Hello again! I did laugh at people commenting so much on the cold in my story- can you tell that it's grey and wintery in Aus right now? My desk is chilly... I might need to rethink where I write before we get to A&G's summer. Thank you all for reviewing, it blesses me so much that you take the time to tell me what you think! You've made me smile so often- and I'm grateful for every reader and follower. You're all pretty used to me by now- so I think you can see that I've kind of given up on the idea of a SHORT chapter. Why fight my nature? And a little bonus that made me laugh: there's a tiny comment in this chapter that every Aussie should hear in an infamous politician's voice. Bonus points to you if you spot it...

Much love, Cate.

Chapter 17

The middle of February saw the Mushroom host its first party, and every surface appeared to be covered with people. The Patty's Place girls were the first to arrive with Jonas and Aunt Jimsie, bringing gifts to counteract the brownness of the landscape. Phil had found a handsome blue throw for the sofa, and darker blue cushions were scattered across it from Stella, Priss and Aunt Jimsie. Several of their classmates from various classes had been invited, sitting in front of the fire and talking with Gilbert about their coursework, and enjoying the supper Anne had prepared. She stood back with Aunt Jimsie in the kitchen, watching the merriment.

"It looks so homelike," Anne said softly. "I never imagined this place could become that for us."

The older woman smiled, as Phil's laugh sounded through the living room. "You'll be surprised how easily that is done, dear, even with a brown ceiling. Are you content here?"

Anne looked across to where Gilbert was laughing at something Timothy Peterson had just said, and she smiled. "I think we are. It's awkward at times, sometimes we get frustrated with each other- but he- he's my best friend."

Aunt Jimsie patted her hand, a knowing look on her kind face. "As your husband should be. Do mind that you come and see me when you need to, dear."

"You know that I do, Auntie."

The older woman looked at her curiously. There was as yet no consciousness on her young face- perhaps she was not yet ready for that conversation. Still, she remembered the long talks before the hurried wedding- they had some time. Although if the look on Anne's young husband's face was any indication, he was getting there swiftly.

Aunt Jimsie looked approvingly at the food that Anne had prepared, and behind her the tiny kitchen was in order, waiting for the rolls to come out of the oven. The older woman chuckled, seeing the housewifely care that sat on Anne's ivory brow, the careful way she moved to the stove to check them and make sure that the crown of pineapple doily was perfectly centred under the plate for service. Anne gave the lace a little pat, her eyes tender.

The previous day Anne and Gilbert had been summoned to their door by a courier, delivering several inconveniently large boxes. Gilbert paid the man with a mystified look on his face and carried them inside to the small table to meet Anne's wide-eyed gaze.

"Were you expecting something from home?"

Gilbert shook his head and opened the box with his pocket knife, beginning to laugh at the way the contents were packed so tightly. They were made up of many smaller parcels- wedding gifts, his mother's accompanying letter stated.

People kept dropping them by, dear- and we really couldn't bring them all with us in March. Marilla had been given some for the two of you as well, and we decided to send them off together. Do be careful with the smaller box, dear, it contains a jug from Aunt Mary Maria- who insisted on sending something, even though she was poisonously sweet about- (and I quote) "not being invited to her favourite great-nephew's wedding." Please warn Anne about her, Gilbert; she is threatening to visit this summer.

Anne looked up from a parcel from Diana, her big grey eyes brimming with tears. She showed Gilbert the intricate doilies she had sent, with the little note making her laugh.

I know that you won't have time to make a complement of these yet- just think of me as doing this in lieu of my bosom friend. These are some of the prettiest ones from my stash- I figured that you would need it, far away from your beloved woods. And in return, you can tell me all the things I don't know yet about sharing a house with a husband…

As they sorted through the boxes, Anne and Gilbert both realised that it was more than gifts being given; it was support that they desperately needed, and it was the blessing of home. Marilla sent braided mats she had been working on over the winter, Mrs Lynde some neatly embroidered pillowslips- with a careful note about how to launder them in the city air. The Harrison's remembered them, and a small parcel came from Jane, via the island- containing two more doilies and a short note of congratulation- with a demand for what for anyone else would call a 'Please Explain'.

