Disclaimer: ( I haven't done one of these and think I probably should!)

I don't own any of the characters, except for the third generation Blythes (save Gilbert Ford and Walter Blythe, who are mentioned in The Road to Yesterday.)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

By mid-October, however, it was obvious that Sid was not Cecilia's secret any more. He was over at Ingleside, or she at Silver Bush, too often, and besides, there was something about Cecilia's eyes and the peony flush of her cheeks that let them know. The uncles twitted her mercilessly about her 'boyfriend,' and the aunts watched her warily and wistfully, perhaps remembering their own first flushes of young love. The little Annes thought it all hopelessly romantic, Trudy seemed envious but glad--if Cecilia, who was only a year older, was allowed to go out, then her time for boy-friends would come soon!--and Gilbert and Walter ceased to treat Cecilia like a little girl. They knew Sid Gardiner--they all ran in the same circles--and he was immensely popular and well-liked. Good at sports, too. And all the other girls were wild for him! Why, just last year Genevieve Elliot had tried to drown herself in the Glen pond when he danced with another girl at the Harvest dance! Although she said she was leaning in to retrieve her hat. But she wouldn't say the truth, now, would she? And it was good to see that proud May Binnie put in her place. Everyone knew she'd been after Sid for years-- and now she hadn't got him. May was too dejected to torture any of the other boys, and so to Cecilia they all sang praise.

Even Grandfather asked her kindly about her 'beau,' making Cecilia blush painfully.

"Oh, Gilbert, don't!" Grandmother laughed. "Such outmoded language! They don't call them 'beaux' nowadays. What a pair of old fuddy-duddies Cecilia must think we are!"

"I am an old fuddy-duddy," Grandfather insisted, giving his still-slender wife a kiss on the top of her head and thinking that if it weren't for the gray hair, she'd still look like Anne of the Green Gables days. There was no mistaking her for a fuddy-duddy, whatever he himself might be.

But she was so happy, Cecilia was! It had been so long since she'd felt this kind of happiness! Monday was a sunrise, Tuesday a windsong, Wednesday and Thursday two different gardens full of flowers. Friday night she spent always with Sid, sitting before a warm hearth in the Silver Bush kitchen, or a crackling, goblin bonfire in Rainbow Valley. Although-- there would be no more bonfires. It was too risky. Cecilia, who just weeks ago had never been kissed, was now getting quite proficient at that art. She and Sid spent a good chunk of their time together practicing and had once been so studious that they hadn't noticed when the flames licked a little too closely to her new flannel dress. Oh, hadn't Aunt Nan been cross to see it singed! But Cecilia didn't mind, though it had been her favorite. She considered it a worthwhile sacrifice.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I am happy--so happy that it almost doesn't matter that May Binnie is spreading such horrible rumors about me, Cecilia wrote in the blue velvet book that Sid himself had given her to write her secrets in. She couldn't write to Father about this--he always got misty-eyed when he thought about her growing up, and Cecilia didn't want to cause Father any more unhappiness--not when she herself was so happy. And--though the High School was in uproar over this drama, somehow what was of great importance in Cecilia's own heart could be seen as trifling in comparison to what others were going through--through what Father himself was going through. And Mother, of course. They had all thought Mother would be better by now.

I want her to be better. Cecilia wrote guiltily. But I also don't want to go home. Why, the Glen seems every bit more homey than home seems! And of course there's Sid, I won't deny it, though it makes me feel just awful when I tack on to the end of my prayers at night, "Please don't let me have to leave too soon!" It's almost like praying that Mother won't get well, and that's not what I mean at all.

Cecilia picked up her pen and chewed thoughtfully on the end of it. Then she put it back to paper and wrote words that seem to come straight from her heart, bypassing her brain altogether.

I wish that Mother would get better, and she and Father would come here, to Red Apple Farm, to live!!

She knew it was very dangerous to write down what you wanted. It made it that much more painful when you didn't get it--because you had that written record to look back on. But she did want it--so horribly! She wiped surreptitious tears from her eyes and went back to her original topic.

Certain rumors flicker back to me every so often. May has told people that I'm a kleptomaniac. She's told others that I am the 'Anonymous' that has had two poems published in the Glen Notes last month. That made me laugh-- only a Binnie would think that writing poems is something to be ashamed of. They were lovely poems, and I only wish they had been written by me. I strongly suspect that Blythe wrote them, and I want to ask him but can't, since we aren't talking still. I've almost forgotten that we used to be friends.

