Part 3 - He loves me not
Anne was amazed by everything around her, as could she not be? It was everything she loved, there were artists of all kinds who were in the midst of a performance, flame blower, juggler, clown, man on stilts. There was also a hot-air balloon that proudly stood at the entrance of the fair.
"Isn't it exciting?", she exclaimed as she stopped to admire the balloon.
Gilbert, who was slightly behind her and still carrying the cake, smiled as he saw her raving, he frowned, and then in an amused tone he said as he approached her, "Would you find it so exciting if you were up there?"
"I'd find the view all the more thrilling...", she smiled back, then added, looking at the cake, "Can I have my cake back?"
"I'm going with you, where should we bring it?"
Anne was surprised to hear this. Why did she have the feeling that he was doing his best to spend as much time with her as possible since this morning? How could she forget this detour through the forest, with its expanses of lily of the valley? How could she forget that he had given her this flower which was supposed to bring her luck? How could she not notice the smile of the dark-haired boy, who hadn't left his face since they left the woods?
"The competition takes place under the marquee.", She answered simply.
The two teenagers walked to the marquee and found Marilla, Matthew, Sebastian and Delphine gathered around a table watching the other participants' cakes.
Sebastian was the first to see them arrive, he couldn't hide a smile, the only thing missing was for Anne to take Gilbert by the arm, and they looked like a real couple who arrived at the fair. Marilla turned around in her turn, to see what made the young father smile, and it was with some satisfaction that she saw the young redhead accompanied by the young man, she had even let Gilbert carry her precious cake, if that wasn't a feat, and then what was it?
"Well, well. We're not waiting for you anymore.", Declared the woman with the bun.
Which alarmed the young girl, she answered not without certain awkwardness, "It's-it's not my fault. According to Gilbert, the path he chose to come here was far better."
This raised the young man's eyebrows, and then he smiled and said, "You didn't complain afterwards."
"Whatever. Give me that cake.", she says firmly as she takes the cake from the hands of the handsome young man.
Matthew seemed confused, and Bash couldn't hold a smile on his face when he saw what was happening right in front of him.
"Anyway, I'm a little nervous but I can't wait for the judges to see my cake. I mean, usually I wouldn't be very confident, but with Mary's recipe, I'm sure I'd get noticed."
Marilla, who was standing next to her, looked at the cake with questioning, "I'm surprised that your cake is so elegant and... sober. It's not really what I expected from you."
Then the girl showed her the two jars that she had brought with her, with a smile on her face, they were elements to decorate her cake, and to make a presentation more in her image.
"Of course...", said the old woman, then suddenly as she watched Anne dress her cake, she noticed something sticking out from under her hat, lily-of-the-valley bells? How could she have taken the time to find this, especially since it was necessary to go to the forest to find some in this period? Then she turned around to Gilbert, who was talking to Bash and Matthew, she smiled at him, the other path that had been mentioned rather now seemed quite obvious.
Marilla then approached Anne and whispered in her ear, "I see that the lily of the valley season has begun."
The young girl turned around in surprise and stammered, "It's, uh... Gilbert. I-I didn't expect him as superstitious."
"Sometimes you can change for a person or because of someone.", said the old woman with a smile.
The teenager didn't know what to say, she felt warmth rising in her cheeks, then went back to decorating her cake, as if she had never heard anything.
Suddenly Rachel arrived to speak with Marilla. They were talking about the recipes they had prepared for the contest. Matthew had already set up his radish, and he was finding out what his friend Jack was going to present for the competition.
Gilbert and Bash were both about to leave, the young father put Delphine back in her baby carriage, while the young brown was attentive to the Cuthbert's conversation.
"So you're done," asked the woman with the bun, as she approached the redhead who was in front of her cake.
She turned around, "Yes, it's a feast for the eyes as well as the palate!", she exclaimed confidently, "Oh, and I'm number 16!"
"Quite a good omen, I'd say!", Replied Marilla with a smile.
