She needed to be close to him. She couldn't go to his home, they'd be in even more trouble so where was the one place that was just theirs. Their haven, she could remember studying for hours with him, making oaths with him, if there was one place she could feel close to him without actually being with him it was Pixie's Orchard. She cut through the trees to already find someone there. "Gil?" She gasped. Upon seeing him.
"Anne." He said standing up from the fallen tree trunk. They stood quite separate for a few seconds just looking at each other. Tears filled her eyes and she leapt into his arms, he securely fixed them around her , both breathing in scents which had become so strange of late but as they held into each other those scents came back created the bond of familiarity again in the pair.
"How did you know I would come?" She asked him crying
"I didn't." he struggled with his words as new sensations ran through his veins... He had kissed this girl... He had kissed Anne. Every movement she made was felt and made him want to kiss her again. "I've come here every afternoon since we were parted hoping you would come too. It was the one place I knew we'd be safe."
He guided them onto the floor next to the fallen tree trunk his back against it she placed her arms around his middle her head snuggled into his chest. His arms wrapped around her.
"It was Marilla wasn't it? She's the reason you kept away."
He nodded gently "I so sorry Anne... it was so difficult... I didn't want to stay away... I've been aching for you... I broke my promise to you... I promised I would always be there for you and I couldn't be... please forgive me?" He said snuggling into her hair a quiver in his voice.
"There's nothing to forgive it wasn't your fault." She assured him. They remained still for a couple of minutes just holding each other close. "I missed you." She finally said.
"I was worried you hated me again." He said quietly letting go of her so she could sit beside him. "I longed to tell you. I missed you too."
"I thought I did hate you again, I thought you didn't care anymore.I can't believe you came here every afternoon." She said.
"At first I hoped you would come, I worked up the nerve to tell you here, in secret, what had happened. Then we would be friends again. But after the first month that hope was dashed so I came here just to be close to you, your memory, our memories."
"I followed you around school for a week. Why did you not respond?"
"It would have got back to Marilla and I didn't want you in anymore trouble then we were already in. It was painful just looking at you"
"And this afternoon?" she asked.
"I would say I'm sorry but I'm not. I should have waited for you to be a bit older. Perhaps even my beau." He said to her half ashamed of his forwardness.
"Well you always have been more forward then not with me. Remember our first hug?" she smiled.
His memory was perfect on this. "I wanted to kiss you that day too." He told her shyly. "I've always known how I feel for you." He sighed. "we're just so young! Had it been a couple of years from now..."
"Oh be gone with propriety" Anne said. Gilbert's arm went round her back "Tell me what you want?" She asked him turning her body towards him.
"I..." he wondered what he should say the truth would make her run away surely? But there was no other way of describing it "want you as my beau Anne." He told her more plainly then he expected.
"Then we shall." She said boldly.
"Anne, come on, think seriously, what will people say?" he asked her.
"why does everyone care so much about what other people say?" She said.
"Anne!" he smiled not quite believing his ears. "what are you saying?"
"Propriety is wrong.." she told him.
"Anne you're only 14..."
"You've already admitted to have felt this way since you were 13. What makes you think I can't have likewise feelings for you? And you're turning 17 in October, and I'll be turning 15 soon enough..." she returned.
"I would wait forever for you Anne." He told her quietly and sincerely. "But we have to wait Anne until its right for us to... we must, Marilla will hate me Anne if she even knew we were having this conversation, we can't risk it."
"So this afternoon wasn't real?" she asked him with disappointment in her voice.
"Of course it was, that's exactly how I feel for you. But we can't risk it Anne... just me and you then... playing friends... wanting more..." he trailed. "If Marilla ever lets me near you again."
Anne looked sheepish. "she'll come round after my temper tantrum I just had! When I found out she was the reason you were staying away... I may have ran off in temper...when we are together like this just the two of us can't I be...your beau?" She asked him quietly
"You're being awfully bold Miss Shirley and I don't mind telling you so." He said mocking the sentence she had first said "But yes please." He said smiling at her putting his arm around her. "My beau!" he said with the first bit of satisfaction he had felt in a long time.
Marilla wasn't above admitting when she was wrong. She'd done so several times to Anne since she came to green gables. But admitting she was wrong to a Blythe had always been more difficult... especially now it seemed the buck of Blythe-ness had passed from father to son and was now affecting her girl. But it must be done for Anne's sake. Anne after coming home last night had avoided eye contact and had swiftly eaten her food and retired to bed without muttering a word.
"you ought to apologise to that Blythe boy Marilla. He ain't done nothing wrong. I told you as much 3 months ago. Now you need to do it so Anne will be happy. She's not been the same without him."
Oh she hated it when Matthew was right. Even more so when it came to raising Anne.
She knocked on the door of the Blythe farm.. something she hadn't done since she was a teenager herself. When the door opened it had to be John who answered. "Marilla?" He questioned. " What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I've come to see your boy." She said.
