Chapter 6

On the morning of his wedding, Gilbert strode nervously around the brown cottage, moving furniture this way and that to get the best effect- only to move it back again moments later. He walked again to the bedroom they would be sharing that night, pausing anxiously to look around the room. He smoothed the large quilt his mother had insisted on sending with him two and a half years ago, uneasily looking over at the small iron bed that Mrs Whitley had unearthed from the attic. He and Anne had already had several 'discussions' over the other taking the larger bed- and Gilbert was startled to find that her voice had not even raised once. It was only later that he realised that she knew she had won before the argument even took place- so she simply didn't bother to fight hard. He would take the larger bed, and in turn, he had found a small screen that would give her bed some privacy- as well as his own, he thought with some chagrin. Had she warm enough bedding to be comfortable here?

Mrs Whitley had inspected the house the day before, taking inventory of everything that was in the cottage. He could say with certainty that they had two saucepans, a frying pan and mismatched cutlery enough for five people. There were five glasses, three mugs, and a chopping board, four yellow bowls, four brown dinner plates and a set of wooden spoons. Every piece of linen had been itemized, as had the kettle and toasting rack. As the list had grown, he had swallowed nervously. It was a paltry enough beginning for them- compared to what a newlywed couple should expect to begin with, at least. Apparently, it had been furnished and used by Mrs Whitley's sister, although she had not been to stay for several years.

Gilbert shook himself now, trying to be practical. It was enough- they could keep warm, clean, and put food on the table.

(Items checked off next: 1 brown table, 1 black chair with cushion, 2 wooden stools and a wicker dining room chair.)

When all was ready in the house, Gilbert sat down nervously to wait. Jo would collect him at half-past ten. The wedding service was set for eleven, to be followed by an intimate luncheon at the house- or so Priscilla had informed him. He had attempted to have his last breakfast in the boarding house, however, he'd found himself unable to swallow a thing. He supposed every groom was nervous on his wedding day.

Gilbert swallowed, thinking of the look on Anne's face when he had said goodbye to her the previous afternoon. There was a part of him that had gone on tiptoe before her- so afraid that she would tell him she had changed her mind. She hadn't, though. She'd been pale- she'd allowed him to take her hand, and nodded when he told her he would see her in the morning. She'd even smiled a little when he pointed out that they could hardly be accused of eloping- all the proper ceremonies would take place, including a rather stern chaperone in Aunt Jimsie, who insisted that Gilbert not be allowed to see Anne the evening before the wedding.

Gilbert hadn't minded. The older woman had been a source of strength for Anne that week, talking to her calmly and practically, and making her smile with tales of her own wedding. She had given him a basic list of groceries to stock the pantry with as well- the previous afternoon he had arrived home with full baskets that the store had loaned him, looking in consternation at the way it hardly filled the small cupboards. Guiltily, he put the baskets away, hoping that he had enough at least to feed the two of them on Sunday. They could see to the rest after the weekend.

When the two men arrived at Patty's Place early, Gilbert had expected to find the living room just the way he had the day before- and he stepped inside in shock. Priscilla was just putting the finishing touches on the room now and turned to beam at the bridegroom. The furniture had been moved back leaving the centre of the room clear; the fire crackled in the grate, its wooden mantelpiece now decorated with winter-blooming flowers and ivy. He noticed that the heavy winter drapes had been pulled back, and every surface shone.

"It looks like a different room," he said wonderingly.

"And so it should," Priscilla said. "We've been up scrubbing since dawn."

Gilbert shook his head dumbly. "Priss- I- we can't thank you enough for what you've done for us- what you've done for Anne."

Priscilla smiled, coming close to adjust his tie, and looked critically at Gilbert's light grey suit. "Very nice, Gil. Anne will be pleased."

He swallowed nervously then. "How- how is she? Is she doing alright?"

She chuckled, scooping up the last of the flowers from the sofa. "She's fine- honestly, I think it's the calmest she's been all week."

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm glad one of us is."

