Anne had another evening to herself. Gilbert was out on a call, Susan was resting. It was not often that Anne found herself lonely, but of late it had become an increasingly familiar feeling. Her housework was all done, not that there was much since all the children left home. Anne laughed to herself, thinking how Gilbert described how she was experiencing classic symtoms of 'empty nest syndrome'. That's exactly what it was. She missed the company of youth, her own children and the many callers that had come to visit them. Her own friends were either far away, or getting on in years. She needed a hobby...maybe she should try writing again. She put another log on the fire and sat back in the easy chair, basking in the warmth and glow, a welcome sight on this cold frosty winter night. She hoped Gilbert wouldn't be kept out too late. Since Jem's problems he had reverted to running his practice single handedly. It had been tough on both of them, but Jem had been steadily improving, especially since Jem Junior's arrival, hopefully soon he would be able to rejoin his father and take some of the workload off Gilbert.
Anne's thoughts were interupted by a knocking on the verenda door. She glanced at the mantle clock - eight-thirty- who on earth would be calling at this time on a night like this, she wondered as she rose from the chair to answer. She opened the door to find a young girl standing shivering in the bitter air, suitcase in hand and a worried forlorn look on her face.
"Hello," Anne said, surveying the stranger, "can I help you?"
"Um...h - hello." The girl stammered, looking even more worried. "Are you Mrs Blythe?"
Anne nodded in confirmation.
"D - does Susan Baker live here? The man in the store said she did."
"Yes she does.." Anne's curiousity levels grew - why was this child asking for Susan.
"Is she here, please?" The girl asked.
"Susan hasn't been well of late, she's resting at the moment." Anne saw the girls face fall, she looked close to tears. Feeling sorry for her Anne added, "Why don't you come in and I'll tell her you're here. Sorry, I didn't catch your name..."
"Oh, forgive my rudeness! I'm Emily Watters. Susan is my great-aunt."
"Yes, Susan talked about you!" Anne exclaimed. "She was just saying no time ago how she regretted not seeing more of you and your mother, but then you moved to Vancouver didn't you?"
"We moved around a lot, I haven't seen Auntie Susan since I was five."
"Well she will be absolutely delighted to see you again." Anne said, taking the case off Emily and motioning her to sit in front of the fire.
Emily took off her hat, unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and handed them to Anne along with her coat. The fire was welcoming, as was the house, but Emily had to talk to her aunt desperately. "When will I be able to see Auntie Susan?" she asked.
"I'll go now and tell her you're here."
Susan wasn't too long in getting up, overwhelmed by the prospect of seeing a long lost living relation. After greeting each other, Susan and Emily sat down in opposite chairs aroung the hearth, Anne hurried into the kitchen to make tea, physically forcing herself not to listen to their conversation even though every bone in her body was urging her to. She couldn't; Gilbert would disapprove strongly! To distract herself Anne thought about Emily. She was a tall willowy girl, with delicate features and pale ash blonde hair hanging in a plait down her back. She was very pretty; if you looked at her and Susan together you definately wouldn't see a family resemblance! This made Anne laugh, and she was still laughing when Gilbert walked in the side door to the kitchen.
"Laughing to yourself, Anne-girl? First sign of madness!"
"Well if that was the case I would have been declared clinically insane years ago!" This made Anne chuckle harder, pushing Gilbert away as he tried to give her a kiss on the cheek. "You're freezing!" she said.
"It certainly is a cold one tonight." Gilbert replied, munching on an apple puff. "Hopefully I'll have no more call out's, I could do with a night in my bed...with a beautiful red head beside me!" he added, grabbing her around the waist.
"Stop that! We have company." Anne nodded towards the living room door.
"Who is it?"
"Susan's great niece. She just turned up wanting to speak to Susan. She seemed quite upset."
"What are they talking about?"
"I don't know. I'm making tea...I left them alone."
"What? Did you not even try to listen at the door?" Gilbert was shocked.
"No I did not! I'm not the mad eavesdropper you always try to make out! What are you doing?" Anne asked as Gilbert made his way over to the door separating the kitchen from the living room.
"Shhh. I'm trying to listen." Gilbert said with a grin.
Anne glared at him, she wanted to admonish him, but...
"What's going on?" she asked excitedly.
"Ha!" said Gilbert laughing, "you're dying to know. I knew you wouldn't hold out!"
