes well, there is nothing those people love to gossip more about."
***
Marilla didn't take the news of the engagement well. After Morgan and Emma Len had left to go board in town for the evening Anne found herself getting a tongue lash from both Marilla and Rachel, "Anne Shirley you just charge ahead without a thought!" Rachel cried. "What is Gilbert going to say about this?"
Anne sucked in a breath and drew herself to her full height, "For your information Gilbert Blythe is happily engaged to Christine Stuart and we saw him at the train station. He was meeting Moody there."
"And he knows of your engagement to Mr. Harris?" Marilla asked.
"Yes." Anne bit back.
***
Diane Wright did not receive the news very well either. "Anne this is insane!"
Anne threw up her hands, "Why does everyone keep saying that."
"Because we all know you're in love with Gilbert Blythe." Fred said.
***
All week Anne got both congratulations and tongue-lashings from the people of Avolena. The wedding was to take place in two weeks and everyone from Avolena to Boston to Kingsport was attending. Anne wanted a simple ceremony but that was never going to happen. Diane was her maid of honor, naturally, and Pauline was coming with her fiancé to Avolena just in time for the wedding.
It was a grand affair. The morning of, Anne's stomach was full of butterflies. "Oh Marllia my stomach is just jumping up and down."
"What did you tell me, Anne?" Diane asked, "Everyone survives the ceremony its afterwards."
Anne smiled at her dearest friend. "I need a few moments."
Marilla and Diane exchanged knowing looks and soon left. Anne looked out at the crowd that was beginning to gather. "Anne." Anne turned to see Gilbert Blythe standing there.
"Gil, what are you doing up here?"
Gil's hair was a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. He had a defeated look upon his face. "I had to see you one last time."
"One last time?" Anne asked. "What are you talking about? You're my friend we'll see each other often." When Gil didn't answer Anne whispered, "Won't we?"
Gil swallowed and closed his eyes. A single tear slipped from his right cheek. "No."
Anne's breath quickened. "What's going on? Gil, you're scaring me."
Gil didn't answer he just left. Anne called out, "Gil! Gil!" Anne closed her eyes and let the tears slip out. What was she doing? She didn't love Morgan, she realized. Anne ran blindly down the stairs and out the door. "Gil!"
Gil had only reached the edge of the property. He slowly turned. "What is it?"
Anne only kissed him. "I love you. I want to be with you." Gil stared at her, unbelieving. When he didn't answer Anne recalled their past conversation and said, "I want to be with you. I don't want castles in the sky just you."
Gil smiled and kissed her back. Moments later they were off in the Blythe's carriages.
THE END