Stella and her aunt came from the kitchen then, both attired in their best and covered with voluminous aprons as they carried plates through to the dining room. Jo had come in from caring for the horse, and within minutes he and the girls were seated in the living room talking. There was a step behind them then, and Gilbert's head turned quickly to meet Phil.

"And everyone is here!" she commented, her smile warmest for the young minister beside Gilbert. "I am glad- Anne was ready half an hour ago- she's growing nervous waiting in her room."

Gilbert was on his feet in an instant. "Why would she wait there? She could be down here with us instead."

Phil chuckled. "Because the bride is allowed to do as she pleases- and she said that it wouldn't be right to come down before we were getting started." She looked at him thoughtfully. "Will you be escorting her downstairs?"

Gilbert looked up at the staircase in dismay. "We- we didn't talk about it."

Phil settled herself in his seat cheekily, waving her hand. "Well, go on up now, Gil- she said that you might."

"She did?"

Phil gave a chuckle. "Yes. You're marrying her in half an hour, Gilbert. I'm sure we can all trust you to be in her room for a few minutes."

Gilbert turned from the room with a heated face, cringing as he heard Aunt Jimsie scolding her for being so flippant before the young reverend. He walked up the stairs warily, wondering if he would know which room was hers. There was, however, only one door which was closed- and no other room was blue.

He knocked on the door and heard Anne's soft voice bidding him enter. When she turned, the picture she made in her white dress would be branded on his memory for all time. A veil fell softly over red hair, not yet pulled over her face, and he smiled, seeing that she wore Matthew's pearls against a pretty lace collar. She picked up the train of her skirt, and his eyes wonderingly followed the long sleeves to the pretty puffs above them. There was a quizzical smile on her face, and she was silent while he studied her, her cheeks flushing at his evident approval.

"I actually look like a bride," she whispered, and he grinned in wonder, coming forward to take her hand.

"I- I can't- Anne, you're perfect," he stated, his face heating at his inept words. He chuckled, trying to pull himself together. "I mean- I just can't imagine you being more lovely- not even if we had years to plan this."

She smiled then, moving forward to touch the grey lapel of his suit. "You look very handsome, too." She was still for a moment, and wistful grey eyes turned to him. "Your parents would be so proud to see you like this. Although- perhaps not under these circumstances."

Gilbert ran his hand down her slender arm, his hazel eyes yearning. "Anne, I don't want us to dwell on that today," he whispered. "I know that sounds selfish- but this is our wedding day. Ours, Anne." He could see tears brimming in her eyes, and his finger stroked her cheek. "In years to come, I want to be able to tell our family that this was a good day. The consequences- they aren't going anywhere. It's going to be hard when word gets out- and it will be hard on our families to learn that they missed this. We can't do anything about that yet. But for today, I want to celebrate. I want to remember this."

He blinked as her fingers closed slightly around his. "I suppose- it will be our only wedding," she acknowledged quietly, and he smiled at the slight sparkle in her eyes. He took her other hand as well, pausing to look appreciatively at her slender form.

"Marilla and my parents will want to know everything at Christmas," he slyly commented. "What we wore, what we did, the ceremony- and since you are by far the better storyteller-"

Anne smiled up at him. "I could write our story for them."

"I'd like to read it if you do," he admitted softly.

There was a moment of silence, and when her eyes came up to meet his, he raised his hand to tenderly tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "Gil?"

He had been distracted by the feel of her silky curls between his fingers, and his eyes were only pulled back to her own with her unexpected question.

"Would- you- kiss me?"

He froze, looking down into the eyes that held a hint of trepidation in their now green depths. "We- we have to have our first kiss in front of everyone," she stuttered then, her cheeks pink with mortification. "I've never done it before."

Gilbert's mouth twitched, his hand tightening on hers involuntarily. "Neither have I," he admitted.

Anne pulled back, some of her confidence returning at his candour. "And what of Josie and Ruby, then?"

Gilbert frowned comically. "I beg your pardon?"

"Josie said that you were twelve when you kissed her."

"When I was twelve I was in Alberta," he said, amused. "Next?"

