Chapter 27
"Well there is the proof, red heads are prettier as girls then fellas," Roger Staurt said as he stood next to Gilbert. "Who do you think that is with Henry? And better yet, where can I find me one?"
"That's Henry sister Anne," Gilbert said smiling as he watched Henry tease Anne holding her book above her head, out of her reach as she gamely jumped for it.
"I thought him and his sister weren't really related, both adopted. They both have red hair? Wouldn't have expected that coincidence," Roger said. "Well is she single and available?" he ask eagerly.
"Single yes. Available, no," Gilbert said cooly.
"Henry isn't to keen to see fellas interested in his sister? Or is it overly strict guardians?" Roger asked speculativly, not having registered Gilbert's tone had gone cold. "Introduce me, will ya?"
Gilbert his jaw clenched nodded. He had certainly noticed over the last few days that more then one male had looked twice at Anne, but hadn't had to hear yet their verbal admiration, or have one want him to arrange an introduction to his Anne. Up until the moment Roger had spotted Anne, Gilbert had liked him just fine. Now he was rethinking his opinion of him.
"Henry! Anne!" Gilbert called getting their attention and was pleased to see a Anne turn her head toward the sound of his voice and send him a bright smile.
"She sure is pretty," Roger said in appreciation as Henry and Anne started toward them, Henry still not having returned Anne's book, pulling it out of her reach every time she reached for it as they walked.
When the two reached them, Gilbert stepped over to towards them and plucked the book out of Henry grasp. And then with a grin at Anne he said, "Is this what you have been trying so hard to get from your brother?"
"Gil," Anne said her eyes flashing at him, her temper already stirred by Henry.
"I could perhaps be persuaded to give it back to you. Did you try negotiating with Henry for it, or did you think to use your brute strength?"
"And you with no slate on hand, Anne," Henry said laughing."Hullo Roger. This is my sister Anne Shirley. Roger Stuart. He boards with us."
"How's this for negotiation," Anne said with false sweetness. "Give me my book and I won't tell Josie that you are dead gone on her and said she was the prettiest girl at Queens," she said as she lunged for her book.
Gilbert having been prepared for her lunge shifted the book out of the way, Anne some how ending up pressed against him, her book in his hand behind her.
"A lie, Anne, you would tell a bold faced lie?" Gilbert teased. "I don't think anyone, including Josie Pye would believe it," he said looking down at her tenderly, before reluctantly stepping back and handing her the book. Knowing to stand close to her like that, wrecked to much havoc on him to remain in that position.
"Thanks Gil," Anne said grinning at him. "Priscilla, Stella and I are going to read outloud and some people," she said with a dark look at Henry, "were trying to make me late. Good luck at tryouts." Turning to Roger she said, "Are you trying out as well?"
"Yep. Football is all part of the experience isn't it?" Roger said shooting her a smile.
"Well good luck. It was lovley to meet you, but I've got to get going!" Anne said before she dashed off.
"I get it, single but unavailable. You could have just said she was yours," Roger told Gilbert.
"Don't let Anne hear you say that," Henry warned. "She isn't like most girls. She is interested in beaux or anything like that yet."
"Well she's pretty, but I don't believe in poaching on a friend's territory. And she definitely is Gilbert's. She didn't seem to mind how close Gilbert was or object to how he was looking at her."
Henry laughed and said, "Anne has a special blindness when it comes to Gilbert. She's never noticed that look and trust me, he isn't subtle about it, never has been. She isn't deliberately ignoring it, she just hasn't seen it yet."
"And you don't mind?" Roger asked Gilbert, thinking that if he cared for a girl as much as Gilbert appeared to care for Anne, he'd get pretty put out with her being so completely oblivious.
"It isn't so bad," Gilbert said with a shrug.
"What he means to say is she spent a long time mad at him for the way he introduced himself-," Henry began.
"How'd he introduce himself?" Roger asked sensing a good story from Henry's tone.
"Pulled her hair and called her carrots. Then she broke a slate on his head," Henry said with a straight face.