Meanwhile Matthew was looking in his pockets for something, then he reached out to the young girl, it was a coin, "Here's... for whatever suits your fancy."
"Oh, thank you!", exclaimed Anne.
"Be back in an hour for the cake competition.", Marilla insisted firmly.
"Wild horses couldn't stop me.", said the self-confident teenager.
Before leaving the tent, Anne met Gilbert's eyes, and they exchanged a smile, which didn't escape Sebastian's eyes.
He glanced at the young man and said, "You can go for a walk on your own if you want to, I mean, I'll stay with Marilla and Matthew for a while and wait for Anne's competition."
"I remind you that I came to the fair in the first place to accompany you."
"Oh, Blythe... please you'd have come anyway. We arrived forty-five minutes before the two of you actually did."
"What...? No, I-"
"I don't need to know anything. Take a walk.", He says firmly.
"If you insist.", replied the teenager with a smile, then he left the marquee immediately.
Anne was now strolling through the fairgrounds, she was so happy to be there and to see so much animation, smiles and laughter. This day definitely had everything to be wonderful, that nothing could spoil it. Nevertheless, as she looked at the various stands around her, her thoughts drifted for a few moments towards a certain young man. In fact, there might be one thing that could make this day even better... What if Gilbert came dancing tonight? And if their hands could still touch, graze, touch... why couldn't she think of something else? Undoubtedly, something had bloomed like a flower this morning.
The young redhead was still walking between the stands, when she saw a marquee that called out to her, there was a sign that said "fortune teller".
"You're not planning to consult?"
This voice that seemed to come out of nowhere, yet how familiar it was, she turned around and saw Gilbert, with a smile on his face, rather proud of his sarcastic remark.
Anne rolled her eyes, "Well, earlier you seemed to be giving a lot of importance to a certain superstition. So I don't think you're in the best position to make fun of that belief."
"Well... I recognize that you got a point. But to tell the truth, I never believed that a flower could have this kind of power, I did it for you."
The teenager couldn't believe her ears, he had just said that he had done it for her, so with some hesitation she asked, "You did it for me?"
The dark-haired boy cleared his throat, he had just realized what he had just said, "Um. I meant, I wanted to believe it for you."
But this precision shocked the young girl even more, "You wanted to believe it for me?", she could do nothing else but repeat what she had just heard, she thought that by doing so, it would make this moment even more real. Were they misunderstanding each other again, or this time they understood each other very well?
Gilbert couldn't hide an embarrassed smile, he couldn't add anything more to it, then finally he asked, "Would you...like to walk with me?".
The redhead simply nodded her head, and then joined him, with a shy little smile on her face. She wondered, what was she supposed to do, was this some kind of date? No, she was probably imagining things, it was a simple stroll. Yet when she looked around her, there were certainly lots of families, but above all there were some couples.
In the distance, they could see Josie Pye and Billy Andrews together, standing near the strength testing machine. They could see Billy trying to impress the young blonde girl.
"If there's anyone I don't miss at school, it's Billy Andrews."
"I can't contradict that.", Gilbert replied with a smile.
"I don't understand why men need to prove their strength. Should it be something to impress a girl?"
The dark-haired boy laughs at this question, "Well, he probably believes it anyway. I don't know what really impresses the girls. You must know that better than I do?", he asked with a smirk.
"Um... Well, first of all, smart, cultured, dreamy, funny, at least in his own way. It's also important that he's good at spelling, can you imagine a love letter full of spelling mistakes? Eventually adventurous, yes, I think I'd like him to travel, so that he can tell me all his adventures.", She concluded with a smile, but when she finished her sentence, she noticed that Gilbert stared at her in a funny way. And that's how she realized what she had just said, she was describing a certain person perfectly, and that person was beside her right now.
The young man stood still for a moment, his eyes seemed to smile, he wasn't dreaming, she had just described him perfectly, "Oh, I see. That's... very precise, demanding too."
"Hm! I...I don't think I'm demanding..."
"Oh, yeah?", he replied with an amused smile.