"Make yourself useful." Anne scowled, thrusting the tea tray into his hands. She walked into the living room in front of him.
"Here's the tea." she said looking at the two women. "Emily, this is my husband Dr Blythe, Gilbert, this is Susan's niece, Emily Watters."
"Hello." Gilbert said, unable to shake hands with her due to the tea tray. Emily smiled back in response.
"Everything alright?" Anne asked seeing the troubled look on their faces. At this point Emily burst into tears.
"Oh, whatever's the matter?" Anne rushed over and hugged Emily who was trying her best to contain her tears.
"Emily, I am sorry. But you can see for yourself the situation." Susan said gruffly.
"What situation?" Gilbert asked.
"Well Dr Dear," Susan began to explain, "Emily has come to me in a bit of a pickle. You see, her father recently passed away, and as you know my niece Gloria, her mother, passed over some years ago. Emily is an only child and it would appear that I am her only living relative. Since she is not yet of age, being only seventeen, Emily had hoped that I could take her in and look after her. I have told her of my situation, not being well and unable to work. I am living here only because of your kindness and goodwill."
Anne and Gilbert looked at each other in shock. Gilbert was the first to recover.
"Susan Baker, how dare you!" he almost shouted. "Kindness and goodwill?"
Susan nodded. Emily was afraid she had upset things for Susan.
"Susan," Anne said, taking the older woman's hand's in her own, "you're not here because of kindness...you're part of our family...where else would you be?"
A few drops formed in Susan's eye's, she hastily wiped them away having never been one to show much emotion.
"And since you're part of our family, so is Emily. We'd love for you to stay here with us, wouldn't we Gilbert?" Anne said.
"Of course we would." Gilbert answered. "It would give you a chance to get to know Susan again."
"Yes, and you'd be company for me. I get lonely when Gilbert's out on call's. I miss having someone young about, with my own children all away." Anne added. "Please, we have plenty of room, and whatever Susan thinks it's as much her home as anyone's."
Emily looked over at her aunt, unsure of what to say.
"If Mrs Dr Dear is happy for you to stay, then so am I. But I won't have you a burden to anyone, you'll earn your keep."
"Oh, I will. Thank you Mrs Blythe, Dr Blythe." Emily cried, hugging Anne tightly.
"Good, that's settled." Gilbert said satisfied. "And Susan," he added shaking his finger at her, "no more nonsense about goodwill or I'll have to throw you out!"
Emily settled into Ingleside like she'd always been there and proved to be a blessing for Anne, helping take care of Susan and keeping Anne entertained with delightful stories about all the different places she had lived in.
"She's smart as a whippet." Anne remarked to Gilbert one evening.
"Pity she didn't get a chance of an education. All that moving around disrupted her." Gilbert peered at Anne over his glasses. "Come on Anne, spit it out, I know when you're wanting to say something."
"Well..." Anne started, "I was thinking..."
"Always a dangerous thing." Gilbert muttered.
"I was thinking," Anne continued, throwing him a disgusted look, "I should put my B.A. to good use...maybe teach Emily at home enough for her to sit the Queen's entrance exam. What do you think? We could help her get her teacher's licence. She'd never have to depend on anyone then."
"Good idea." Gilbert said, noticing the excited flush on Anne's face, delighted that something had installed so much passion in her. "Do you think she could be ready for this year's exam? It's only a few month's away."
"Oh, I think so...if we start now. I'll ask Emily and see what she thinks...I wanted to run it by you first."
"Ask my permission?" Gilbert joked.
"No, I planned to do it anyway, but I have to let you think you're in charge sometimes!" Anne chuckled as she left the room.
Emily proved to be a willing and able student, and Anne had lost none of her teaching skills, so when the Queens pass list came out, Emily passed with flying colours, a very respectable seventh out of over two hundred scholars.
"We'll have to have a good summer before you leave." Anne told Emily. "Shirley will be home, at least you'll have someone near your own age to go to party's and social event's with."
"I wonder what your children will think of me," Emily said quietly, "especially Shirley. I know he's Susan's favourite." Emily knew all about Anne's children. They had spent many an evening looking through snapshots and photographs with Anne regaling her with tales of their childhood.
"They'll love you." Anne assured her. "Jem and Faith already do. It's been a long time since we've all been together," Anne said sadly, "hopefully we can have a little reunion...and introduction...this summer."