"She broke a slate on your head?" Roger asked Gilbert in disbelief.
"Yup," Gilbert affirmed. "And I still have the pieces from it."
...
With the weather still fair those at Queens had made a habit of going home every weekend. As the train pulled into the Carmody station, Gilbert reluctantly woke Anne up. She had fallen asleep on him again and when ever she did so he felt like he was in heaven. He could feel the weight of her head on his chest, and if he positioned himself just right, tendrils of her hair would brush against him. The best part was, though, that he could simply watch her and let the love he felt for her show. Ruby, thought it was absolutely delicious how he would hungrily look at Anne as she slept, as if memorizing, each time, every aspect of her. Ruby had attempted to induce such a look in Henry, but she disliked the sense of disinterest she got and quickly gave up on him and settled for living vicariously through Gilbert's looks at Anne. Those looks were the most romantic thing to her mind. She, along with Diana and Jane, had tried to point out Gilbert to Anne, but she remained stubbornly oblivious.
"We're here?" Anne ask blinking the sleep out of her eyes.
"We are Anne-girl," Gilbert said tenderly. And then in a more playfull tone he added, "And if you don't look sharp, Charlie will be over here pontificating at you again."
"Save me from pontification, Gil," Anne said with a groan.
"Gladly. Here, I've got your bag. Henry might just drop it again," Gilbert said.
"One time, Blythe," Henry said in mock good natured protest. "I dropped it one time."
…
Gilbert resisted the urge to pull Anne closer. He enjoyed being her unofficial escort to all the social aspects at Queens. Seeing his name scrawled on her dance card in multiple spots, gave him quiet satisfaction. His favorite was waltzing with her, even if he had to resist the urge to pull her closer and breath in deeply the scent wafting up from her hair. To Anne these dances were all good fun, and she didn't care whether she danced with one of the girls she counted amongst her friends or with one of the boys she counted as friends.
It was the same thing at any sort of picnic, social or even study session. They always went as a group but it was an unspoken agreement that he was the one that would escort Anne. He was the one that would assit her with her coat, he was the one who's arm she would grasp and beam up at in excitement and wonder. He ached to tell her how much he loved her, to beg her to see him as more than just a friend. As it got nearer to her 16th birthday he had begun to think on addressing the issue of officially courting her.
…
After the weather had turned earlier in the school year and it was no longer possible to spend weekends in Avonlea, Miss Barry had taken to often inviting Anne to dinner on Sundays and would many times encourage her to bring her brother and Gilbert, saying she enjoyed having two handsome young men about the place while her and Anne had a good chat. Once when Anne, Gilbert and Henry had all joined Miss Barry for dinner, Miss Barry shrewdly looked at Gilbert and seeing that Anne was occupied, said, "Your good for her. I can't help but approve of you. You've got ambition to do well, not just for your own sake, but for her sake. Anne is so easy to love, as I don't doubt you know. Here's some advice from an old woman, don't rush her. Anne will arrive at things in her own good time. Its undeniable she is growing up. She was such a sweet child."
"She's still sweet," Gilbert said quietly.
"That she is. Part of me wishes that she would hurry up and open her eyes and see you. I want to see her well settled with a few children before I leave this world," Miss Barry said and then seeing Gilbert's flush said, "Now don't go blushing on me. You can't pretend the thought of a red haired little girl of your own hasn't crossed your mind. Of course I imagine if any boy dared tug that little girl's braids and call her carrots," Miss Barry said and gave a cackling laugh at Gilbert's frown. "She will be 16 soon, but Anne is a different sort of girl than other girls. She won't be like other girls when they turn 16, interested in beauxs and such. Just don't rush her. Don't push her. Be there for her. Be her friend. It will all work out in the end."
Gilbert glanced toward Anne, where she swatted at Henry and said, "I hope so." Privately he added that he couldn't imagine his life without her. That it was her face he pictured every night before he fell asleep and every morning when he woke up. All his dreams included Anne. Without her he wouldn't feel alive. If he couldn't share his life with Anne he wouldn't be living, just going through the motions.
