CHAPTER THREE
When Anne awoke the following morning, the sky was still grey and dismal; she felt hungry, and raw inside. Pulling herself from the bed, she smoothed out her skirt and slowly made her way downstairs. She could hear voices below her; pricking her ears, she recognised Fred and Diana.
'Good morning, Anne,' Marilla greeted her, as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs; Rachel Lynde sidled over and planted a kiss on her cheek. Fred lifted his cap again, and Diana rushed over and gave her a hug, despite her still-swollen belly.
'How are you, Anne?' Diana said, in her familiar, caring way. 'Did you sleep well?'
'Yes,' Anne found herself replying, and it was the truth. She'd slept a dreamless sleep; perhaps her crying had exhausted her to such a degree that it had depleted any imagination, a notion with which she was not familiar. 'Marilla, I'm going to go for a walk around the orchard. I'll be back soon.'
'Would you like me to come with you?' Diana asked, and Anne nodded. The two women made their way out to the back garden, where the sweet scents of the flowers and the distant rain formed an invigorating perfume.
'Willows whiten, aspens quiver,' Anne recited dreamily, 'little breezes dusk and shiver, through the wave that runs forever, by the island in the river…'
'Flowing down to Camelot,' Diana finished.
'There she weaves, by night and day; a magic web, her colours gay. She has heard a whisper say – a curse is on her if she stays – to look down on Camelot.'
'She knows not what the curse may be – and so she weaveth steadily…and little other care hath she…'
'The Lady of Shalott.' It was now Anne's turn to finish, and she shuddered as a shiver crept along her spine. 'Don't you just yearn for those old days…I do, so very often.'
'But Anne, you always looked forward to the future.'
Anne's murmured her response. 'This is the first time in my life since Matthew died, that I haven't been able to imagine myself out of a situation.' A lone tear trickled down her cheek. A roll of thunder rumbled in the distance.
Diana slipped an arm around her friend's shoulders. 'God will look after him, Anne. He wouldn't let Gil die, I know He wouldn't.' She glanced out over the orchard, squinting through the mist. 'Fred is going to the Blythe house later on, to see how he is.'
'He must take me with him, Diana! I have to see Gil!'
'But it's dangerous. You've never had scarlet fever before. If something happens to you, then life in Avonlea will be dreadful everyday for the rest of my life.'
Anne sighed. 'You're right,' she said, 'but tell Fred to please let me know the minute he hears anything…and to fetch me at once if Gilbert is awake.'
'I will,' Diana said. 'In the meantime, though, you must promise me not to dwell on all this. Pray and hope, but don't be disheartened, for only good can come through optimism.'
'You sound like Rachel Lynde,' Anne said, cheekily.
'I'd certainly hope not,' Diana said, a little huffily. 'She's a nice woman, but goodness, she is irritating. There would be not much hope left for me if I turned out like her.'
'Anne! Diana!' Rachel Lynde called, at that moment; and both Anne and Diana laughed, at the coincidence of it.
'Yes, Rachel?' Anne called back, trying desperately to keep a straight face.
'I have some wonderful news; you must come inside now!'
Anne and Diana trudged back, through the orchard and back to the house. Rachel was sitting at the kitchen table, with Marilla opposite; a letter was open in front of Rachel, and she was reading and re-reading it.
'Oh, girls, can you believe it?' she asked. 'My grandson is coming to stay in Avonlea! He's arriving on the Carmody train in two days; isn't it wonderful? I must ask Fred to go and fetch him for me; he'll have to stay at Green Gables. Oh, isn't it exciting!'
'Which grandson, Rachel?'
'Adam, the middle grandson. He's been working in Toronto for the past ten years. He's a doctor, you know. He says he has not spent enough time with family; he says he will be taking several months away from work, and hopes I'll be willing to put him up. Oh, I can't believe it!'
Anne grinned, and hugged her. 'It's wonderful, Rachel; I'm happy for you.'
'Anne,' Marilla said, 'I think I will put him up in Matthew's old bedroom. Does it bother you to be so close to him?'
'Not at all,' she said. 'I only hope he is comfortable and happy here. He and Fred would make great friends, I think.'
'But you've never met him, Anne,' Diana teased.
'I don't need to. He must be a kindred spirit.'
