CHAPTER FIVE
The three occupants of Green Gables were kept busy over the following two days, along with Diana and Fred; together, they washed, dried, cooked, cleaned, scrubbed, polished, ironed and swept, until the house was spotless and the smells rich and tantalising.
'I have a right mind just to sit down and eat all of that cake to myself,' Diana said yearningly, as she fell into a chair at the table after a good three hours' work. 'It looks so delicious, Rachel. How ever do you manage it?'
'The Lynde way,' Rachel said, and so earnestly, that Anne and Diana giggled. Rachel looked confused; Marilla just sighed and adjusted the vase of flowers set in the centre of the table. 'Oh, my poor stomach is tied into knots! I hope his all right; I do fret for him so much, he's such an impressionable young man, always dashing after the girls…'
Diana and Anne giggled girlishly, and Fred looked rather taken aback. 'Ahem?'
'It's just amusing, Fred,' Diana said. 'No need for you to worry.' She clasped his hand in hers for a moment and then let go, flashing him an intimate smile.
'I wonder when he will get here, though?' Marilla mused aloud. 'I hope we can trust Mr Barry with such precious cargo.'
Fred was originally intended to ride his buggy to Carmody and collect Adam, but he had not been feeling well the day before, and so Rachel Lynde had begged Diana's father to perform the favour instead. Obligingly, he agreed. He held the Cuthberts, Shirleys, Wrights, Blythes and Lyndes in the highest esteem, and would spare no effort in pleasing them.
'We must take him to visit our haunts, Diana,' Anne said, 'and you, too, Fred. He will love Avonlea; he'll never want to return to Toronto. Oh, I can hardly wait. I adore making new friends; especially a friend who is the grandson of such a kindred spirit.' Rachel Lynde flushed visibly, but looked quite pleased at this compliment. Marilla was somewhat quiet; she had been feeling rather tired and a little worn out lately. The excitement of Anne's return, the stress of worrying about Gil's condition, and the pressure of obligatory hospitality toward Rachel's grandson was exhausting her. She needed a good, long rest. Not one to stop working for the sake of rest, it indicated her tiredness that she acknowledged her need for respite and relaxation.
A loud rapping at the door broke the silence; Rachel jumped and squealed, in a manner quite out of character; Marilla sighed and stood, and Anne and Diana both jumped up and clattered to the door, faces flushed with excitement and over-exertion.
Anne pulled the door open, and was faced by a tall young man, dressed impeccably in a soft grey suit and cap. He had deep, rich brown eyes with flecks of green and light in them; they seemed full of depth and passion; Anne immediately knew he was a kindred spirit, just by looking into his eyes. His jaw was rather square, and angular; he was stocky, but not excessively so…he looked as though he had done a good deal of work in his lifetime, and had developed a strong, muscular physique as a result. He stood prominently, with confidence and ease, yet with courtesy and gentleness.
'Why, hello, Adam,' Anne said, extending her hand with a smile. 'I'm Anne Shirley. Welcome to Green Gables.'
Adam Lynde was rather taken aback at such a rapid, straightforward introduction. Of course, he rather appreciated the gesture when women took the initiative to introduce themselves…but in this case, the fact that she knew his name unsettled him slightly. However, he returned her handshake warmly and nodded, replying, 'Hello, Anne. It's lovely to meet you, and to be here.'
Anne turned, grinning, to Diana. 'And this is my most cherished friend, Diana Wright. Fred, over there, is her lovely husband.' Fred lowered his cap. 'Good day.'
Diana nodded and shook his hand when it was extended.
Adam was led inside, and, as had been predicted, Rachel threw her arms around his neck and sobbed tears of joy all over his shoulder. 'Oh, my dear, darling boy,' she wailed. 'I haven't seen you for so long, since your grandfather died….' Another choking sob issued from somewhere deep inside her throat; Adam looked flushed and slightly bemused. He awkwardly patted his grandmother on the back.
'Come and sit down, Adam,' Marilla said gently. 'Make yourself comfortable; this is your home too, now. Would you like some tea, or something to eat? Rachel has been cooking incessantly; it would be a shame to see it wasted.'
'Thankyou, that would be lovely,' Adam said, sliding into a seat at the table. All this excitement was rather exhausting, he thought to himself. 'Tea would be wonderful, and perhaps a small cake too.'
'I've made some plum preserves and sponge cake; I'll collect it from the pantry. Excuse me, everybody.'
Adam did not pay any attention to the elderly woman; for he was too intent on gazing at the lovely, pale-skinned creature before him. Anne. The word, the name, sounded so lovely, so elegant, so heavenly inside his mind. He played it silently on his lips. Anne Shirley. He felt a queer sensation form in his stomach. Gazing at her lovely grey-green eyes; her rich, russet hair that fell gracefully over her shoulders and gently caressed her pale, creamy neck; and her joyous, angelic smile that lit up a thousand beauties on her face, he realised for the first time what it felt to be in love.
'Adam,' Anne said, and he quickly diverted his gaze. 'Did you have a good journey over to the Island?'
'Uh – yes,' he stammered, trying to place his thoughts and correspond them with his speech. 'It was lovely, thankyou, Anne.' The thought of saying her lovely name aloud was so irresistible that he could not avoid it. 'The scenery is excellent.'
'That's wonderful,' Anne said. 'Our Island is perfect.'
You don't have to tell me that, Anne, oh lovely Anne, Adam sang inside his mind, your Island is perfect, because you are on it; I shall never, ever leave now. I will make you mine, I must, I must. Anne, I think I am in love with you, and I have only known you five minutes. Whatever shall I do?