Anne now carried the rolls out of the kitchen on the tray, smiling at the little homey touches around the room from their loved ones. Most of their classmates lived in boarding houses of varying degrees of comfort, and more than one set of eyes brightened at the warmth and noise of the little house. Jo had been invited as Gilbert had promised, and he sat now beside Phil, talking with Priscilla and one of Gilbert and Phil's mathematics classmates. She smiled, seeing that Phil had perched as close to him as she could- and how often Jo's green eyes were trained on her pretty friend, his wide smile evident as he watched her glowing face.

At ten o'clock precisely that night, Anne and Gilbert farewelled their guests, and Gilbert closed the door behind Charlie and one of the other boardinghouse fellows with a hefty sigh.

"Well, we did it! We entertained, and the Mushroom didn't burn down."

Anne chuckled, bending to scoop up some mugs from the table until Gilbert took them from her hands.

"Come on, cleaning up can wait until morning. It's been a long day."

Anne yawned. "True- although you must never tell anyone back home that I left it until tomorrow."

"I won't tell if you don't." Gilbert grinned as Anne paused to blow out the lamp in the sitting room. "You know, Mrs Blythe, I think we're getting the hang of this whole marriage thing."

It is universally known that a door that is hard to close, cannot easily be slammed. The frustration of the inability of a door to adequately convey- well, frustration cannot be underestimated, and it was for this reason that on a cold, winter's day in February, Gilbert could be found outside the house with his father's old plane and chisel, working on it off the veranda while he attempted to shave the inconvenient length. It was good, physical work that made his heart pound, and he doggedly tried to work off his fury so that he could talk to his wife calmly whenever she arrived home.

Gilbert's classes had been done by midday. He had told Anne that the team would be practising until two on the oval, thankfully free of snow for the past week. Anne had indicated that she wished to go to the market after her classes- and he was still in a fragile state from her hesitation in asking if they could extend their food budget a little, as they had run out of several staple ingredients at once. Her discomfort in asking had made him react with surprising emotion, and she had found her red head pressed against his shoulder as he promised her everything he had in his wallet. Luckily she had ended up laughing- pointing out cheekily that if this was to be his response, their distant children would be hopelessly spoiled. He had squeezed her hand as they left the house together, his eyes showing wry amusement. He wondered if she brought up their hypothetical family on purpose- since at any point the mere thought of them turned him into a puddle of mush. He was sure that he'd agree to anything then.

Of course, the day was not yet over.

That afternoon, he'd looked up from where the fellows were running laps around the oval and almost fell over his feet to see his wife standing near the grandstands- looking as if she would be anywhere rather than there, at that moment. He jogged over to where she stood, ignoring the catcalls from his team.

"I didn't know you planned to come here," he said cheerfully, coming to stand in front of her. Her cheeks flushed, and he couldn't help but notice the way her eyes flickered to his body. He felt oddly self-conscious in the soft jersey they practised in, his sleeves pushed above his elbows- and she certainly couldn't keep her eyes off them. "Anne? Do you need me?"

Anne chuckled, her cheeks still hot. "Yes. I- left my key on the bench this morning," she said in apology. "Mrs Whitley isn't at home, so I stowed our groceries behind the house- they should be safe until I can get back there. May I have yours?"

He grinned and began moving away immediately. "Of course. I'll be back in a moment." He saw the team coming around the bend and called back- "And don't let the fellows bother you. They're mostly harmless."

Anne hadn't seen the boys approach as she watched Gilbert go, and she turned to find them uncomfortably close, with big grins on their sweaty faces. She stepped back in shock, until Timothy pushed his way through, causing her to relax slightly.

"Mrs Anne Blythe! Always a pleasure to see you on our turf. They reinstated Gil today, you know. You're married to the captain again."

Anne blinked. "They did? Gilbert wasn't expecting them to do that. And you aren't sorry yourself?"

