Chapter 24

Anne, Henry and Gilbert waited anxiously for the Queens pass list to arrive. Henry was fairly confident Anne and Gilbert would pass for sure. He was able to admit easily that both were smarter than him. The thought though of not passing for him seemed a very real fear. Anne on the other hand was confident both boys would pass and leave for Queens together and she would not get to go. She had broken down in tears the other day declaring they would both pass and leave for Queens and she would be left behind, to wither away and die or marry awful Charlie Sloan.

Gilbert had looked absolutely appalled at the suggestion of Anne marrying Charlie Sloan, awful or not tacked onto the front of his name, and had declared grimly, "That's not going to happen."

Henry had chuckled and said, "You wouldn't accept a proposal from Charlie Sloan, Queens or not. Your gonna get in Anne, you and Gilbert both. With any luck maybe Charlie Sloan won't pass," he joked.

"If that goggled eyed- if he gets in and I don't, I'll just die," Anne had declared dramatically.

"I'm sure you will get in," Gilbert said. "Your brilliant." For Gilbert his greatest fear was that he would not pass and Anne would go off to Queens to be swept off her feet by a stanger. Ever since Anne had almost drowned it had begun to settle in his mind that he wanted to be a doctor perhaps, but he refused to dwell on that notion until he knew if he could atleast get into Queens. He never wanted to feel as helpless when it came to Anne again as he did waiting in the Cuthbert's kitchen to hear the doctor's prognosis.

"I think you are all worrying for nothing," Diana said loyally. "You are all going to get in. Especially you, Anne. I wouldn't be surprised if you came out top of the whole Island."

"I couldn't imagine such an honor," Anne said.

"With your imagination," Gilbert teased her gently. "Come on, I'm sure you could."

"I wish I could," Anne said her face going dreamy in a way that Gilbert and the others recognized that they, and the rest of the world, was fading away as Anne entered an imaginary world.

"Just imagine me there with you, kay," Gilbert said with a smile.

"Kay," Anne said with a dreamy sigh as she lost touch with reality.

Gilbert watched her with a tender smile as she imagined a world he didn't know. He wished she would imagine him at Queens with her the way he wanted to be, but knew she had only recently come to regard him as a friend rather than foe, and it was too soon for her to see him yet as a lover.

Diana leaned toward Henry and whispered laughingly, "Anne will certainly share with us her imaginings afterwards, do you think we should coax Gilbert to share his as well?"

"I dare you too," Henry said with a smirk.

"That is one dare I won't take," Diana said primly. "Anne swears he is just a friend."

"And he is," Henry agreed. "For now."

"But he wants to be more," Diana whispered shrewdly.

"He's not exactly sublte about it is he? Idiot lights up every time he sees her. Anne's the only one who misses it," Henry said with a chuckle.

"You don't mind?" Diana asked interested.

"Can't think of anyone else I'd care to trust her with," Henry whispered with a shrug. "Besides its not my business to mind or not. Someday they are both gonna realize they are in love with each other. Anne just a bit slower about it than Gilbert has been. You don't become Anne Shirely's brother and not comprehend that you can't stand in the way of romance or love."

"But he isn't her romantic ideal," Diana whispered sadly.

"Her romantic ideal is a load of hogwash spun from stories," Henry whispered back.

Standing up, Diana said loudly, "Well the mail should be in by now. Shall we go have a look at the list?"

"Anne!" Diana exclaimed happily, having agreed to do the honors and look at the list. "You passed. Your first! Tied with Gilbert, but your name is first! Your in the top ten as well, Henry!" Diana cried gleefully. "You beat out Ruby, Charlie, Moody, Jane and that horrid Josie Pye! Though they all passed as well," she said scanning the list.

"I passed?" Anne cried out. "We all passed?" she demanded.

"Yes! Yes!" Diana exclaimed.

"We passed!" Henry shouted out picking Anne up and spinning her around before passing her off to Gilbert who also spun her around with joy as well.

Once Gilbert set her down, Anne raced to Henry and embracing him said, "That will show them! We passed Henry! We both passed! Us! And Gil!" she exclaimed racing back to Gilbert to give him a spontaneous quick embrace, before throwing herself at Diana, the two girls laughing, hugging and crying happily.

After Anne hugged Gilbert, his arms went to close around her, but before they could, she had moved onto Diana and he ended up with nothing but air where she had been. He didn't mind though, his mind registering with disbelief, not only had they passed, and tied for first, Anne had hugged him. As he watched her and Diana dance around hugging in victory he stared at her with hungry eyes. He would be at Queens with Anne. Anne and her dreamy countance, sparkling gray eyes, slim figure, glorious red hair, vivicity, wit, intelligence and sweetness. Anne who was everything he wanted. A clap to his back from Henry drew him from his absorption in Anne.

"We did it, didn't we, mate!" Henry exclaimed happily. "All of our dreams are gonna come true! It sure feels like they could right now!"

"I hope so," Gilbert feverantly agreed watching Anne.