The three occupants of Green Gables were kept busy over the following two days, along with Diana and Fred; together, they washed, dried, cooked, cleaned, scrubbed, polished, ironed and swept, until the house was spotless and the smells rich and tantalising.
'I have a right mind just to sit down and eat all of that cake to myself,' Diana said yearningly, as she fell into a chair at the table after a good three hours' work. 'It looks so delicious, Rachel. How ever do you manage it?'
'The Lynde way,' Rachel said, and so earnestly, that Anne and Diana giggled. Rachel looked confused; Marilla just sighed and adjusted the vase of flowers set in the centre of the table. 'Oh, my poor stomach is tied into knots! I hope his all right; I do fret for him so much, he's such an impressionable young man, always dashing after the girls…'
Diana and Anne giggled girlishly, and Fred looked rather taken aback. 'Ahem?'
'It's just amusing, Fred,' Diana said. 'No need for you to worry.' She clasped his hand in hers for a moment and then let go, flashing him an intimate smile.
'I wonder when he will get here, though?' Marilla mused aloud. 'I hope we can trust Mr Barry with such precious cargo.'
Fred was originally intended to ride his buggy to Carmody and collect Adam, but he had not been feeling well the day before, and so Rachel Lynde had begged Diana's father to perform the favour instead. Obligingly, he agreed. He held the Cuthberts, Shirleys, Wrights, Blythes and Lyndes in the highest esteem, and would spare no effort in pleasing them.
'We must take him to visit our haunts, Diana,' Anne said, 'and you, too, Fred. He will love Avonlea; he'll never want to return to Toronto. Oh, I can hardly wait. I adore making new friends; especially a friend who is the grandson of such a kindred spirit.' Rachel Lynde flushed visibly, but looked quite pleased at this compliment. Marilla was somewhat quiet; she had been feeling rather tired and a little worn out lately. The excitement of Anne's return, the stress of worrying about Gil's condition, and the pressure of obligatory hospitality toward Rachel's grandson was exhausting her. She needed a good, long rest. Not one to stop working for the sake of rest, it indicated her tiredness that she acknowledged her need for respite and relaxation.
A loud rapping at the door broke the silence; Rachel jumped and squealed, in a manner quite out of character; Marilla sighed and stood, and Anne and Diana both jumped up and clattered to the door, faces flushed with excitement and over-exertion.
Anne pulled the door open, and was faced by a tall young man, dressed impeccably in a soft grey suit and cap. He had deep, rich brown eyes with flecks of green and light in them; they seemed full of depth and passion; Anne immediately knew he was a kindred spirit, just by looking into his eyes. His jaw was rather square, and angular; he was stocky, but not excessively so…he looked as though he had done a good deal of work in his lifetime, and had developed a strong, muscular physique as a result. He stood prominently, with confidence and ease, yet with courtesy and gentleness.
'Why, hello, Adam,' Anne said, extending her hand with a smile. 'I'm Anne Shirley. Welcome to Green Gables.'
Adam Lynde was rather taken aback at such a rapid, straightforward introduction. Of course, he rather appreciated the gesture when women took the initiative to introduce themselves…but in this case, the fact that she knew his name unsettled him slightly. However, he returned her handshake warmly and nodded, replying, 'Hello, Anne. It's lovely to meet you, and to be here.'
Anne turned, grinning, to Diana. 'And this is my most cherished friend, Diana Wright. Fred, over there, is her lovely husband.' Fred lowered his cap. 'Good day.'
Diana nodded and shook his hand when it was extended.
Adam was led inside, and, as had been predicted, Rachel threw her arms around his neck and sobbed tears of joy all over his shoulder. 'Oh, my dear, darling boy,' she wailed. 'I haven't seen you for so long, since your grandfather died….' Another choking sob issued from somewhere deep inside her throat; Adam looked flushed and slightly bemused. He awkwardly patted his grandmother on the back.
'Come and sit down, Adam,' Marilla said gently. 'Make yourself comfortable; this is your home too, now. Would you like some tea, or something to eat? Rachel has been cooking incessantly; it would be a shame to see it wasted.'
'Thankyou, that would be lovely,' Adam said, sliding into a seat at the table. All this excitement was rather exhausting, he thought to himself. 'Tea would be wonderful, and perhaps a small cake too.'
'I've made some plum preserves and sponge cake; I'll collect it from the pantry. Excuse me, everybody.'
Adam did not pay any attention to the elderly woman; for he was too intent on gazing at the lovely, pale-skinned creature before him. Anne. The word, the name, sounded so lovely, so elegant, so heavenly inside his mind. He played it silently on his lips. Anne Shirley. He felt a queer sensation form in his stomach. Gazing at her lovely grey-green eyes; her rich, russet hair that fell gracefully over her shoulders and gently caressed her pale, creamy neck; and her joyous, angelic smile that lit up a thousand beauties on her face, he realised for the first time what it felt to be in love.
'Adam,' Anne said, and he quickly diverted his gaze. 'Did you have a good journey over to the Island?'
'Uh – yes,' he stammered, trying to place his thoughts and correspond them with his speech. 'It was lovely, thankyou, Anne.' The thought of saying her lovely name aloud was so irresistible that he could not avoid it. 'The scenery is excellent.'
'That's wonderful,' Anne said. 'Our Island is perfect.'
You don't have to tell me that, Anne, oh lovely Anne, Adam sang inside his mind, your Island is perfect, because you are on it; I shall never, ever leave now. I will make you mine, I must, I must. Anne, I think I am in love with you, and I have only known you five minutes. Whatever shall I do?