A/N: Just a clarification: the last chapter comes about three years after the first, which is the prologue. Sorry about the confusion. =) And I'm so sorry it took so long. I've been having major writer's block.

"Nan darling," exclaimed Anne, looking up from reading a letter, starry-eyed and flushed cheeks as of yore. "I have wonderful news!"

Nan, still thinking of her walk with Jerry, laughed. "I can see that, Mother," she said blithely. "What is it?"

"Di just wrote saying that she will be home by the end of this week, at about the same time Jem will be home from Redmond," replied Anne happily.

"Oh Mother, that's absolutely wonderful news!" Nan said excitedly. "I haven't seen Di since Walter and I visited Avonlea last month and I haven't seen Jem since Redmond opened!"

"Lets have a party, Mother!" begged Rilla, suddenly appearing in the doorway with Jack Frost in her arms. "With dancing!"

Nan laughed at her little sister fondly. "Since when have you been interested in dancing, baby sister?" she asked affectionately.

Rilla looked at her bright, pretty sister and sighed. She would always be a baby to them. "Since forever, Nan!" she said defiantly. "I'm practically thirteen, you know."

Nan laughed again. "I'll have you know I was almost sixteen when I attended my first dance last summer," she said, her eyes suddenly dreamy.

Anne smiled at her two daughters. "Well dears, I think this is reason enough to celebrate," she said. "Jem, Jerry, and Faith will be home from Redmond and Di from Avonlea, and your Rainbow Valley gang, Ingleside, and the Manse will be complete again!"

Nan woke up from her daydream. "Mother, Rilla's right. We should have a dance! We haven't had a formal dance in Ingleside yet. And," she added, turning to smile at her frowning sister, "I think Rilla and Shirley should attend this one."

Rilla looked at Nan gratefully. "Oh please, Mother, please?"

"After all, it will only be in Ingleside!" Nan added, her eyes sparkling.

Anne laughed. "Girls! I haven't decided on the party yet!" she said gaily. "I'll consult with Father and Susan. And I think this will be good for Walter. He's been too quiet lately."

"I can't wait to tell Carl about this!" Rilla said excitedly jumping up and down.

"We should have lots of men to dance with," Nan mused to herself frowning. "Walter should invite some of the people he met at Lowbridge, Jem may bring his friend Jack again…"

"Nan!" Rilla suddenly squealed. "What on earth shall we wear?"

Una Meredith was reading by the window seat when she saw a familiar tall figure walking down the lane. "Jerry?" she cried, running outside. "What in the world are you doing here?"

Jerry laughed and hugged his sister. "Am I not allowed to surprise my family every now and then?"

Una laughed too. "Did you just get here?" she asked, leading him to the house.

"No, I ran into Nan near Rainbow Valley and walked her home," he replied.

Una glanced sharply at him, sensing something different in his tone but she couldn't see much because of the dark. "She's doing a good job of teaching the Glen school," she said carefully.

"That's good," he said. Abruptly, he changed the subject. "How's everyone?"

Una decided to let this slide. "As fine as ever," she said. "Where is Faith?"

Jerry grinned. "She forgot to get her clearance for the next semester, so she'll be going home with Jem."

Una smiled. "I'm sure he doesn't mind."

Jerry shrugged. "How is Walter? I got an idea that he isn't well."

Una, thankful that the shadows hid her face, replied soberly, "He's been awfully quiet lately. I don't think he writes poetry much anymore and spends a lot of time alone in Rainbow Valley. I believe Di thinks it is just a melancholic phase every poet goes through but I'm not too sure about that."

Jerry frowned but spoke cheerfully. "Well, now that Jem and I will be here, we can snap him out of it."

They had reached the front door by then. "Father's in the study and Mother Rosemary is upstairs with Bruce," Una whispered. "Why don't you surprise Father first?"

Jerry grinned and went down the hall toward his father's study as Una went back to the window seat and picked up her book. However, she didn't read it. Instead, she sat looking toward Rainbow Valley until she spied a lone figure slowly making its way towards the brook. For a few minutes, she seemed to be debating with herself. Finally making up her mind, she carefully marked her book, arranged the pillows on the window seat, opened the door softly, and went out.

­­­­Walter gazed at the poem of a slender white birch tree against the black sky, a well-worn book carelessly thrown at his side, his gray eyes dark and unfathomable. He seemed to be keeping a tryst with the night.

Una would not have dared approach him if he did not sigh suddenly and deeply, breaking the reverie he seemed to be wrapped in. She noticed that he looked melancholy and despondent and so, gathered her courage and stepped forward resolutely.

"Walter?"

He turned around surprised and then he relaxed. He smiled, his handsome features heightened by the moonlight. "Hello, Una. What brings you here?" He tried to speak gaily but his voice sounded tired and strained.

Una sat beside him. "I saw you from the manse," she said, her blue eyes on the bubbling brook. She willed herself to look at him. "You're here every night."

Walter shrugged. "It's beautiful here," he said. He laughed a little upon seeing her serious face. "Don't look so sober. I don't mean to be a brooding poet. There's just 'more scope for imagination' in this valley than in Ingleside and I felt like being alone for awhile."

"Oh…" said Una, blushing in embarrassment. "I-I can leave then. I'm sorry." She made to stand up.

"No, no," he hastened to assure her, putting his hand on her wrist lightly. "I didn't mean it that way. And I certainly don't mind company if it's yours."

She felt a shiver run through her as he touched her wrist but ignored it and sat back down beside him. She studied him carefully out of the corner of her eye as he gazed at the birch once more, feeling as if he were in communion with things she could not see and yet, noting that he looked tired and pale. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"Are you… all right, Walter?" she finally asked hesitantly.

He turned to look at her with an expression that seemed to see her as part of the night's magic. "You look like a night nymph," he said dreamily. "A muse of the moonlight, dark and pale and delicate."

She blushed again, but did not say anything, feeling that if she did, she would break the spell the night had on him. Instead she followed his gaze to the birch tree, admiring the stark yet lyrical contrast of the white birch against the black night.