Timothy grinned. "Not a bit. Now it's not me who is responsible for these clowns. He can have it. Anne, do you know everyone here?"

She looked around at the ten or so faces surrounding her, wishing Phil was here to draw some attention away. "I don't believe so."

"Oh, you'll know the Juniors, at least. Simon and Andrew, history buffs, of course. You know Arthur and Francis from your own faculty- and the rest are scattered throughout the rest of Redmond. Bill is from the medical program, but he's only in his first year. He doesn't know much yet."

Anne nodded kindly, trying to keep the wariness from her eyes. Several fellows from the back moved forward then, causing her to step back again. She gave them a measured look, recognizing some of the men she had seen talking to Claire Hallett over recent weeks.

"Anne, is it?" one of the bolder young men asked.

She raised delicate eyebrows at his impertinence. Timothy, she knew and trusted- the others were a different kettle of fish.

"Surely you won't mind if we call you by your name as well- Mrs is such a new title for you, after all," his friend added slyly.

Anne drew herself up, her eyes glittering with fire. Timothy was quick to shove the fellow back, muttering at him to mind his tongue. He turned to Anne then to distract her. "Now, is Gilbert fetching something for you?"

She forced a smile. "Yes. I left my keys at home this morning."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence until they saw Gilbert approaching, and he came up to the group at a jog.

"Don't you have something better to do?" he asked the small crowd, and a few fellows reluctantly turned away. He turned back to Anne with a grin, not seeing the identical smirks on many of the boy's faces. Anne, however, did see them.

"I also wanted to let you know that I am heading to the library later this afternoon. The city library."

Gilbert nodded, wishing that the others would leave them- Anne was certainly uncomfortable about something. "Good. Are you able to search for a book for me?"

She nodded, and pulled a pen and notebook from her satchel, waiting under the watchful gaze of the team as he wrote down the title. "I'll be home later, Gilbert."

He stood upright again and forced a smile for propriety's sake. Feeling the multiple eyes on the back of his head, he nodded briskly. "I'll see you at home, sweetheart." He bent his head, intending to give her a swift kiss on the cheek, only to have her step away before he could touch her, her face pale as the team stared in fascination.

"I don't really think that's necessary, is it?" she said stiffly. She saw the flash of hurt in Gilbert's eyes as the shock rippled through the remaining men, and turned away sharply, writhing internally at the sound of raucous laughter breaking out behind her. She walked down the path she had come swiftly, cringing as he heard Gilbert bark sharply at the team to get back to their training. Furious tears began to fall at her own foolishness, and she broke into a run, still feeling the burn of Gilbert's disappointed gaze as she moved away from him.

It was nearing five in the afternoon when Anne came walking up the path to her home, her books weighing heavily in her hands. She stopped in astonishment at the sight before her. Gilbert stood in his shirtsleeves wrestling their door upright, surrounded by wood shavings and the tools he had thrown down. She walked through the gate hesitantly and placed her books on the step.

"Do you need my help?"

He didn't look at her immediately. "If you'd get on the other side to steady it. I need to slide it over the pins."

Anne moved quickly, her hands holding it steady as he strained to lift it higher. "I thought you weren't going to do this until the spring."

"Well, plans change." This was all he said until the door was upright, and he pulled it closed with a sigh of relief- and no screech. He moved back to the veranda to clean up, and Anne stood by foolishly, not knowing what to do. "It's cold out here. You might head inside and start the fire."

Internally Anne bristled at Gilbert's evident dismissal, however she supposed that she deserved it this time. The door closed behind her, and she shut her eyes briefly. Diana's teasing face suddenly popped into her mind, as she recalled a discussion from December.

"But it's so easy to manage them, dear. If Fred is ever angry at me, I simply throw my arms around him and tell him he's wonderful. It's not failed me yet."

Anne scowled as she knelt by the fireplace tossing kindling over the small flame. Gilbert would never be so easy to manipulate- she wouldn't respect him if he was. No, there was only one way through this mess now.

