Helloooo! Thank you to r6144, rubygillis, Elouise82, Frangipanigirl, and Smoltenica, the lovely-jubbly people who reviewed! I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying the story.

Oh, just some answers to a few questions: Elouise82, Annetta has most definitely gotten over having hysterics at little things (in public at least!)

Frangipanigirl, yes, Annetta in this story is the very Annetta who wrote the hilarious "love-letter" to Anne in "Anne of Avonlea".

And yes, Smoltenica, now that you mention it, "Rosings", the home of the fair Lady Catherine was in my mind when I made up that last name – I had recently just read "Pride and Prejudice", you see, and somehow it was in my head. I thought it suited the family I had in mind. I wondered if anyone would pick that up. I'm not really a Jane Austen fan - I loved "Pride and Prejudice", but I'm not really warming to "Emma", which I'm stuck half-way through now. And I'm afraid that "Professor Flitwick's Bad Day" won't be updated for awhile – I'm clean out of ideas on it, you see. Thanks muchly for reviewing that, though!

And now, I know that all of you are curious about Edgar Rosing. The mystery will be partially unveiled in this chapter, I promise you.

Hope you like it!

Chapter 4. Annetta's Love Affair

Annetta flushed rosily and looked down at her lap.

"Edgar Rosing is the nephew of Mr. Clark Rosing, from Montreal. I – I met him when I was visiting Aunt Hortense in Charlottetown."

"And he has proposed to you?" stammered Barbara. "How did all this happen, Netty?"

Annetta looked up at her. "I first met him at Miss Gladys Jennings' house - a friend of Aunt Hortense's - when we went there for dinner. Apparently she and his mother were friends. We talked a great deal - although I couldn't say much – after all, he goes to Redmond and I'm just a stupid little country girl who didn't even go to Queen's…"

Annetta had always been like that – thinking herself insignificant and unimportant compared to others, and content to worship and be in awe of them, content to be in the shadows, never seeing how very sweet she was.

"Netty that is not true," Barbara began to say, but Annetta didn't seem to be listening.

"Oh, Barbara," she was saying, "I know it wasn't proper at all – but I felt – I felt like I used to when I had hysterics at school, only without the shrieking. It was the same dizziness. I was positively limp."

Although Annetta had never been poetic, and her analogy hardly elegant, Barbara could see that her friend was in earnest. She had never seen Annetta like this before. She had been anxious before but now her eyes were softly dreamy, her face rapt and radiant. Barbara suddenly felt very young and ignorant, in spite of being a "fully fledg'd school ma'am."

"And then I met him again at a concert. He – he looked at me a great deal, Barbara, and – I know it was dreadful of me, Mother would be very cross if she knew – and I couldn't help glancing at him too, now and then, when Aunt Hortense wasn't looking."

"But how did he come to propose to you?" Barbara asked.

"Oh – he asked if he could write to me after the concert, since he was going back to Montreal the next day. I said he could. I had a letter from him yesterday, asking me. Oh, Barbara," Annetta's face suddenly lost its radiance and she looked anxiously at her friend again.

"Did I do wrong? Was it dreadfully immodest of me? I haven't told anyone about him except you – I've been rushing off to the post office before Mother or Father or Tabby could go. I'm so frightened to tell them, especially Mother. She would be so mad."

Barbara marvelled inwardly at the power of love. Modest, shy little Annetta, having a secret love-affair! Then her heart sank a little. Annetta – married! How strange – and – frightening that was! But Annetta was waiting for her to speak, worry falling over her little face like a frost.

"Netty dearest," Barbara took Annetta's cold hand in hers, "I do not think you have done anything immodest at all. If you and Edgar Rosing love each other, and he has proposed, why shouldn't you tell your parents? Of course, I know you would have to wait until you were eighteen at least, and he finishes college, but surely they wouldn't object. He comes of a good family, he is at Redmond…"

"But Barbara, they want me to marry Anthony Pye!" wailed Annetta.

This was yet another shock for poor Barbara.

"Anthony Pye!" she exclaimed. "Annetta Bell! Are you telling me that you and Anthony Pye –"

"No, no!" Annetta cried. "I don't want to marry him at all! He isn't anything to me. He walked home with me after praying-meeting twice, while you were away, but that was before I met him. But Father and Mother are crazy about him – they have their hearts set on me marrying him. And they don't like the Rosings here in Avonlea at all. Oh, Barbara, what shall I do?"

"Netty, if you do not love Anthony Pye…" said Barbara, thinking, Anthony Pye! He wouldn't do at all for Netty – he'd lord it over her, and boss her. "If you do not love Anthony Pye," she repeated, "And you do love Edgar Rosing, why, then of course you cannot marry Anthony."

Annetta's face brightened. "Oh, Barbara, do you really think so? But Mother would never consent. She would say that I had been reading too many silly novels. You know how she can be."

Barbara did know. Although Mrs. Bell was a good-hearted and generally generous woman, she had a decidedly unromantic, sensible, no-nonsense side to her that could be very difficult to overcome.

"Annetta," she said slowly, "Are you very certain that you love Edgar Rosing? After all, you have only met him twice. If you are sure…"

"I am sure!" cried Annetta, with uncharacteristic passion, although her pale cheeks flamed once more, "I never thought that I could feel – like that. Barbara, do you remember those fairytales we used to read when we were at school together, and how the princess always found her true love and lived happily ever after in the end? I always thought those stories were so silly. But – but I don't now. I feel exactly the same way!"

Barbara looked at her friend and knew she was telling the truth.

"You must tell the truth to your parents then, Annetta," she said resoloutely, "There is no other way. But first, write to Edgar Rosing and tell him that you will marry him. Dearest, I am sure that your parents will consent once they realize that this is what you really wish. Once they know how much you care for Edgar Rosing." She didn't know why the two names always seemed to go together. Perhaps because Edgar Rosing seemed so – so mysterious.

"I will, then," a trembling Annetta said. "You're right, Barbara. But oh, they will be awfully cross, especially Mother. But I must do it. Thank you for understanding me, Barbara, dear."

Barbara squeezed her hand, but she sighed as she walked home through the purpling twilight. How – funny – were the changes that happened, when one grew up! Here she was, Barbara Shaw, teaching school, and there was Annetta, with a marriage proposal! Not to mention - Anthony Pye!

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At the end of that week, Mrs. Rachel Lynde hurried into the kitchen of Green Gables with an air of excitement that immediately told Marilla that she had a juicy tidbit of gossip to pass on.

"What do you think, Marilla? Annetta Bell is engaged to Edgar Rosing from Montreal! The nephew of Clark Rosing! The Bells got a real shock, alright. He and Annetta have been writing to one another since she came back from visiting in Charlottetown, and now they are engaged! The Bells kicked up a fuss. All Avonlea knows that they wanted Annetta to have Anthony Pye. But that isn't all!"

"For goodness sakes, Rachel, do sit down and catch your breath before you go on!" Marilla said tartly, although she too was curious.

Mrs. Rachel plumped herself down.

"Edgar Rosing is coming to Avonlea! He wrote his uncle and Annetta that he was coming next week. I do declare, Marilla, Annetta Bell is the last girl I would have expected to catch the attention of any Rosing. It will be one in the eye for Clark Rosing, I reckon."

Very soon, all Avonlea was buzzing with the awaited arrival of Edgar Rosing.

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Hope you guys will tell me what you think!

-Silver Stockings-