"Oh- Ruby- Ruby said she kissed you while we were at Queens. At the winter dance, I think," Anne said feebly. "I didn't imagine that she would fabricate something like that."

He smiled, amused that this was how they would spend the last moments before their wedding. "Oh, she didn't make up the kiss- but she kissed Charlie at the winter dance. By accident. I went there with her, alright- but she grabbed the wrong man when we were walking the girls back to their boarding house."

Anne blinked up at her bridegroom in shock. "Did she think it was you?"

He grinned wickedly. "Well, not after Charlie told her off for being too forward about it- said if she'd wanted him, the least she could do was to be nicer to his mother."

Anne merely gaped at him. "Then why would she say that it was you?"

"Would you admit to your first real kiss being with Charlie Sloane?"

Anne began to laugh, her cheeks pink. "Well, no. I feel badly enough that he was my first in-person proposal."

It was Gilbert's turn to look dumbfounded. "He was?"

Anne's face blanched guiltily. "Oh. I thought you would have heard about that from him. It didn't go so well."

Gilbert shook his head expressively. "Obviously. You'll need to tell me the story sometime."

Anne grinned wickedly. "Well, Billy Andrews was technically my first proposal. Perhaps I should start there."

Poor Gilbert looked vaguely aghast at this new revelation. "Right. Well, I suppose we can enter this marriage with all skeletons exposed, at least."

Anne chuckled. "I suppose so. Oh, poor Ruby."

Gilbert grinned. "I don't think she ever forgave me for switching places, really. Frank Stockley helped to soothe some ruffled feathers though- and he was only too happy to take my place with her after that, I can tell you. I wasn't sorry," he admitted frankly. "I was always told that it was meant to mean something when you kissed someone."

Anne had forgotten some of the tension of the moment and then looked up to catch his eyes. "So you really haven't ever-"

He only shook his head, longing twisting in his stomach- didn't she understand yet that he'd only wanted her? He watched her eyes fall to his mouth, and his breathing accelerated. One day he'd be able to tell her everything. One day soon, he promised himself. He moved closer to her now, and her shaking hands flew between them, grasping his shirt by instinct. He met her feverishly bright eyes for one moment, and he bent to press a breathless and tender kiss on her lips as every boy he had ever been roared in silent triumph.

Anne's ability to think utterly dissolved as soon as she felt his warm lips on hers. His mouth was so much softer than she would have thought, his warmth sending a tremor straight through her body. When he pulled away after a moment, she looked at him in shock.

"Anne, honey, breathe-"

She drew in a breath in a small gasp, her cheeks heating as her fingers tightened on his clothing. "Oh- th- thank you- I- I err-"

Gilbert's eyebrows flew up in consternation. "Wasn't that- was that bad?"

She seemed to catch her breath properly then and shook her red head with a blush. "No- it was- very nice- I mean, it was- nice."

His hand ran down her arm unthinkingly, and he nodded, nonplussed. "So we just do it like that, then?"

Anne's eyes were huge. "You want to do that again?"

Gilbert frowned. "You mean in the wedding?"

"Oh! Oh, yes. At our wedding. Well, we should, we're getting married-" Anne began to babble, and he couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the conversation. Without thought he pulled her into a hug, and kissed the top of her head, smiling when her arms tentatively came around his waist. She pulled away after a moment, her cheeks still pink. "I suppose this is why most people practice before the wedding," she muttered sheepishly.

Gilbert grinned, somehow standing taller. "Eh, so we're jumping a few steps today. We've always been precocious. We didn't talk for five years- then we were best friends for nearly four- we certainly can't say that we don't know each other."

Anne chuckled. "And what comes next for us, Mr Blythe?"

Gilbert stroked her soft cheek in his hand, smiling at the way it instantly heated. "And now we slow things down a bit, and see where the road takes us."

Anne nodded, and she bent down to pick a winter-white bouquet from her bed. She saw Gilbert's look of surprise and smiled. "The girls insisted on having flowers. Queen Anne's Lace- Phil chose that one for obvious reasons. Stella liked the gardenias- and Prissy chose the white narcissus."