When Anne awoke the following morning, the sky was still grey and dismal; she felt hungry, and raw inside. Pulling herself from the bed, she smoothed out her skirt and slowly made her way downstairs. She could hear voices below her; pricking her ears, she recognised Fred and Diana.
'Good morning, Anne,' Marilla greeted her, as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs; Rachel Lynde sidled over and planted a kiss on her cheek. Fred lifted his cap again, and Diana rushed over and gave her a hug, despite her still-swollen belly.
'How are you, Anne?' Diana said, in her familiar, caring way. 'Did you sleep well?'
'Yes,' Anne found herself replying, and it was the truth. She'd slept a dreamless sleep; perhaps her crying had exhausted her to such a degree that it had depleted any imagination, a notion with which she was not familiar. 'Marilla, I'm going to go for a walk around the orchard. I'll be back soon.'
'Would you like me to come with you?' Diana asked, and Anne nodded. The two women made their way out to the back garden, where the sweet scents of the flowers and the distant rain formed an invigorating perfume.
'Willows whiten, aspens quiver,' Anne recited dreamily, 'little breezes dusk and shiver, through the wave that runs forever, by the island in the river…'
'Flowing down to Camelot,' Diana finished.
'There she weaves, by night and day; a magic web, her colours gay. She has heard a whisper say – a curse is on her if she stays – to look down on Camelot.'
'She knows not what the curse may be – and so she weaveth steadily…and little other care hath she…'
'The Lady of Shalott.' It was now Anne's turn to finish, and she shuddered as a shiver crept along her spine. 'Don't you just yearn for those old days…I do, so very often.'
'But Anne, you always looked forward to the future.'
Anne's murmured her response. 'This is the first time in my life since Matthew died, that I haven't been able to imagine myself out of a situation.' A lone tear trickled down her cheek. A roll of thunder rumbled in the distance.
Diana slipped an arm around her friend's shoulders. 'God will look after him, Anne. He wouldn't let Gil die, I know He wouldn't.' She glanced out over the orchard, squinting through the mist. 'Fred is going to the Blythe house later on, to see how he is.'
'He must take me with him, Diana! I have to see Gil!'
'But it's dangerous. You've never had scarlet fever before. If something happens to you, then life in Avonlea will be dreadful everyday for the rest of my life.'
Anne sighed. 'You're right,' she said, 'but tell Fred to please let me know the minute he hears anything…and to fetch me at once if Gilbert is awake.'
'I will,' Diana said. 'In the meantime, though, you must promise me not to dwell on all this. Pray and hope, but don't be disheartened, for only good can come through optimism.'
'You sound like Rachel Lynde,' Anne said, cheekily.
'I'd certainly hope not,' Diana said, a little huffily. 'She's a nice woman, but goodness, she is irritating. There would be not much hope left for me if I turned out like her.'
'Anne! Diana!' Rachel Lynde called, at that moment; and both Anne and Diana laughed, at the coincidence of it.
'Yes, Rachel?' Anne called back, trying desperately to keep a straight face.
'I have some wonderful news; you must come inside now!'
Anne and Diana trudged back, through the orchard and back to the house. Rachel was sitting at the kitchen table, with Marilla opposite; a letter was open in front of Rachel, and she was reading and re-reading it.
'Oh, girls, can you believe it?' she asked. 'My grandson is coming to stay in Avonlea! He's arriving on the Carmody train in two days; isn't it wonderful? I must ask Fred to go and fetch him for me; he'll have to stay at Green Gables. Oh, isn't it exciting!'
'Which grandson, Rachel?'
'Adam, the middle grandson. He's been working in Toronto for the past ten years. He's a doctor, you know. He says he has not spent enough time with family; he says he will be taking several months away from work, and hopes I'll be willing to put him up. Oh, I can't believe it!'
Anne grinned, and hugged her. 'It's wonderful, Rachel; I'm happy for you.'
'Anne,' Marilla said, 'I think I will put him up in Matthew's old bedroom. Does it bother you to be so close to him?'
'Not at all,' she said. 'I only hope he is comfortable and happy here. He and Fred would make great friends, I think.'
'But you've never met him, Anne,' Diana teased.
'I don't need to. He must be a kindred spirit.'