He came inside then, going to the pump to wash his hands. Anne looked across and cringed as he picked up the green cloth to dry them- on the tea towel again. In vain, last week she had shown him the difference between them- jade green for the tea towel, forest green for the hand towel. He'd just grinned and commented flippantly that green was green; if it mattered to her which was which, he would have to write on them. She'd rolled her eyes then- but reminding him right now wouldn't do them any favours.

"So do we talk about what happened today?"

Anne turned to see Gilbert leaning against the bench, his arms folded.

She swallowed. "I'm sorry, Gil."

"Why would you react to me that way? And in public, no less?"

The look of hurt on his face made her feel wretched, and her voice faltered. "Gilbert, they were watching us."

"So?"

When Anne appeared to be choked by her indignation, Gilbert exhaled, frustrated. "Anne, do you have any idea who the biggest gossips in the college are? Here's a hint- it's not Claire Hallett and her cronies. You just exposed us in front of them."

Her face paled, and she licked suddenly dry lips. "You can't tell me that your teammates are worse than a bunch of women."

"Where do you think those women get their information?" Gilbert asked grimly. "We have worked so hard to maintain the image that we were just impulsive all those months ago- and now they're back to asking me what's really going on with us. Was that what you wanted?"

Anne turned on him furiously. "You know it wasn't! They were standing all around staring at us, wanting to find out the latest gossip-"

"And thanks to you, they now have it," Gilbert said quietly. "We talked about this- we talked about the need to maintain appearances. Now I'm being asked if you were forced to marry me. If we even share a room, since you seem to dislike me so much."

Anne was almost speechless in shock. "From- from this afternoon?"

He folded his arms again, his voice remarkably even. "Anne, there's been gossip about us all along. You know that. We only barely got through that wretched newspaper debacle."

Anne was silent for long moments. "I embarrassed you, didn't I?"

He shrugged, his smile bitter. "Well, as a fellow there's nothing like being asked about how things are in the bedroom lately - and brushing off their comments only to have them see that your wife really doesn't want you to touch her."

Something about the blunt way he spoke cut Anne to the heart, and she flinched. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "I'm sorry," she spoke, her voice low. "I- I didn't think."

He got up then, his manner defeated. "Forget it- it'll pass. Look, may I have the bedroom for a while? I need a bath."

Anne nodded, her face pale. She moved to the stove to begin heating the water, and heard him moving things around in the bedroom. Out of sight of the room, she slumped down against the wall, hot tears sliding down her cheeks. In all this time, he'd not asked for much from her- and she had let him down in front of others. Her own sense of injury smarted, angry at the two of them for having to do what they were not ready for- and furious at herself for making such a big deal about it. How could she be expected to act normally when others were always watching?

The water came to a boil faster than she was ready for, and she clenched her fists, not wanting to call Gilbert. For a brief moment, Anne wanted to scream- there was really nowhere to hide in the Mushroom- no way to avoid each other completely. She didn't want to look at him and see her own failure- to see that she had disappointed him. Before she could talk herself out of it, she heard the kettle begin to whistle, and whisked herself outside before he entered the kitchen. She closed the newly silent door behind her and sat down on the step, her pride smarting unbearably. She watched the line of birds circling the nearby park as the sun began to set, and suddenly came out in a gooseflesh that had nothing to do with the chill in the air.

Well, what was she supposed to do now? She could hear him pumping more water in the kitchen, so he had obviously taken the pots off the stove- and now she was stuck outside sulking. Internally, she writhed. She could have been the bigger person and stayed, but no, she had to run away just like when they were children.

She would apologise- she'd had enough experience doing so. She shouldn't have stepped away before the others, she should have behaved normally- after all, he'd kissed her quite a few times since they had been married- and if she was to be completely honest, she had liked it. It was nothing to be afraid of.

Not that she was afraid.

Of course, the uneasiness inside told her that she was- and she didn't want to explore that at all.

When twenty long minutes had gone by, she gritted her teeth and got to her feet, shivering in the cold. She walked back into the house to find the bedroom door still shut, and she stood before it, radiating with tension.

"Gil?"