Anne smiled an embarrassed smile, had he realized that she had just talked about him? No longer wanting to talk about what she had just confessed, she asked him in turn, "And you, what thing would impress you about a girl?"
Gilbert looked up, and pretended to think, "Uh... I think she must be... passionate. Smart. Cute, and also-"
The young redhead interrupted him laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Your list..."
"What's wrong with my list?"
"It starts out so boring..."
"So, you're judging me without letting me finish? By the way, good spelling is not a very hectic and exciting attribute."
"Good speller AND adventurous, Gilbert.", She laughed, "Then you can keep going, impress me."
The teenager waited for the young man to continue but she realized that he seemed to be staring elsewhere.
Indeed, Gilbert had a distant glance, he had just seen a blonde lady he knew very well. At the sight of her, it was as if he was coming back to reality, since this morning he was so comfortable, he felt like he was in a cocoon when he was with Anne. For a few hours the young redhead was the only one in his thoughts. And now he had to return to this reality.
Anne was still over the moon, hadn't they been flirting since earlier? If it wasn't flirting, then what was the exchange they had just had? She was more and surer of it. Maybe he...
Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a young woman's voice, and then she saw a smile on Gilbert's face.
"Beautiful day, isn't it, Mr. Blythe?"
"Winifred. I-I mean Miss Rose. Uh...it's a surprise to see you here." said Gilbert, who couldn't find the words, visibly taken aback.
"And I hoped I'd meet you, Gilbert.", replied the lovely blonde who stood behind Anne.
The young redhead's eyebrows raised, she looked behind her shoulder and saw the famous young lady. When she laid her eyes on her, she instantly thought that she was very elegant and she was... pretty or cute, as Gilbert might have said. How could he know this girl? Rather this woman... Because indeed, she had all the characteristics of a lady, she probably came from the city. But Anne didn't let herself be destabilized, there was a simple reason for Gilbert to know this woman, why should she wonder so much? But... She had just said that she hoped to meet him at the fair... She was definitely more daring than she was, it was certain, and this worried her in some way.
The young man cleared his throat before answering, "Hm. Anne... here-"
Anne interrupted him immediately, she kept a radiant smile on her face, "Winifred. I-I mean, I heard."
Gilbert didn't expect the young redhead to interrupt him like this, he frowned for a moment, not understanding this sudden reaction.
The teenager was now completely turned towards Winifred, as soon as she had finished her sentence, the young blonde offered her hand to greet her.
"So... Hello, Anne. Does it have to be spelled with an e?", asked the young lady, smiling as she waited for the redhead's hand.
The young girl hesitated for a moment before answering or making the slightest gesture, she felt so intimidated by the lady, and then finally she answered with a smile, "Anne...with an "e"."
When the dark-haired boy saw her answer this, he couldn't help but smile. As if every time he heard her make this precision, it brought back so many memories.
"Oh, my God! The clock is ticking, I-I have to go to my competition!", Anne exclaimed suddenly, taking the others by surprise.
"But... you still have thirty minutes before the competition starts.", said Gilbert with a slight sneer, confused.
"That's true... but it's better if I'm early. ", She replied without knowing how to really justify herself. Indeed, the teenager wanted to flee this situation, whatever it might represent. She didn't know why she was feeling so uncomfortable, and she didn't want to find out right away.
So she left in a hurry and headed for the marquee. Gilbert watched her leave, frowning, wondering about the girl's sudden change of mood.
Winifred, as for her, didn't really know what to think of the young redhead. She had found her here walking around with his beau, she hadn't expected that. Although they were not walking arm in arm, it could very well have been the case, because before she interrupted them, she had noticed that the young people seemed to be radiated. But the instant the young man greeted her, it was as if she had just broken something. This thought pained her, because she did not want to imagine that Gilbert had any affection for this young girl. With all the dates they had had, he had never mentioned a certain Anne. Although... when she thought about it, he had mentioned a friend who had done a lot for him when he was losing Mary. He constantly said that he felt supported at Avonlea, and that he was not alone in his grief. She had automatically thought about Sebastian when he said this, but what if he had actually been talking about this girl all this time?