But oh, Miss Binnie's malice doesn't stop there! Probably the worst is she's told people I'm "fast," and will "get in trouble" if I keep going around with Sid. I know exactly what she means, and I think it's awful of her to say such things, even if she does hate me. I wouldn't dream of being bad in that way. Cathy and Nellie wonder why I won't stand up for myself, but I won't even deign to pretend to be bothered by such trash. If I did, some people will think it is true. Trudy knows what I mean--she doesn't comment on it, either, but gives those who ask her about it a cold, heart-hardening look. Gilly and Walt have vowed to pummel anyone they hear spreading lies, and Jake and Owen have pulled wonderful pranks on May and her cronies. I won't go into them here, for fear of incriminating them-- the teachers are still in uproar about the last one. But oh, how funny it was to see May-- but I won't write it!

I should think that Joy would be glad to see me being talked about so cruelly, even if it is by a Binnie nobody trusts. But she had a demerit last week--Joy never gets demerits-- and I finally found out why. Apparently she heard Trix Binnie saying something May had told her, and slapped her little, smug, pink-and-white face. Aunt Nan was telling Uncle Ken about it and I overheard. If it had been anyone else she'd slapped, I think Joyce would have been in trouble, but the Binnies are none too liked by our adults, either. I asked Aunt Rilla why, and Aunt Rilla just sniffed and said,

"Irene Howard's mother was a Binnie,"

With a look of utter disdain. Nobody does utter disdain so utterly disdainful as Aunt Rilla.

Anyway, I didn't know how to thank Joy for standing up for me. She makes me feel so small when I talk to her--but I did want her to know I cared. So I went to the mending pile and got out her lace collar--the one she thought couldn't be fixed--and stitched it up, with those pretty stitches Aunt Persis taught me, so it was good as new, and left it on her pillow. I know she found it, for I saw it washed and hanging from the line, though she hasn't worn it yet that I've seen. I wonder if there's hope for us yet?

"Cecilia!" Grandmother called from the kitchen, where there was the sound of voices and laughter. "Sid is here."

With that Cecilia threw down her pen and flew downstairs. It was just her little diary she was writing in, but her reaction would have been the same if it was the Great Canadian Novel she was working on.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She took to wearing something blue every day, for Sid had said it suited her. Oh, the pretty pinks and yellows of her wardrobe were quite forgotten! When she traipsed down the stairs to meet Sid, she was wearing a blue angora sweater from Auntie Faith, and looked just like a shy, forgotton violet. Sid Gardiner, seeing her alight on the landing, actually blushed with pleasure to think that the little smile on her face was for him-- and the little white hand that steadied itself on the railing would soon be tucked into his. Judy had been right about her hands-- they were the hands of an old statue-- only a thousand times more dear and charming! Sid had had many girl-friends before-- he was quite the handsomest boy in the Glen, Four Winds, and the Bay Shore combined. But his heart had never thrilled over any of them they way it did now over little, quiet, haunting Cecilia Blythe.

He spent less time out with his chums and more time on his schoolwork. He did his chores thoroughly and oftentimes before Long Alec had to remind him to get to it.

"She makes me want to be better, Dad," was Sid's way of explanation.

"Then by God, don't let her get away!" Long Alec Gardiner's eyes twinkled. The barn had never been in such tip-top shape since Joe had run away to sea.

"Oh, but I won't," said Sid levelly. "I'm going to marry her someday."

The Ingleside folks had not heard Cecilia make any declarations of the same kind, but they shook their heads over the whole thing, not with consternation, but humor. It must be admitted that the grown-ups did not take Cecilia's first romance as seriously as she herself did.

"The child must be bewitched," marvelled Aunt Nan as Cecilia spun off into the night. Aunt Nan and Uncle Jerry had had an eminently sensible courtship.

"No--not bewitched--just in love," said the more romantic Aunt Rilla.

Nan sniffed. "Well, she's left the supper dishes soaking anyway." Love had not made Cecilia develop the same work ethic as her beloved. But Aunt Nan really didn't mind. One good thing had come out of Cecilia's love affair, anyway. For years she had been trying to get Hazel Lewison to give her the famous Selby recipe for spice cake-- to no avail. Now that her niece was going round with Hazel's nephew-- well, the recipe was as good as hers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Thank you all so MUCH for the reviews! A special shout-out belongs to Emma, for the research she did on Canadian laws permitting first cousins to marry. Check them out, in the review section. NOT that this means Cecilia and Blythe will marry! I like her with Sid, for now. And I'm definitely thinking of writing a sequel to this, so don't expect too many things to be resolved-- although I'll try and wrap up the mystery of Una ASAP.

And lovejag, I don't think Sid is related to Roy. I "borrowed" the character from LMM's Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat books. (If you haven't read them, you should!) The family in it is named Gardiner-- and LMM has the tendency to reuse names.

Again, thanks for the reviews. I'm enjoying so many of your stories-- everyone who's currently writing one update soonest!

-Ruby