Gilbert reached out to touch the soft petals. "And who chose the white roses?"

"I did," she admitted without looking at him, turning the flowers so that the pink ribbon tying them together showed. "You once told me that you liked them best."

He looked at her, dumbfounded. "When?"

"When I first took you to Hester Gray's garden," she said quietly, and he looked at her for long moments in wonder. He swallowed hard and took her other hand in his.

"I- I do. They remind me of this," he admitted slowly, tracing his finger on the skin of her slender wrist.

At his tenderness, Anne made an effort to clamp down the emotions bubbling up inside, not yet willing to examine the closeness between them that could be no ordinary friendship. She stepped away from him shyly then, glancing at the bags and boxes waiting to go to her new home.

"Suppose we go and get married now," she said in a soft voice, and suddenly his hazel eyes begin to twinkle.

"I don't know what to say, Miss Shirley; that's quite forward of you-"

"Gilbert-"

"And if you want me, then the least you could do is to be nicer to my mother-"

She laughed at him then, aiming a light smack on his one good arm. "I'm in already in a wedding dress, and you are dressed so nicely, so it doesn't seem like that much of a stretch- besides, you said that your mother adored me."

"She does. Many do." He smiled, offering his arm to his bride to be. As she placed her hand in the crook of his arm, grey eyes met hazel, and he looked at her for a long moment. "We'll do this together, won't we?"

Anne smiled, feeling more at peace at this moment than she been had all week.

"Together."

There was no great fanfare to announce the bride and groom entering the living room, and yet all stood as Gilbert proudly escorted Anne down the stairs. The grey day outside had no bearing on the warm and intimate space within, and as Gilbert turned to ask Jo something Anne looked around the room in contentment. The fragrance of the flowers, the warm fire- the girls in their best, talking together happily. She caught Gilbert's eye and smiled. She had to admit that her groom was every bit as handsome as she had once dreamed he would be; and as she watched the two men talking about the ceremony to come, she admired the set of his jaw, the sturdy breadth of his shoulders. She drew in a breath of relief. Gilbert was right; somehow, they would survive this together.

There was a knock at the door then, and all in the house looked at each other in sudden panic, until Gilbert turned to Anne apologetically.

"It's alright- Jo suggested that it would be a good idea to have someone outside Patty's Place to be a witness, preferably a Redmond student. I picked the one fellow I knew I could trust to not say anything until we were ready to."

Anne turned in shock to see Priscilla open up the door, and a sheepish Moody Spurgeon-Macpherson stood on the doorstep with a neatly wrapped gift in one hand. He stepped inside, removing his cap. Anne felt Gilbert come to her side, his hand slipping into hers as he came toward the couple. Gilbert made a faint sound as Anne squeezed his hand much harder than she needed to in her anxiety.

Moody cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Anne, Gilbert explained everything- although I was a bit worried that he was pulling my leg, at first," he said feebly. "It seemed like a good prank to me."

Anne couldn't help but chuckle at her old school friend, her shoulders losing some of their tension. "If it is, it is the most elaborate joke ever told," she said dryly. "Thank you, Moody. You do understand-"

"That under no circumstances is anyone to know just yet," he finished, his tone solemn. "And especially not at home. Oh, and Charlie can't say anything, even if he does find out."

Anne froze. "You mean- he doesn't know anything?"

Gilbert turned to her with an impish look. "Nope. I forgot to tell you- he's been sick since Monday- and you know he would have demanded an explanation from me if he'd heard anything, sick or not."

Anne gaped at him. "But Professor Hallett went to see him-"

"And yet the good fellow didn't have the imagination to ask himself why," Gilbert said smugly.

Moody shrugged. "He thought it was because he is a student representative. You know Charlie- he thinks the position is second only to parliament. Anyhow, apparently he's got the measles- the doctor said he can't physically write till he's sure of not infecting anyone. I had to telegram his parents to say that he won't be home until the day before Christmas."