His gruff voice came back, through the door. "Yes?"

"I'm really sorry." There was a silence then, and she heard him sigh. "It was wrong of me to embarrass you in front of your friends."

Again, he was quiet for a time. "Alright."

Anne turned, sitting down against the door silently, simply waiting for him to respond.

"Does it frighten you when I touch you?"

She froze at his disembodied voice, wondering if this conversation was only possible with a door between them.

"No…"

There was silence for a moment. "You know, I'd prefer it if you sounded a little more sure about that."

Anne folded her arms, her eyes stormy. "Then I don't know how to answer you."

"Try."

Anne groaned, her head falling onto her knees. "Gil, I am trying here. But it's private."

"Anne, how are we meant to make this work if you won't talk to me about it?" his annoyed voice came, and she glared at the door.

"It makes me uncomfortable when others are observing us- I meant that what we do together is something private between us."

"Say that again?"

Anne huffed. "I mean that you touching me- or- or me t-" she froze, wanting to bit her tongue off at her unintended slip- and to pause to shake from her mind the image of her touching him. "Whatever we do together is private."

There was a heavy sigh, and she could almost see him rolling his eyes.

"Anne, I get that. But we've done nothing publicly to be worried about- especially not for a married couple."

She thumped her small fist against the wooden floor, her look stormy. "Look, I know that, Gil. I know how bad it looked."

There was silence for a time, and she dully thought it odd that she could hear no splashing. His voice was almost sharp then.

"I need to know why you looked so frightened of me today. Have you felt like that before?"

"Why is it important?" He did not answer her this time, and Anne sighed, the defeat filling her voice. "It's- we don't kiss each other all the time."

"That's because we agreed that when it was just us, we wouldn't move things faster until we were ready."

Unseen by her husband, Anne groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Being one thing here, and another out there- don't you find this confusing?"

There was a sudden chuckle that made her question his sanity for a moment. "You want to know if I'm confused?" he called out, belligerently. "I'm your husband. I share a bedroom with you- quite happily, by the way. I'm closer to you than I've ever been. You want us to take our time with everything else- and I agree with you. But out there you're holding back the way you used to with me, and we still have an image to protect- but I can't rush you, or pressure you, and I can't let myself get too close to you, either."

A shard of hurt went through Anne then, and she choked. "Why not?" she couldn't seem to keep herself from saying.

"Because then I'll want to be way too close to you! And we can't finish college if we do that!"

She got to her feet as his frustrated voice rose, tired of talking through a closed door. Her eyes were tightly screwed shut, and she ignored the yelp of surprise from her husband as she opened the door with a shove.

"And how are we meant to make sense of all of that?" she said furiously, clapping her hand over her eyes. "I don't know what to do out there."

"Well, you aren't the only one!"

Anne stormed her foot in frustration, blindly turning toward his voice. "Then what was I supposed to do? Did you want me to throw myself into your arms in front of the other men?"

Gilbert exhaled. "No. But it wasn't like I could warn you; 'hey, Anne, I'm about to kiss you, please don't duck,'- and you didn't have to react to a small kiss from your husband by stepping away in horror," he said angrily. "We've done it often enough in past months- even in front of my parents, and you've never done that. It was utterly humiliating."

"I didn't mean to do that to you!"

"You didn't see your face! And then to tell me off for it in front of them."

"And it was wrong of me!" she shot back, before she sighed, slumping back against the wall. "Gilbert, this doesn't come naturally to me," she mumbled. She heard a groan and the creak of his bed, and assumed he must have sat down.

"Anne, nothing about this is natural," Gilbert said, exhausted. "Nothing that happens outside these doors, anyway."

Anne fumbled her way to the floor then, feeling around her skirt to make sure she was tucked in. She frowned, her eyes still resolutely shut. "I don't understand."

"Anne, open your eyes, you goose."

She hesitated, only to get hit by a soft pair of woolen socks. She spluttered in indignation, opening her eyes to see Gilbert lounging on his bed, fully dressed. "You couldn't have told me that you had your clothes on?"

