Chapter 14

Gilbert glanced at Henry and then at the blooming Mayflowers. Grinning he said, "Have ya thought of gathering any Mayflowers?"

"Anne would throw them back in your face," Henry said from his spot under the tree they sat at knowing exactly what Gilbert was thinking.

"But she wouldn't throw them back in your face," Gilbert said grinning. "And think how much she would like them."

"I'm not gathering Mayflowers and giving them to Anne for you. If you want her to have some so badly you gather her some and give them to her."

"And have them thrown back in my face?" Gilbert said tossing Henry's words back at him. Henry merely raised an eyebrow at him. So Gilbert said innocently, "I'll put in a good word for you with Ruby and get her to walk home from next prayer meeting with you."

"Deal," Henry said flashing a smile at Gilbert.

...

Henry rolled his eyes as Gilbert carefully wound a strip of twine around the stems of the gathered Mayflowers. Then passing them to Henry he said, "Remember give her the flowers and then tell her we both picked them for my ma and Marilla and her. If she thinks I was just helping you, like a good friend, cause you had two to do and I only had the one for my ma-"

"I know," Henry said cutting him off. "Don't worry I'll make sure Anne accepts the flowers and that they are given a spot of honor in her jug by her bedside."

The next day as they walked toward school Henry winked at Gilbert, letting him know the flowers had been accepted. Later he made Gilbert's day when he mentioned that Anne had commented that she had supposed it was good of Gilbert to have helped Henry.

It wasn't much later that the Avonlea scholars began to anticipate summer delights coming up. It was on one such day as Gilbert and Henry walked home from school, brimming with plans for Gilbert to teach Henry to swim that summer so they could enjoy prusuits of fishing and rowning, after stopping by the store, that they overhead two of their schoolmates.

"It's generally understood as part of the male's code that a fella can't be sweet on his best friend's sister," Charlie Sloan pompously told Moody Spurgeon MacPherson.

"I dunno, Charlie," Moody said doubtfully. "Gilbert and Henry are best friends for sure, but-"

"He naturally has to be nice to Anne, she is Henry's sister, but that's all it is," Charlie said in the same pompous tone. "Anne knows this. She favors me, she is just to discrete to show it and I'm sure when the time comes she will realize what I have to offer her is more than an orphan could have any right to expect. With time she will out grow her unseemly taste to be educated more than a woman needs to be."

Seeing the scowl on Gilbert's face as he and Henry listened to Gilbert's self proclaimed rival, Henry said with a snort, as Charlie and Moody moved off, "Favors that pompous windbag? Not bloody likely. Favors him as much as one favors a toothache or sore throat. What say you we put up a take notice for a bit of revenge? " Henry asked smirking.

"Who do you have in mind saddling him with? Josie Pye?" Gilbert asked with a mischievous grin.

"Na, I got something better in mind," Henry proclaimed.

...

Eyeing his handiwork with a pleased eye Henry grinned at Gilbert and said, "What do ya think?"

"I think if your sister ever finds out you wrote her name up with mine she'll break more than a slate on both our heads," Gilbert said grinning.

"Well I'm not gonna tell her," Henry said rolling his eyes. Then he added, "You know what Charlie said about a fella not being allowed to be sweet on his best mate's sister is a load of crap, right?"

"Thanks," Gilbert said with a grin of understanding.

...

The next day as Diane and Anne entered the school yard, Gilbert and Henry trailing them and Tommy racing ahead, all the scholars eyes peered at them. Particularly at Anne and Gilbert. Gilbert with a jaunty smile handed Anne her text books that she had handed to Henry earlier so she could gather some violets. Henry hadn't objected when Gilbert had plucked them from his hands and added them to his own stack. It had become a usual occurrence as spring blossomed when Anne, unable to resist picking the fragrant blossoms, found she couldn't carry her school books and all the flowers she desired. She would hand her books to Henry and blissfully collect flowers unaware when her books made it into Gilbert's hands. Upon arrival at school Gilbert would flash her a smile and hand her her books back. Remembering her manners and not wishing to appear churlish, Anne would offer a prim, "Thank you, Mr. Blythe."

Anne though, distracted by the violets today deviated from the norm and when Gilbert handed her her books, she still lost in the beauty of the flowers, gave a breathy, "Thanks Gil," completely unaware of it.

For Gilbert it took all he had in him not to toss his hat in victory. Anne had finally called him not Mr. Blythe like she liked to when clinging to formality, or even Gilbert as she tended to when they argued, but Gil, a name that bespoke affection and care and Anne's breathy voice had been full of affection when she said Gil. He had sometimes thought he saw something in Anne's eyes that hinted at a more tender regard for him, but he could never be sure. Now all the Avonlea scholars looked with disblief at the two.

"Better head inside before Mr. Philips arrives," Henry said smirking. He knew Anne liked Gilbert but was too stubborn to admit it. And if anyone called her on her affectionate tone, she would have claimed she was thinking of the violets and any affection in her tone was for them, not Gilbert Blythe. But Henry knew Anne and knew that would be a lie. Knowing Anne though, he didn't think it would be wise for Anne to realize what she had just revealed right now. She would be embarrassed and defensive and poor Gilbert would be made to pay the price and Henry thought it wasn't necessary to make his best friend suffer any longer than he already had been. Anne was finally thawing.