Anne turned to Gilbert guiltily. "I shouldn't be happy about that-"

He half-smiled. "And yet it means that we can tell our families in person in a fortnight- I wasn't looking forward to us writing that letter."

"Nor I."

Moody scratched his nose dolefully. "Personally, I think it's all rather romantic," he said, astounding the young couple to no end.

Jo cleared his throat then, and all eyes turned toward him, his voice showing his good humour. "Anne, Gilbert, now that we are all here, shall we get started?"

The couple looked at each other, and Gilbert simply waited. Anne bravely smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with humour and something unknown in their grey-green depths. "Yes. Let's get started."

Phil, who would act as Anne's bridesmaid moved them to stand before the fireplace, where Gog and Magog stood watch over them. Anne' hands shook slightly as she took up her bouquet, until Gilbert took her hand, nudging her.

She drew in a deep breath, for just a moment allowing him to see her fear. "Together?" she asked so that only he could hear her, and he gave her a gentle look as he nodded.

"Just like we planned. Together."

The short ceremony seemed to take no time at all- Jo's deep voice led them through the words, interrupted by little sobs and ahhh's from the girls and Aunt Jimsie behind them. Moody stood ramrod straight beside Gilbert, his beady blue eyes on Jo, yet with something in them that said that Gilbert's trust was justified.

Gilbert turned to Anne to see her handing her flowers to Phil and took both of her hands in his as he recited the vows. When he had repeated them, and before Jo could turn to Anne for her own vows Gilbert suddenly spoke up again.

"I promise to try and make you smile," he blurted out, making Anne look up at him in shock. "I'll say that I'm sorry if I hurt you. I won't betray you- I won't leave you- and I promise that I will do everything I can to make your dreams come true."

Jo startled them with his gentle chuckle. "Well said. Anne, do you have anything you wish to say first?"

Anne's cheeks were bright red, and she looked up at the person who seemed to know her better than anyone. "I will lose my temper," she offered reluctantly, making Gilbert and the others grin. "I will be frustrating, and red-headed- but I'll say that I'm sorry afterwards. And I won't ever- ever stand in the way of your dreams."

There was a silence then, and Jo cleared his throat, leading Anne through the vows and smiling as Gilbert placed the slender golden wedding band on her finger. Aunt Jimsie was now sobbing into her lavender handkerchief, and there was a look of sunlight on the groom's face that had Stella poking Priscilla in the ribs in glee. When Jo was done, he closed his brand new order of service book and bowed his head, a beautifully worded wedding prayer falling from his lips that made Anne thrill inside. When he was done, Jo began the benediction, and she looked up at Gilbert, her breath suddenly taken away at the sheer happiness on his face. She looked down at her ring in some shock, to hear Jo saying-

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Gilbert, you may kiss your bride."

Remembering their shaky first kiss only a short time ago, Anne's eyes twinkled slyly. Gilbert grinned at her, and with only six people to witness their second, his hands cupped her cheeks and he pressed his lips to hers as the girls and a surprisingly jovial Moody whooped and clapped. He pulled away with a grin in the uproar, his voice low so that only Anne could hear. "Hmm. I think it was even better the second time."

Her cheeks were a fiery red, and she elbowed him before the girls descended on them, leaving Aunt Jimsie to congratulate Jonas on officiating his second wedding and to introduce young Moody to him as a hopeful ministerial candidate.

As Phil pulled Gilbert into a hug, Priscilla beamed at Anne.

"Mrs Gilbert Blythe," she said, satisfied. "Congratulations, sweetie."

Anne chuckled. "It's a lot to get used to," she said softly.

"You have plenty of time, now," Priscilla reminded her. "Now, come on, Anne, Aunt Jimsie has made us all quite the feast to celebrate."

