Chapter 28
"Anne! Anne, you are finally ready?" Diana yelled excitedly.
For almost a hundredth time at this morning, Diana rushed into the room. It seemed as if Diana was more excited than the bride. Anne stood in the guest room and looked at herself in the big pier-glass. Yes, she was ready. She had put on the wedding dress, her hairdo was finished, the veil fixed. She must only take the bouquet.
"Anne," Diana clapped enthusiastically, as she saw her friend, now. "You look breath-taking."
"You're only saying that because I'm your friend." Anne smiled.
"No, you are beautiful Anne. The most beautiful bride Avonlea has ever seen." Diana hugged her. "Oh Anne, we must go, it is time." She yelled suddenly. "I will look and see if Dad is ready with the buggy." She ran out of the room.
Laughing, Anne shook her head. Diana was a treasure but today she was a little bit too excited. Anne took the bouquet and glanced one last time at the mirror. "At least one thing is sure, Anne Shirley. Your nose is all right." She smiled and went downstairs.
With Mr. Barry's buggy, they drove to the church. The sun was shining down on the small, white building and the guests were sitting on the benches. Everyone was waiting for the bride. Mr. Blythe was standing in the anteroom. He was Anne's best man.
He smiled at her as she came in.
"You look fantastic, Anne." He said, and kissed his future daughter-in-law on the forehead.
"Is everyone in there?" Anne asked. She seemed a little bit nervous.
Everyone would stare at her if she entered the church.
John patted her hand and nodded: "Don't worry, everything will be all right."
Mr. Blythe glanced at Mrs. Allan on the other side and nodded. Mrs. Allan walked to the piano and started playing the song. On the arm of her future father-in-law, Anne stepped into the church. The guests turned round curiously to see the bride. Anne was relieved when she noticed that everybody smiled. They walked along the aisle and Anne glanced over the guests. Then she saw her! There, next to Dr. Stuart, sat Christine. Anne gulped and her heart started to throb. Of course, she had thought that Christine might come, because her father was invited. But somehow, Anne had hoped she wouldn't come. Christine noticed her look and their eyes met. She looked very beautiful with her dark hair, which was fixed up very stylishly, and her pink dress was very elegant. It was exactly pink, Anne's favourite colour. But Anne couldn't wear pink, because of her red hair.
Anne felt miserable, sure that Christine looked more beautiful today than she did.
"Think of your nose!" Anne scolded herself. It could be that Christine was pretty, but she hadn't such a pretty nose.
For Anne, the moment seemed like an eternity, but of course it was only a few seconds. Anne looked again at Christine, and was astonished when she saw Christine smiling in a friendly way at her.
The ceremony was beautiful and some ladies, especially Mrs. Blythe, wiped their tears away as Anne and Gilbert exchanged the rings. From Mrs. Lynde, they heard a loud sob at this moment, too. Entangled, Anne and Gilbert looked at her. Mrs. Lynde gave a sign of refusal and held a big handkerchief to her face. Gilbert looked back at Anne and both had to suppress a laugh. He pushed the ring over Anne's finger and held her hand in his.
"You may kiss the bride," Mr. Allan said, and Gilbert bent down to kiss his new wife.
The people clapped enthusiastically and threw rice as the young couple left the church. Sarah and Minnie May threw flowers.
Everyone went to the Blythe house. There, in the garden, in the shadow of the big trees, they celebrated the wedding.
It seemed as if the congratulations would never end. Everyone kissed and hugged the bride and bridegroom, and give their gifts.
Finally, Christine Stuart stood in front of them.
"I wish you all the best, Gilbert." she said, and hugged him. She looked at Anne and smiled again. "All the best, Anne." She hugged her. "Please forgive me my bad behaviour, at our last meeting. It was terrible. I'm glad that you two are married, now. I guess I understand the meaning true love. Because, I, too, have found my true love." She turned round and introduced the young man behind her. "This is James Parker."
The man gave Anne and Gilbert his hand and congratulated them too.
"James is the vicar in a small parish, near Halifax." Christine explained, smiling.
The man was very friendly, but at the first moment, one couldn't believe that Christine had chosen him. He wasn't a dazzling person, he hadn't a great career, and he wasn't rich. But he was very nice, and Anne liked him at once. Christine smiled at him every minute and listened attentively to his words. It seemed that James was Christine's true love. Anne was happy for Christine; everyone should meet his or her true love. She looked at Gilbert and her heart beat wildly in her chest.
