Disclaimer: I do not own any of L.M. Montgomery's characters, yada, yada,
yada.
Author's Note: A special thank you to Miri, meg and gnome girl aka marzoog for their reviews on Chapter 5. I really appreciate your compliment, gnome girl. Thank you very much. Miri, I am ashamed that I hadn't thought about something like your suggestion before. The truth is, I've been plotting out a story to follow this one and trying to tie Judy into it, indirectly. But your advice has been taken and, with head bowed in shame for not thinking of it in the first place, I will include Judy soon. Maybe not in this chapter, but definitely in the next, which I hope will be the last for this story. Then I can start on the other one. Meg, sorry it took so long to update. I hope it's worth the wait.
Pat awoke to the sound of hustle and bustle downstairs. In shock, she stared at the sunlight streaming through her window. It must be mid- morning already! Why didn't any one wake her up? She jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes, old ones borrowed from Winnie for Pat to work in. Because of the fire, all her clothes were new and Winnie had given her several of her old things so Pat wouldn't get the newer things messed up while doing all the cleaning and cooking for the wedding.
She practically flew down the stairs, only to bump into Hilary halfway down. He smiled at her.
"I was just coming to wake you up," he said.
"Really? My father was going to let you come in to my room? I find that highly unlikely."
Her tone irritated Hilary and his eyes darkened.
"Look, Pat, if you're going to be this much fun today, I might as well go."
He turned to go back down, but Pat grabbed his arm.
"I'm sorry, Hilary. I don't know why I snapped at you like that. I was just irritated about being allowed to sleep in. And on today of all days."
Hilary returned to his normal self.
"I suppose we're both a little more nervous than we're willing to let on. After this is over with, we can blame it on the moon again. Now, come on. Your Aunt Hazel and Aunt Jessie have already arrived and they're driving me crazy with questions I can't possibly answer. Aunt Barbara isn't helping matters much. Normally, your mother or Winnie would come to my rescue, but Winnie hasn't arrived yet and your mother is preparing another spare bedroom for some guest we didn't know about."
Pat groaned, wondering who else would be coming to this wedding. Already, she didn't know half the people on the guest list. This was all too much. As they neared the kitchen, where the majority of the noise was coming from, she pulled on Hilary's hand, causing him to stop. Curious, he turned around and was surprised to have his head pulled down into a spectacularly passionate kiss. When Pat pulled away, she was amused by the look in his eyes and smiled.
"Thanks," she said. "I needed that."
She went on into the kitchen, leaving a stunned Hilary Gordon behind her. When he had recovered from the shock, he raised an eyebrow and smiled to himself.
"Is this what my life will be like from now on?" he asked Popka, who was sitting at his feet. Popka looked up at him with wise eyes as if to say, 'What do you think?'. Hilary chuckled. "I hope you're right," he told the cat. Popka merely blinked in response and Hilary continued his journey into the kitchen.
The aunts and Pat were buzzing around the kitchen, while Long Alec Gardiner sat placidly in the center of the commotion, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. Hilary shook his head. How did the man do it? He sat down at the table, wondering what he should be doing. He'd barely had time to breathe before a cup of coffee had been set down in front of him. As Pat was putting milk in it, he took hold of her arm and stopped her.
"What are you doing?" he asked, clearly puzzled.
"Giving you some coffee, of course," she replied.
"Pat, darling, I don't drink coffee. And even if I did, you don't have to serve me. I can get it myself."
"Oh, I forgot you don't drink coffee. Would you like some milk instead? I'll get you a glass."
"Pat, you don't understand. I can get all these things myself. Really, I can."
"Well, then, get what you need and then be a dear and take Father into town."
Long Alec looked up from his paper then. He didn't need to go into town. And he could drive himself, thank you very much. Hilary glanced at Pat, who looked very fidgety.
"Aahh, I see," he said, putting two and two together. He turned to his future father-in-law with an amused look on his face. "Mr. Gardiner, I do believe we're being kicked out of the house. Or is it just the kitchen you're anxious to get us out of, Pat?"
Long Alec grinned as his daughter blushed furiously. Aunt Barbara looked up from the dish she was concocting and fixed her brother with a stern glare.
"Now, Alec, don't be teasing poor Pat. She's quite right in kicking the two of you out of the kitchen. The last thing we need is two hang-abouts trying to snatch food during such an important time. And, while you're at it, you might as well leave the house, too. We'll be in the rest of it soon enough and certainly don't need you under foot. You'll only complicate things. Go on, Alec. Shoo."
"Shoo?" repeated her brother. "I'll have you know this is my kitchen and my home. I will not be shooed out of either, thank you very much. And, by the way, I did not tease 'poor Pat'. That was all Hilary's doing."
"But if he hadn't done it, you would have. Besides, I can't tell him what to do. Yet." She cast a meaningful glance toward Hilary, who looked at her innocently.
No sooner had Alec returned to his coffee and newspaper than the kitchen door opened and Mother walked in. She glanced at her husband and Hilary.
"Oh, whatever are the two of you doing here?" she inquired. "Surely you can find something to do, Alec. Take Hilary for a drive, will you?"
She kissed her husband lightly on the forehead, ignoring the fact that the face she just kissed was beginning to turn red. He looked up at her.
"So you're against me as well, eh, Mary? I'd expect it from my sister, even my daughter, but my own wife? It's really too much for a man to take. Come with me, Hilary. We'll get away from all this female nonsense."
In a show of mock irritation and hurt, Alec Gardiner put his paper down, emptied his cup of coffee and led the way out of the house. Hilary followed, trying hard not to laugh, but heard that the female occupants of the kitchen were not as successful as he had been. Long Alec led him to the barn and the two of them were soon deep in conversation about females in general and Pat in particular.
