LM Montgomery owns Anne of Green Gables. Margaret Mitchell owns some other characters. I own the characters you don't recognize from any stories you have read. And legal disclaimers are for the birds. Tweet Tweet.
Marybeth and Anne sat on Miss Cornelia's porch sewing on an overcast afternoon which threatened rain, but never delivered. The children were supposed to be playing something in Rainbow Valley, and she assigned her daughter Anna to minding Jomishie and she knew that Una was there keeping Anna company and Rilla Blythe was there, playing with Jomishie. Marybeth was pleased with the friendship that had formed between her shy, little Anna and shy little Una. At least, she didn't have to worry about them getting into trouble. However, trouble could take more than one form.
Miss Cornelia had taken a break from her needlework to fan herself in the heat, but Marybeth felt quite comfortable, and Anne never seemed to break a sweat.
Miss Cornelia and Marybeth had a cordial relationship, and neither would have hesitated to come to each others' aid, just like good neighbors would be expected to do. However, each secretly thought that they would not have sought each other out for friendship if fate had not caused them to be neighbors and mutual friends of Anne Blythe. Marybeth thought Miss Cornelia was an admirable, independent-minded woman with her own style. Miss Cornelia admired the way Marybeth ran her house and managed her children. However there was some barrier between them that neither tried to breach. They were content to be just good neighbors.
Miss Cornelia had watched Marybeth closely ever since she moved in. The incident with Mr. Meredith's commentary was still on her mind and she had not failed to notice that Marybeth had never attended church except for the Drew funeral. However, she was certain that Marybeth didn't attend the Methodist church, either. Miss Cornelia was determined to defer her judgement. Anne was no help, either. Miss Cornelia felt that Anne knew more about Marybeth than she wanted to divulge, and while Miss Cornelia could respect Anne's scruples about gossip, how else could Miss Cornelia decide what she thought about Marybeth?
"This pound cake was delicious, Miss Cornelia," Marybeth said, as she wiped her hands on a napkin before returing to her sewing. "The blackberries on topmade it something special."
Miss Cornelia couldn't help puffing up a little with pride. "Thank you, Mrs. Hamilton. The berries were from my very own bushes." She gave Marybeth a genuine smile. Whatever else she might be, Marybeth had impeccable manners.
Anne looked up, about to say something, when a sudden commotion in the yard drew their attention. The women looked up to see Una, Anna, Rilla and Jomishie scampering up the walk, all flushed and upset.
"Go ahead, ask," the girls were saying to Anna.
Anna shuffled up the walk, with the other girls behind her. When she got to Marybeth, she paused and looked down at her feet.
"Mama," Anna asked, timidly. She shuffled her feet, looked back at the girls, and continued, "Mama, the boys were playing at pirates. Then they had a duel." Anna paused before she continued, in a rush, "Then Una said there were no such things as duels anymore but I said there was so because Father had been in one, and I know this because I heard the older kids talking one day and isn't it true?" Anna stopped and took a deep breath.
Marybeth remained outwardly calm, but she dug her nails into her hand as the answer she rehearsed in her head in case of such an emergency came into her mind.
"Girls, " Marybeth said in a low voice," Dueling is an ugly thing. It is a fight to injury--or worse. It sounds very exciting in romantic when it's read of in a storybook, but in real life, it is horrible. Now. Go play something else."
The girls walked off reluctantly, their question unanswered. Marybeth looked up from her sewing to see both women looking at her. Anne's eyes were pitying, Cornelia's curious. Marybeth looked directly at Miss Cornelia, but couldn't stop blushing as she said, "My late husband defended my honor after it had been impugned. There was nothing romantic about it."
Miss Cornelia nodded, but said nothing as she resumed her sewing.
Later that night, as Marybeth tucked her into bed, Anna asked her mother again, if Father had been in a duel. Marybeth answered, "Yes, he was. However, that whole episode was a very sad one in our family. It's better if we don't talk about it again."