This, it turned out, was quite the understatement. Little iced cakes, ribbon sandwiches and pastries, a beautifully jointed and carved chicken with salads, and a small wedding cake that took pride of place on the tea table. Over the luncheon, the talk between the eight of them ranged far and wide, and Anne found herself relaxing at what must have been the simplest wedding in all history. Aunt Jimsie scolded Phil for her levity before Jonas, who had only chuckled at her bright chatter. Stella and Priscilla joked and teased the shy Moody into coming out of his shell, and the discussion then turned then to what the next few weeks would look like for the new households.

Priscilla would be moving into Anne's blue room the following day. She teased Stella that she could finally do her morning exercises without someone scoffing at her- and Stella, in turn, could sleep until the very last minute each morning. There was a small twinge of hurt in Anne at the thought of relinquishing her pretty room, until she felt Gilbert bump her shoulder, his look mischievous.

"You'll have to figure out how to make our room pretty," he said in an undertone. "I tried- I even put flowers in it- but it still looks like a cave."

Anne chuckled, trying to not show him her nerves about sharing a bedroom that night. "Who paints a ceiling brown?" she said, wonderingly.

Gilbert snorted. "The Whitley's, apparently. We'll need lamps in there even in the daytime."

"We'll be at college through the day," she reminded him softly.

He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Phil rising to her feet with a bossy ahem.

"There had to be at least one speech today- and I decided that it may as well be me," she said to the newlyweds cheekily. "While we wish that it wasn't necessary for you to leave us, Anne, we will always think of your Mushroom as an extension of Patty's Place."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Must you call it by that ridiculous name? Even in another language, it would be more respectable. Champignon Place, for example."

Anne chuckled. "You'll understand when you see it, dear. It is a very plain, very ordinary mushroom. Hopefully not poisonous."

"Ahem."

"Sorry, Phil," Stella muttered, her black eyes twinkling.

The girl with the brown curls scowled at the giggling girls before her. "As I said, your house is a part of our own- and we expect you to come every Friday night without fail- both of you. Gil, you're family now, just as Anne is," she said matter of factly, as the girls nodded behind her. "We'll be there for you both, and we'll do whatever we need to, to help. We believe in you both," she said simply. "And I simply cannot wait to see you make Hallett eat his words."

The room erupted in chuckles then, and everyone looked to Gilbert then, as Phil sat down. He took Anne's hand in his, giving her a loving look.

"Thank you all," he said to the others. "You made today beautiful for us- and we're thankful. And I'm sorry that I'm taking Anne away from you all," he said sheepishly. "The door to our Mushroom is always open- oh, unless it rains," he added brightly, turning to his wife. "It sticks in the rain, apparently. I'll need to fix that."

Gilbert's attempt at a speech ended with laughter, and the wedding cake was served with cups of tea. It was nearing two in the afternoon when Jonas said that he needed to be going, and he turned to the bride and groom, his father's horse and buggy being used to transport them to their home. Anne rose with the girls to move her belongings downstairs, the larger trunks already waiting in the foyer.

The work was completed quicker than Anne would have supposed- and as Gilbert helped Anne on with her heavy coat and hat, Moody and Jo loaded the last of the suitcases into the buggy. She turned to the women who had been her housemates, trying to control her tears. This, however, proved futile.

Gilbert stood at the gate, waiting for her to say goodbye to the girls. It was all very well to say that they would see them on Monday morning at Redmond- however, he had enough experience with women to know that emotions didn't respond well to logic. And so Gilbert waited patiently as she hugged them all, lingering to be held by Aunt Jimsie for long moments. When Anne stepped away from her though, she turned to him with a glint of determination in the grey eyes that he loved.

"Let's go home, Gil."

Something loosened in his chest then. It wasn't how he had pictured doing this. Their home wasn't what he wanted for her, and it might not all be perfect- gossip was sure to find them soon, and questions would be asked- they might earn the disappointment of their families, and the disapproval of their peers. He knew that he had a long road before him to earn her deepest love. But she placed her hand in his willingly now, and in her grey eyes he could see a confidence in the two of them- in him. He turned to help her into the buggy, and held her gloved hand in his securely when he sat down. Jo clicked the reins and they began to move, and he smiled at his bride.

"Let's go home."