Chapter 36
"You must be Henry Mackenzie," a dark haried well set up male said as he approached their group as they sttod gathered outside despite the chill January breeze. His eyes lingering apprecatively on Anne before focusing back onto Henry.
"I am," Henry said noncomittally, eyeing him suspiciously, not because of the way he had appeared to be struck by Anne, but because of his use of the surname Mackenzie rather than Mack.
"I'm Roy. Royal Gardner. We are cousins of a sort distantly," he said pleasantly enough. "I was warned you would be attending here this year. I am as well. Most of the family thought I should avoid your acquainance and I was inclined to agree, but my sister Dorothy thought it might not hurt to at least make myself known to you." His eyes once again wandering to Anne, he said, "And seeing how you appear to have found such beauty to surround yourself with, I am glad I decided to finaly follow her advice. Would you make me known to your companions?"
"Gilbert Blythe, Stella Manyard and my sister Anne Shirely," Henry said flatly indicating each.
"She walks in beauty, like the night, of cloudless climes and starry skies. And all that's best of dark and bright, meet in her aspect and her eyes," Roy quoted as he smoothly reached out to grasp Anne's hand in his. "I was unaware Henry had a sister or that his mother had remarried. She must have done so before his father was cold in his grave, but such is the lot of a penniless widow. Though if your mother was any near as beautiful as you I can surely understand why his father was willing to throw off everything in the name of love, for what could be more noble."
"Henry is my adoptive brother," Anne said cooly withdrawing her hand as Gilbert stepped ever so slightly closer to her, close enough that if she leaned back she would be leaning against him.
"Your parents adopted Henry?" Roy asked ignoring Gilbert.
"Gilbert Blythe," Gilbert said sticking out his hand and leaning forward to do so, causing his chest to touch the back of Anne's shoulder. "Anne and Henry were adopted by a family in my hometown."
"How nice," Roy said grasping Gilbert's hand for a quick handshake. "Now that you have come to the mainland, I shall look forward to knowing you and your companions better," Roy said to Henry with another glance at Anne. "I would be pleased to show you around."
"I'll keep that in mind," Henry said cooly.
"No reason our generation cannot be friendly, we can't let the mistakes of the past stand in the way of the future, can we? I'm sure we will all get along just splendidly, " Roy said pleasantly, unperturbed by Henry's coolness. "I do wish I could stay and chat but I have to get to class. Literature with Prof. Hobben, he was gracious enough to allow me to transfer lecture hours when a schedule conflict came up."
"Anne and I have him for this next class too," Stella said speaking up intending to be helpful.
"Then it would be my honor to escort such beautiful ladies there," Roy said offering and arm to each girl, which Anne reluctantly accepted. "Don't be a stranger, Henry. We're cousins, let us be friends as well."
As Gilbert and Henry watched the trio disappear, Gilbert said, "So that's how you could have turned out? Quoting poetry and all dandied up?"
"I'm rather glad I ended up at the orphanage all things considered," Henry said wryly. "Though I suppose he isn't a bad sort. He could have ignored me and I'd have never known the difference or that he was my cousin."
"I almost wish he would have ignored you," Gilbert said dryly.
"Yes, he did rather gallantly usurp your escort of Anne and mine of Stella didn't he?"
"I think Stella thought she was being helpful him being your long lost family and all," Gilbert said.
"You know the funny part?" Henry asked his eyes twinkling.
"What?"
"He looks like he could have modeled for Anne's romantic ideal of her past. Dashing, quotes poetry, etc, just how she has always imagined my father must have been, but Anne found him absolutely insufferable, especially after he commented that my mother had remarried before my father was cold in her grave."
"I dunno I thought it was that bit about he was inclined to agree with his family as far as avoiding your acquaitance that sunk his ship with her," Gilbert said.
"So you think he sunk his ship with Anne? I didn't get the idea that was your thought when you practically staked your claim on Anne physically," Henry teased him smirking.
"I did no such thing," Gilbert protested. Henry looked at him and raised his eyebrow. "He was making Anne uncomfortable," Gilbert said defensively.
…
Over the course of the next few weeks Roy, smoothly inserted himself into their group. While he was clearly taken with Anne, he was also genuine in his interest and intent to get to know Henry better. He proved not to be a bad sort and while he wasn't someone Henry would consider as a close friend, he could at least be considered a friend. He was unfailing polite, gallant and dashing to all the females, particularly Anne. The only person it annoyed more than Gilbert, was Anne.
Roy was everything her younger self had always thought she wanted in a love interest and the only feelings he stirred in her where ones of annoyance. And it wasn't even the same type of annoyance Gilbert managed to stir in her at various times. That was an annoyance that made her feel alive. It was a mild, why must I put up with this annoyance, similar to the annoyance Charlie Sloan stirred in her. His constant intruding on her notice also meant the death knell of that particular romantic fantasy of what she wanted in a lover.
One day after Roy once again insisted on walking her somewhere rather gallantly, as he left Anne gave a huff of annoyance causing Philipa to laugh.