"Anne! Anne, you are finally ready?" Diana yelled excitedly.
For almost a hundredth time at this morning, Diana rushed into the room. It seemed as if Diana was more excited than the bride. Anne stood in the guest room and looked at herself in the big pier-glass. Yes, she was ready. She had put on the wedding dress, her hairdo was finished, the veil fixed. She must only take the bouquet.
"Anne," Diana clapped enthusiastically, as she saw her friend, now. "You look breath-taking."
"You're only saying that because I'm your friend." Anne smiled.
"No, you are beautiful Anne. The most beautiful bride Avonlea has ever seen." Diana hugged her. "Oh Anne, we must go, it is time." She yelled suddenly. "I will look and see if Dad is ready with the buggy." She ran out of the room.
Laughing, Anne shook her head. Diana was a treasure but today she was a little bit too excited. Anne took the bouquet and glanced one last time at the mirror. "At least one thing is sure, Anne Shirley. Your nose is all right." She smiled and went downstairs.
With Mr. Barry's buggy, they drove to the church. The sun was shining down on the small, white building and the guests were sitting on the benches. Everyone was waiting for the bride. Mr. Blythe was standing in the anteroom. He was Anne's best man.
He smiled at her as she came in.
"You look fantastic, Anne." He said, and kissed his future daughter-in-law on the forehead.
"Is everyone in there?" Anne asked. She seemed a little bit nervous.
Everyone would stare at her if she entered the church.
John patted her hand and nodded: "Don't worry, everything will be all right."
Mr. Blythe glanced at Mrs. Allan on the other side and nodded. Mrs. Allan walked to the piano and started playing the song. On the arm of her future father-in-law, Anne stepped into the church. The guests turned round curiously to see the bride. Anne was relieved when she noticed that everybody smiled. They walked along the aisle and Anne glanced over the guests. Then she saw her! There, next to Dr. Stuart, sat Christine. Anne gulped and her heart started to throb. Of course, she had thought that Christine might come, because her father was invited. But somehow, Anne had hoped she wouldn't come. Christine noticed her look and their eyes met. She looked very beautiful with her dark hair, which was fixed up very stylishly, and her pink dress was very elegant. It was exactly pink, Anne's favourite colour. But Anne couldn't wear pink, because of her red hair.
Anne felt miserable, sure that Christine looked more beautiful today than she did.
"Think of your nose!" Anne scolded herself. It could be that Christine was pretty, but she hadn't such a pretty nose.
For Anne, the moment seemed like an eternity, but of course it was only a few seconds. Anne looked again at Christine, and was astonished when she saw Christine smiling in a friendly way at her.
The ceremony was beautiful and some ladies, especially Mrs. Blythe, wiped their tears away as Anne and Gilbert exchanged the rings. From Mrs. Lynde, they heard a loud sob at this moment, too. Entangled, Anne and Gilbert looked at her. Mrs. Lynde gave a sign of refusal and held a big handkerchief to her face. Gilbert looked back at Anne and both had to suppress a laugh. He pushed the ring over Anne's finger and held her hand in his.
"You may kiss the bride," Mr. Allan said, and Gilbert bent down to kiss his new wife.
The people clapped enthusiastically and threw rice as the young couple left the church. Sarah and Minnie May threw flowers.
Everyone went to the Blythe house. There, in the garden, in the shadow of the big trees, they celebrated the wedding.
It seemed as if the congratulations would never end. Everyone kissed and hugged the bride and bridegroom, and give their gifts.
Finally, Christine Stuart stood in front of them.
"I wish you all the best, Gilbert." she said, and hugged him. She looked at Anne and smiled again. "All the best, Anne." She hugged her. "Please forgive me my bad behaviour, at our last meeting. It was terrible. I'm glad that you two are married, now. I guess I understand the meaning true love. Because, I, too, have found my true love." She turned round and introduced the young man behind her. "This is James Parker."
The man gave Anne and Gilbert his hand and congratulated them too.
"James is the vicar in a small parish, near Halifax." Christine explained, smiling.
The man was very friendly, but at the first moment, one couldn't believe that Christine had chosen him. He wasn't a dazzling person, he hadn't a great career, and he wasn't rich. But he was very nice, and Anne liked him at once. Christine smiled at him every minute and listened attentively to his words. It seemed that James was Christine's true love. Anne was happy for Christine; everyone should meet his or her true love. She looked at Gilbert and her heart beat wildly in her chest.