The young blonde girl smiled at the young man, noticing that he was watching the redhead walk away, "It's a girl who seems to know what she wants.", she said in an amused tone.
He was like surprised in his own thoughts, "Oh... that's certainly what she is.", he sneered with eyes filled with a certain tenderness.
"You...you two look like you've known each other for a while?", she asked hesitantly, dreading at the same time the answer that would follow.
When they started walking towards the big marquee, Gilbert replied with a pensive look, he couldn't hide a smile, "For years now, we've been going to school together. It has grown into a friendship over the years.", He laughed, "It didn't start well at first. She's not... an easy girl to be with sometimes."
"I see... So you like girls who are easy to be with. I hope I'm not too disconcerting, Gilbert?"
The dark-haired boy wasn't expecting this question, "Uh... I feel like it's still a trick question, but I'd say that today you surprised me.", He replied with a smile, "Besides, did you come here alone?"
"Maybe there's a nice young man waiting for me somewhere... I wonder where he is."
"Really?", asked Gilbert, who was more than amazed by this answer.
Winifred laughed instantly, "Sorry, I couldn't help it. It's that you don't answer my questions clearly. Why should I answer them seriously?"
"Oh... I see, I've been fooled again.", replied the young man who suddenly felt stupid, then laughed.
"I came with my parents today. What kind of girl would I be if I ventured alone to a place I don't know?", She always says with a smile.
Gilbert didn't know what to say to that, all he could do was smile at her.
Under the marquee, Anne was with Marilla, Matthew and Sebastian. When she joined them, everyone had noticed that she had a look that was considerably less cheerful than before. They suspected that something had happened.
"I didn't think you'd be back so soon.", Marilla said.
Bash frowned, because he expected her to come back with Gilbert, "Oh, I thought you would be back with the doc."
"Gil...Gilbert? Why would I know where he is? I-I left him in good company... I guess.", she declared awkwardly.
Instantly, Marilla and Sebastian exchanged a look full of innuendo. While Matthew seemed embarrassed by the conversation, he didn't dare to look anyone in the eye, because he had realized that things about romance were not his cup of tea.
Suddenly Gilbert arrived in his turn under the marquee, Winifred was at his side, she seemed quite curious to discover all the excitement surrounding this competition. She stumbled on a bale of dirt, and the young man, like a good gentleman, grabbed her by the arm to help her. They were now arm in arm.
Sebastian was the first to see them arrive, he could barely hide his surprise. Anne, who had then crossed the young father's gaze, turned around to see what had taken his attention.
The young teenager's face changed from surprise to sadness in a split second. Why was it so heartbreaking to see Gilbert so close to a girl who wasn't her? Oh, and it wasn't just any girl... She was so elegant and sparkling... She couldn't help thinking that the outfit Diana had chosen for her today wasn't enough. She could never compete, she looked like a child. Even worse, she thought she looked ridiculous... And then this sprig of lily-of-the-valley she had slipped into her hair... What a foolish and naive thing... A woman like her wouldn't have done that. Perhaps it was this simple detail that revealed that they did not compete in the same category. But the young girl took a deep breath before they joined her at her side.
Marilla and Matthew noticed the young redhead's sudden anxious expression, so they turned their heads and instantly understood the possible reason for the mood change. They knew very well that their Anne got along very well with Gilbert. Marilla had even noticed the young man's fondness for her. Secretly, she had perhaps hoped that the two of them could form a beautiful couple, at least in the future. She didn't expect them to be so close yet, because for her, Anne was still a child. But she was forced to admit that Gilbert looked like a young man today, and that the teenage girl was on her way to adulthood now.
The brother and sister then smiled politely at the lady who accompanied the young man.
Gilbert cleared his throat, as if to warn of his presence at the Cuthberts, "Hm. Miss Cuthbert, Mr. Cuthbert, I'd like to introduce... uh... my... Miss Rose... I-I mean Winifred."