"oh." He replied. In a soft voice which she was surprised could be heard from upstairs he called for Gilbert to come down. He left the room. Gilbert saw Marilla standing at the door, his demure changed his shoulders slump and his hand went into his pocket. The other hand lay a book his fingers marking his place. His head to the floor.
" Its came to my attention that Anne tried to dye her hair some time ago and you had stopped her." She waited to see if he would reply his head bowed she saw it move in a nod. "I understand when I came back you were comforting her over her hair." Again no reply but a nod. "I may have overreacted out of context... well Anne hasn't been the same since... and when she told me what happened that day I realised... well I was too harsh on you and I never let you explain. So I figured maybe you could start being friends again." He finally looked up his heart racing a smile came across his face. This was all the permission he needed. He ran out the door.
"Where did he go?" John asked re entering the room.
"I think I can safely say green gables." Marilla said. "Does he have a coat I'll take it up for him."
Gilbert felt his feet going faster and faster he couldn't stop himself. Their advancement in relationship status had to be kept a secret but no longer was their friendship forbidden; he had to be close to her . He saw her in the distance she was reading in the field Matthew a far off "Anne!" he called slowing his pace as he got closer. She turned and saw him. She looked confused for a moment. "Marilla..." he started but he didn't need to finish. She leapt at him hugging herself to him, his arm automatically wrapped around her "Anne..." he said cautiously "Matthew is..."
"Oh he won't mind and he won't tell Gil, I know he won't." He unwrapped his arms from around her.
"Oh I am so relieved." He told her. "I don't know if I could stay away another day longer."
"You would have had to!" Anne said laughing.
"At least we have the pretence of being friends now." He whispered as Matthew approached.
"Well I see Marilla has let you come back." He said quietly. "You're a good boy Gilbert, keep Anne smiling." Then he walked on.
"That must have been the first time he's spoken a word to me." Gilbert whispered to Anne.
"He likes you I can tell." Anne replied back. They took each other's hand while no one was looking and headed towards the house. They sat on their old chairs on the porch. It was only then Anne noticed the book in his hand.. "Ohhh care to share?" she said excited.
"Oh its just King Lear again." He said putting the book on the table.
"Oh how tragic!" Anne replied... she saw he was going to be quiet so she probed him opening the book "Strive to be interess'd; what can you say to draw A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak." She paused waiting for him to say something when he didn't she continued "Nothing, my lord." She quoted, looking at him. Gilbert smiled "Nothing!" "Nothing." She continued.
With this Gilbert jumped up strode across the porch and back again"Nothing will come of nothing: speak again." He said as regent as he could.
"Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more nor less." She quoted not looking at the text. The two knew the play so very well, the tragedy was one of their favourites.
"How, how, Cordelia!..." he paused a moment and started to laugh "Cordelia..." he repeated, he remembered how Anne had loved that name "You always wanted to be a Cordelia!" She threw a cushion at him which he prompted avoided. He turned back to the book. "mend your speech a little, Lest it may mar your fortunes."
He came over and shared the book with her so she could see the text, he sat next to her letting her move close, again the pretence of the book was perfect, Anne would need to be sitting closer to read a book... not that she needed it, this had been one of scenes they had chosen to recite at one of the concerts the school put on, everyone else had chosen Romeo and Juliet or Mid summer nights dream, but not this pair, the tragedy of King Lear was the only thing which would do! In turn everyone had said how different it had been, the two took it as a compliment,
"Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, loved me: I Return those duties back as are right fit, Obey you, love you, and most honour you. Why have my sisters husbands, if they say They love you all?..."
The two turned and saw Marilla come up the porch steps. She looked at the two friends She placed down Gilbert's jacket. Something had changed she was sure of it, but what it could have been she didn't know. She didn't dare try to find out on that day either. They both looked so relaxed playing out Shakespeare (again!) to each other reading together, her eyes flicked towards Anne whose eyes were sorrowful looking at Marilla. Marilla knew she hadn't quite been forgiven yet, so she went quietly inside. She stood by the door listening to the conversation.
Gilbert looked sadly at his companion. "Anne?" he said quietly to her. "She came and asked for my forgiveness, don't be proud, go in and make up."
"I have nothing to be sorry for." Anne said turning her head.
"Really?" Gilbert asked. "Nothing? Not even a temper tantrum?"
She huffed a little at him. "Anne come on, Marilla loves you, she was just trying to protect you." He said.
Marilla's mouth dropped a little. This boy was near on perfect. She had seen the way the separation had affected him first hand and now... She felt a little more awful for having separated them now.
"I don't need protecting Gil, not from you."
"But Marilla loves you Anne. Just use your imagination Anne, one day just think of your little girl going out with a boy almost 3 years older than her when she is still young, , how worried would you be that people might gossip."
"people are..." Anne started
"Have been around longer and have seen it all before." He told her sternly.
Marilla busied herself in the kitchen. Less than 30 seconds later Anne came through the door, Gilbert stood tentatively at the door keeping his distance back.
Marilla turned and looked at Anne, Anne's arms flung out in front of her wrapping her arms around Marilla. "Thank you for letting him come back" Anne said quietly.