"You never gave me a chance," he retorted calmly, raising his hand to comb through his damp curls neatly. "You were too busy yelling."

Anne tossed the socks back with a scowl, her eyes softening slightly at his casually unbuttoned cuffs and collar, and the suspenders that for some reason made her want to smile.

"By the way, you know apologies are usually not shouted, right?"

"Oh!" Anne bounded to her feet and stalked to his bedside, raising both hands to mess up his wet hair despite laughing protests. "I would be better at apologising if you weren't acting like such a child!"

He grabbed her wrists, pulling her down to sit beside him, still chuckling. When they were still, he released her gently. "I'm sorry."

Anne scowled, twisting her braid over her shoulder. "No, it was me, this time. I reacted badly. I thought you were just showing off for them."

He sighed, falling backwards on the bed. "Oh, maybe I was, a bit," he said dully. "They used to make snide comments about the fact that I was everlastingly single- and then one day, I turn up married, with no explanation. The circumstances are suspicious enough without our behaviour confirming the 'desperately in love' story."

He looked up at her, startled to see a thoughtful look cross her face. He raised one eyebrow at her in question. "We can fix this, you know," she said candidly, a slight smile on her face.

Gilbert rose up on an elbow beside her, curious.

"Oh?"

"Of course. After all, women are supposedly changeable, aren't they?"

"The brilliance of your plan is still escaping me-"

Anne elbowed him. "If they ask again, you tell them that we had a fight- I was being redheaded about something- although I do trust you to not make fun of my hair to others-"

"Naturally-" he said dryly.

"And then I apologised and we made up tonight."

He sat up, amused. "So we're telling the truth, then?"

To his surprise, she sobered. "I suppose that is the reality, isn't it? We fight like any other married couple, and have to make it right."

"Just like we promised."

There was a lengthy silence, and Anne idly noticed that the room they now sat in was growing dark. "Things don't feel false in this house," she admitted suddenly.

Gilbert nudged her, his lips quirking up. "It's not. It's out there in the Redmond jungle we have to worry."

He looked over to see that she was chewing her lower lip, her eyes troubled. "I'm not afraid," she stated, her voice so quiet that he had to move closer to hear her. "Not exactly."

He shook his head, slipping off the bed to kneel in front of her, his hazel eyes troubled. "Again, you're sounding nowhere near sure enough for me. If you don't want me to-"

She refused to met his eyes then, however even in the dimness, he could see that her cheeks were reddening. She tucked a red curl behind her ear nervously. "Gil, please be quiet for a moment- this is hard to articulate." He sat back on his heels, and cocked an eyebrow at her as he waited. "I'm not afraid of what we've done- and while I doubt that your ego needs stroking, I- I liked it."

Gilbert's face flushed, and he watched her for a moment in confusion. "Then- I'm afraid that I don't understand."

Anne sighed, frustrated at her inability to explain herself properly. She closed her eyes, trying to marshal the thoughts swirling in her mind. "When we- when you and I kiss, or you touch me, it feels as if there is something under it- something deeper." She lifted her head, and hoped that the dimness hid the flush on her cheeks. "Did you ever go swimming in the ocean?"

Gilbert blinked. "Had enough of this subject then? Of course, I did- I was raised less than a mile from the ocean."

Her eyes were on his, pleading. "Well- were you ever standing in the sea and had the waves nudge you- but you didn't realise that the water was suddenly so much deeper, just inches from where you stood?" She saw him nod, and continued. "I did, once. The waves pulled me, and I found myself out of my depth, and not at all sure I could find my way back again. This- we- sometimes feel like that. I think I know where my feet are, and I have something to stand on- but sometimes you kiss me, and it feels like it's bigger- it's deeper than I think it is- and I do get afraid at that. It feels like a pulling- and I- I don't know how to begin to process that, especially when others are watching. Don't you feel that?"

Gilbert's eyes softened as he began to understand, and he cupped her face in his hands. "Of course, I do, sweetheart. But don't you think that should be there?" At her confusion, he sighed. "Anne, we started out as friends- best friends- who ended up in- well, let's face it, a marriage of convenience. But we never wanted to settle for just that, did we?"