"Only you Queen Anne could be annoyed to have the two handsomest men in the freshman class vying for your attention," Philippa said brightly. "If I didn't love you so well I'd be insanely jealous."
"And I'd be insanely grateful if you could use your charm and beauty to turn his eye and any other suitors that comes along. More and more I wonder if I wouldn't rather end up like Marilla and Matthew. Keeping house with Henry, going along as we three all ways have," Anne said not catching Phillipa's reference to two sutiors.
"You three? Tommy, Henry and you? Phillipa questioned.
Starltled Anne said, "No. Me, Henry and Gil. Though I suppose once he is older Tommy would be there too. "
"Ah," Philipa said. "But Gilbert isn't your brother."
"No. No, he certainly isn't," Anne said quietly with a frown. "As much as he is always around and as well as I know him, I, for some reason, just cannot imagine him as a brother, strange isn't it? He's just Gil and I couldn't imagine him not being part of my life, but for some reason he isn't like Henry or Tommy. Maybe it is because he doesn't have red hair," Anne said her frown clearing.
"You think you can't think of him as a brother only because he doesn't have red hair?" Philipa asked in disbelief.
"Well its perfectly logical. You know Henry, Tommy and I all have red hair."
"You do beat all Queen Anne," Phililpa said with a dash of admiration and exasperation at how dense Anne could be.
...
As Roy became more dashing and gallant in his quest for Anne, Anne finally decided to talk to Henry about it. Roy didn't make her uncomfortable as Charlie had done, but he was nice and she felt guilty for finding his bids for her attention to be an annoyance and no matter how she tried she couldn't bring herself to want to encourage him, romantic ideal or not, he annoyed her to much.
"I suspected he was annoying you, but he is your romantic ideal and I didn't want to just give him the shove off. You know I never would want you to marry a fella like my father? He was romantic and all of that, but I can't help but think he would have done my mother more good if he would have been practical," Henry said eyeing Anne.
But they fell in love at first sight," Anne protested.
"Or they were just lucky enough to recognize that they did. Have you ever considered that someone could fall in love at first sight but maybe not recognize it?" Henry asked shrewdly. He had initially thought Priscilla had been the more interesting looking of Stella and her when Anne had met them and then decided niether had the effect on him, Anne had had on Gilbert from the beginning and dismissed both of them as no more than chums. Now he couldn't help but notice Stella more and more.
Anne's eyes went wide at this, but she didn't answer Henry, instead she said, "I think I would like someone that belongs in my life. The brooding romantic poet just doesnt, does he? After having meeting just that type I couldn't possibly imagine him condoning me making up myself trousers," Anne said thoughtfully.
"You made yourself tousers?" Henry demanded in shock.
"Oh yes. I had quite liked Tommy's but they were rather worn so I had Gilbert help me get appropriate material and used a pattern without mentioning it to Marilla," Anne said distractedly. "It is much easier to climb higher in a tree with them than a long skirt."
"You had Gilbert help you?" Henry asked still shocked to find out Anne wanted trousers.
"Well yes," Anne said finally realizing how shocked Henry was. "I knew you would react like this if I asked you and I knew I could trust him not to tell anyone what I wanted the fabric for. If I would have walked in and purchased it, Marilla would have found out for sure and I wouldn't have gotten a pair. "
Maybe that's what should be on your new list, trustworthy," Henry said deciding that seeing as Anne already had made the trousers it was to late to talk her out of them. "And I hope you didn't bring any trousers with you to Redmond, Anne. I blame myself for giving you Tommy's. I hadn't realized it would put such a notion in your head."
"Oh not to worry, I left them at Green Gables. You said you never wanted me to marry a fellow like your father? What do you think I should consider in a husband? Other than practical and trustworthy? Though perhaps I should be like Marilla, she never married and says there is no point in marrying for the sake of marrying. Which I do agree with. I could only marry if I was truly deeply in love."
"I can't make a list for you Anne. I'm afraid I accidentally did that once with stories of my parents. I don't rightly know if you of all people should be making a list. Maybe everything you want is already in you and any sort of arbitrary list would just confuse the matter."
"But I would hate to choose wrong and end up like Tommy's parents!" Anne exclaimed. "Or the Thomases! Or Hammonds! Shouldn't there be some sort of guide?"
"I don't know that love and romance comes with a study guide or textbook, Anne," Henry said with a chuckle. "You'll just have to muddle your way through. I can't tell you who to marry. I can listen to you, but you might not find my opinion unbiased. Just pay attention to what is out there." Henry knew that if he told Anne all she had to do was open her eyes and see Gilbert, she would protest so he didn't tell her straight out to do so.
After talking to Henry, Anne still didn't know what she would like a lover to be like, but she knew her cherished romantic ideal she had dreamed up and whispered about with Diana was not it. In the back of her mind the memory of Gilbert kissing her hovered and she began to take it out and examine it. His proposal, certainly hadn't been the romantic one she had always dreamed of, and she wasn't even sure he had meant it, or that he still meant it. He was a constant presence in her life and she couldn't imagine him not being there, but other then that night, he presented himself as a chum. And one didn't fall in love with their chum, did they?