The Cuthberts nodded their heads, Marilla forced a smile, while Matthew was equal to himself, he didn't really show enthusiasm, and he was rather neutral when he saw the young blonde. They simply greeted her.
Bash smiled as he watched the scene, he had an irresistible urge to laugh, but he managed to contain himself, as the situation already seemed embarrassing enough for the dark-haired young man.
Anne pretended to be cheerful, she tried her best to smile when she saw them.
Winifred turned to the redheaded girl and said, "So, Anne. Gilbert tells me you're a classmate? Do you have any idea what you're planning to do after you finish your classes?"
The young girl glanced at Winifred's arm on Gilbert's arm, her mind went blank for a few seconds before she replied, "Uh... Well, I'm passing the exams for Queens, I'd like to teach in the future. Maybe to Avonlea, who knows...", she tried as hard as she could to maintain her best smile.
"Oh, that's a beautiful ambition! Why, Gilbert, you've never told me about your friend before, maybe you referred to her last time at the tea room?", asked the young blonde with a small smile.
The young man was not expecting this sudden question, "Well, that's..."
Anne then met the dark-haired boy's eyes as he seemed to be searching for his words. But she had an empty look, realizing at that very moment that he had had dates with this young lady, was he courting her? There were many details that spoke volumes, but why then had he never mentioned her before, would he have done so even if he hadn't met her today? She felt so foolish, how could she have thought that maybe... he loved her?
Since Winifred was there, nothing was the same, the detour of this morning in the woods surrounded by lily of the valley, gone. The little stroll and their discussion that seemed to be a flirtation were gone. All this, in fact, was nothing more than a friendly gesture, then a friendly walk, and a friendly conversation. There were no secrets, no hidden feelings. It was all the fault of her over-interpretation. And then the dance at school the other day... in the end, maybe she was the only one who felt something. Now... there was nothing left. Because all those moments that she thought they were shared, those instants that she thought were romantic, it was nothing, and it meant nothing. Because all this time... after all, he had been dating this beautiful young woman. Then she realized that he had never... never invited her. And this was the most obvious sign that he didn't see her that way.
Suddenly a man's voice was heard, "And now number 16!", exclaimed one of the members of the jury.
Gilbert was relieved to have been interrupted, as he didn't know what to say to Winifred.
"It's your turn, Anne! It's your cake!", Marilla remarked to the young girl.
"Wonderful presentation.", commented a man who was part of the jury.
The only woman member of the jury cut a slice and put it on a plate.
"It's the Lake of Shining Waters!", said Anne, who seemed excited as she spoke to Marilla, forgetting for a moment the sorrow that was overwhelming her.
"It's a bit pretentious.", remarked the woman member of the jury.
Anne was hurt to hear this, but tried to keep a smile on her face.
The three members of the jury each took a fork to taste a bite of the cake. The young girl was nervous when she saw them tasting her cake.
Suddenly grimaces appeared on the faces of the three jury members. The young redhead really started to panic. Then she saw them instantly spit what they had in their mouths into a handkerchief.
The jury members began to exclaim, "Dear God!"
"What is that?"
"That flavoring."
"It tastes like liniment!"
These last words made everyone in the audience laugh, except for the girl's relatives. She breathed deeper and deeper, she was now having a kind of panic attack, her worst nightmare unfolding in front of her eyes. All these people were laughing at her, she had dared to miss Mary's cake, and to top it all Gilbert and Winifred were witness to it. Could the situation get any worse? Yet this morning everything was so perfect, how could everything have gone so wrong so quickly?
Anne could no longer stay under this marquee, she had to leave, she was suffocating, and she didn't want to hear any more laughter or judgments. So she simply started running outside.
Marilla and Matthew looked at each other, sorry for their Anne, she didn't deserve this, and she had so much put her heart in it. But they didn't even have time to react, they saw Gilbert let go of Winifred's arm to run after the young redhead. Everyone looked at each other, they were not really surprised by the young man's gesture, but the only person who wasn't expecting it was a certain blonde.