Author's Note: A special thank you to Miri, meg and gnome girl aka marzoog for their reviews on Chapter 5. I really appreciate your compliment, gnome girl. Thank you very much. Miri, I am ashamed that I hadn't thought about something like your suggestion before. The truth is, I've been plotting out a story to follow this one and trying to tie Judy into it, indirectly. But your advice has been taken and, with head bowed in shame for not thinking of it in the first place, I will include Judy soon. Maybe not in this chapter, but definitely in the next, which I hope will be the last for this story. Then I can start on the other one. Meg, sorry it took so long to update. I hope it's worth the wait.
Pat awoke to the sound of hustle and bustle downstairs. In shock, she stared at the sunlight streaming through her window. It must be mid- morning already! Why didn't any one wake her up? She jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes, old ones borrowed from Winnie for Pat to work in. Because of the fire, all her clothes were new and Winnie had given her several of her old things so Pat wouldn't get the newer things messed up while doing all the cleaning and cooking for the wedding.
She practically flew down the stairs, only to bump into Hilary halfway down. He smiled at her.
"I was just coming to wake you up," he said.
"Really? My father was going to let you come in to my room? I find that highly unlikely."
Her tone irritated Hilary and his eyes darkened.
"Look, Pat, if you're going to be this much fun today, I might as well go."
He turned to go back down, but Pat grabbed his arm.
"I'm sorry, Hilary. I don't know why I snapped at you like that. I was just irritated about being allowed to sleep in. And on today of all days."
Hilary returned to his normal self.
"I suppose we're both a little more nervous than we're willing to let on. After this is over with, we can blame it on the moon again. Now, come on. Your Aunt Hazel and Aunt Jessie have already arrived and they're driving me crazy with questions I can't possibly answer. Aunt Barbara isn't helping matters much. Normally, your mother or Winnie would come to my rescue, but Winnie hasn't arrived yet and your mother is preparing another spare bedroom for some guest we didn't know about."
Pat groaned, wondering who else would be coming to this wedding. Already, she didn't know half the people on the guest list. This was all too much. As they neared the kitchen, where the majority of the noise was coming from, she pulled on Hilary's hand, causing him to stop. Curious, he turned around and was surprised to have his head pulled down into a spectacularly passionate kiss. When Pat pulled away, she was amused by the look in his eyes and smiled.
"Thanks," she said. "I needed that."
She went on into the kitchen, leaving a stunned Hilary Gordon behind her. When he had recovered from the shock, he raised an eyebrow and smiled to himself.
"Is this what my life will be like from now on?" he asked Popka, who was sitting at his feet. Popka looked up at him with wise eyes as if to say, 'What do you think?'. Hilary chuckled. "I hope you're right," he told the cat. Popka merely blinked in response and Hilary continued his journey into the kitchen.
The aunts and Pat were buzzing around the kitchen, while Long Alec Gardiner sat placidly in the center of the commotion, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. Hilary shook his head. How did the man do it? He sat down at the table, wondering what he should be doing. He'd barely had time to breathe before a cup of coffee had been set down in front of him. As Pat was putting milk in it, he took hold of her arm and stopped her.
"What are you doing?" he asked, clearly puzzled.
"Giving you some coffee, of course," she replied.
"Pat, darling, I don't drink coffee. And even if I did, you don't have to serve me. I can get it myself."
"Oh, I forgot you don't drink coffee. Would you like some milk instead? I'll get you a glass."
"Pat, you don't understand. I can get all these things myself. Really, I can."
"Well, then, get what you need and then be a dear and take Father into town."
Long Alec looked up from his paper then. He didn't need to go into town. And he could drive himself, thank you very much. Hilary glanced at Pat, who looked very fidgety.
"Aahh, I see," he said, putting two and two together. He turned to his future father-in-law with an amused look on his face. "Mr. Gardiner, I do believe we're being kicked out of the house. Or is it just the kitchen you're anxious to get us out of, Pat?"
Long Alec grinned as his daughter blushed furiously. Aunt Barbara looked up from the dish she was concocting and fixed her brother with a stern glare.
"Now, Alec, don't be teasing poor Pat. She's quite right in kicking the two of you out of the kitchen. The last thing we need is two hang-abouts trying to snatch food during such an important time. And, while you're at it, you might as well leave the house, too. We'll be in the rest of it soon enough and certainly don't need you under foot. You'll only complicate things. Go on, Alec. Shoo."
"Shoo?" repeated her brother. "I'll have you know this is my kitchen and my home. I will not be shooed out of either, thank you very much. And, by the way, I did not tease 'poor Pat'. That was all Hilary's doing."
"But if he hadn't done it, you would have. Besides, I can't tell him what to do. Yet." She cast a meaningful glance toward Hilary, who looked at her innocently.
No sooner had Alec returned to his coffee and newspaper than the kitchen door opened and Mother walked in. She glanced at her husband and Hilary.
"Oh, whatever are the two of you doing here?" she inquired. "Surely you can find something to do, Alec. Take Hilary for a drive, will you?"
She kissed her husband lightly on the forehead, ignoring the fact that the face she just kissed was beginning to turn red. He looked up at her.
"So you're against me as well, eh, Mary? I'd expect it from my sister, even my daughter, but my own wife? It's really too much for a man to take. Come with me, Hilary. We'll get away from all this female nonsense."
In a show of mock irritation and hurt, Alec Gardiner put his paper down, emptied his cup of coffee and led the way out of the house. Hilary followed, trying hard not to laugh, but heard that the female occupants of the kitchen were not as successful as he had been. Long Alec led him to the barn and the two of them were soon deep in conversation about females in general and Pat in particular.