She shook her head, her eyes troubled.

"That means we need whatever depth is down there." He stroked her cheek, a slight smile on his lean face. "Of course I feel it- I'd be terrified if I didn't. But maybe whatever lies underneath just isn't meant for now. You're jumping ahead too far."

A spark was in her eye then, and she glared at him. "I am trying not to."

He chuckled, and dropped his hands. "I know that. But perhaps it's enough to know that more is there- when we're ready to explore it together."

"So I need to stay terrified?"

He shook his head, his look tender. "We need to know that there's chemistry between us. I want you to have romance, and passion and adventure- I need those things too. You can't have them later on, without- without this, between us."

Anne scowled at him then. "So- you appear to have talked yourself around to being alright with the fact that I'm sometimes afraid when you kiss me."

"I did not!" Gilbert frowned comically, pleased to see her laugh, too. "It's just- I'm glad there's more. I don't want you to be scared of it any longer, though." He stroked the hair back from her forehead then, and gave her a quizzical smile. "We know it's there. But if you don't want me to do something, then I need you to tell me."

Anne looked into the hazel eyes that watched her so earnestly, and she nodded. At that, he stood up to pull her to her feet, and after a brief hesitation, he pulled her into his arms. She relaxed into him, and sighed.

"Gil? Can you forgive me for how I behaved, today?"

His smile was real, then as he held her. "'Course. And I promise that I won't surprise you like that again."

She shrugged as she pulled away, her cheeks red. "No, you were right. We'll never convince them if we don't change things. I'll just be ready next time. Speaking of the time- it's getting rather late. I'll go and get the supper started."

Gilbert watched her go, a disbelieving smile spreading across his handsome face. The other fellow's opinions couldn't really bother him, he finally realised. Not while she was living in the house with him: fighting with him, making up, and moving ahead, little by little.

Next time he'd just tell them to go jump off a bridge.

Two days later, the afternoon sunshine bore down on the Redmond courtyard, the air crisp and clear. Gilbert stood talking with the bulk of the football team, needing to organize practices leading up to their next game. Anne stood off to one side with Stella, her stomach in sudden knots of tension.

"Do you really need to warn him that we're coming for tea this afternoon?"

"Would you surprise a man with three extra females in a house as small as our Mushroom? I should at least warn him." Anne asked quietly, and Stella snorted with laughter.

"I suppose so."

Gilbert looked up then, his expression changing as soon as he spotted her. Anne reflected with a blush that she was probably the only one who could tell that he was rattled at seeing her, as he nodded at the team coolly. "Boys, I'll be back in a moment."

He walked toward his wife with a smile for Stella, and he reached out to clasp Anne's hand. "Did you need me?" he asked again.

Stella stepped away for a moment, and Anne cringed at the evident looks of interest in their direction. She shook her head and turned back to Gilbert with a hesitant smile. "The girls are going to come to the house for afternoon tea today- we plan to work on our essays for Philosophy together. We're going home via the bakery now and Jo will come to pick up the girls in the evening."

Gilbert grinned. "I might join you, if you all don't mind. I have an essay due on Friday."

Anne nodded, and there was a shy twinkle in her eye as she stepped closer to him, her hand still in his. "I suppose I should warn you not to duck, now," she whispered, and raised herself slightly to give her tall husband a chaste kiss on the lips, much to the amusement of those standing near the couple.

Gilbert had to choke down his laughter at her pink cheeks. "When you decide to make amends, you go all the way, don't you?" he muttered cheekily. "Thank you." He was unable to keep his chest from expanding with pride at her presence, even as he grinned. "Anne, you realise they all think that you're wrapped around my little finger, now."

Anne's smile was wicked. "Oh, Gilbert. I think they all know that you are the one wrapped around mine."

As she moved away with Stella, he couldn't shake the dreamy grin from his face. "You have no idea, sweetheart," he murmured, watching her slim figure walk down the pathway.