She hadn't deliberately followed them, they had as promised to stay in a public place they technical had, yet found the most secluded spot and there was no body around Barry's pond to see them. Their backs turned from the path looking towards the lake. You could if you were looking see them, but if not then you could easily miss them. Being a teacher it probably caught her eye easier. She picked up her skirt to hide the sound of her quietly making her way past.She wasn't sure but the hands which were closest to each other seemed to be in the others hand but she couldn't tell from the angle she was at. Anne was sitting with her back on the tree where Gilbert softly leaned towards her. His attention fully on his female companion listening to her chatter. In himself she'd never seen such a consistent smile on his face.
"...do you suppose?" Anne had asked him.
"I don't know. We can't well hide it forever can we? I think it would become more and more obvious at somewhere like Queens."
This made Miss Stacy interested she hid herself in a nearby lay by and listened to them talk.
"won't it be exciting to go and further ourselves? Do you suppose we'll go to college after?" Anne asked him dreamily.
"Unless we win some sort of scholarship I doubt we'd be able to go." He said practically.
"Oh but can't you dream you would go?" Anne implored.
"Oh I do, but I can't stay there... what if I don't achieve it? I'd be sorely disappointed if I let myself imagine how wonderful it would be and then ended up just being a farm boy."
Miss Stacy's face dropped. Poor boy. Imagine having to think that way so young.
She smiled a little when Anne replied "but you're smart if anyone was ever going to win a scholarship it would be you. Oh Gil, I could see you at a college."
"we need to get there first." He said. Miss Stacy smiled. Gilbert the practical thinker Anne the big dreamer.
"We'll need to focus at school." She replied. "Isn't lovely we shall be together though?"
"yes it is." He admitted "but we need to be serious about that too. We'll have to work twice as hard to keep this a secret. You are still only 14...We can't risk..."
"I know. I miss you though. I sometimes feel like we're living side by side but completely out of reach."
"Come on Anne we only hugged the other day round the back of school. Very risky. Anyone could have seen." He teased.
"don't you want me everyday?" she asked quietly
"of course I do." He paused. "Oh Anne! My sweetheart. If we spend anymore time together people WILL know we are together, Marilla will forbid us to go near each other, if a simple friendly hug separated us for three months imagine what a relationship would do? and then where shall we be?" He mocked her gently. " And anyway we shall be sitting together at school from now on... Every weekday we'll be together 7 hours a day." He said smugly. " That's a bonus. We will be together EVERY day"
She noticed his arm rise around her back and cuddle into her. She smiled at him. He quickly lowered his arm back down. At this Miss Stacy crept away until she was confident they wouldn't hear her she kept on tip toe.
She watched as her Queen's students swapped their places with interest particularly at Anne and Gilbert. She must applaud their acting skills there was no hint of any romance between the pair. She perked as she heard Josie complain
"Anne and Gilbert are sitting boy girl, Miss its hardly proper."
Miss Stacy looked at their two faces blank in panic for a moment looking at each other.
"They are way ahead of the rest of you I'm afraid." Miss Stacy said "I couldn't sit them anywhere else and as for improper, are you saying I don't have any control in my classroom?"
"I… well…" Josie faulted.
"Stop complaining Josie you're only jealous Anne gets to sit next to Gilbert and you don't." she heard Diana snap.
Josie went pink. Miss Stacy had supposed Josie was interested in Gilbert a long time ago but he had made it clear on every occasion he just wasn't interested. She knew why now of course but she couldn't help but feel like bursting into laughter.
"Well maybe when you are far enough ahead Josie you may sit next to the top achieves in the class… Until then…" she turned towards Gilbert and Anne. "Do you two intend to make any spectacular out of yourselves?"
"No Miss Stacy" they said in unison.
"And you will stay by the rules of this class while you sit together?"
"Yes Miss Stacy." Neither one of them dared look at each other.
"Do you have any more qualms Miss Pye?"
Josie simply bowed her head. "Good then, resume Mr Blythe, Miss Shirley." The two sighed in relief and sat down next to each other.
"Good now everyone is settled, turn to your readers. Time for comprehension."
A week had passed since they started sitting together. They had to applaud themselves. If Miss Stacy hadn't come across their secret accidently she never would have guessed. They calmly worked hard on their studies, She watched the pair on the Friday start to walk home alone together, Diana having been dismissed an hour earlier they no longer all walked home together. She noticed how much freer they were when it was just the two of them away from school, away from everyone else. She had the same path as them at least for a short while she watched them ahead. She was quiet as to not to alert them to her presence. She noticed Gilbert's hand slip into Anne's as they walked. She saw them glance at each other and smile deeply and turn the corner which parted their ways. She heard humming and laughing. She looked down the corner staying hidden so it wouldn't break their spell. She saw Gilbert had taken Anne in his arms and they were dancing down the lane. Anne laughing gazing at Gilbert, Gilbert with a wide grin, the humming she could hear she assumed from Gilbert for the music she recognised to be Johnann Strauss Vienna Blood, He could hold the tune enough to recognise it. She thought even if she did make herself more visible the two were so wrapped up in each other they wouldn't even notice. At the end of the lane they stopped and looked at each other for a moment. A very sweet and light kiss passed between them, she almost heard them sigh before they carried on their walk side by side but not touching towards Green Gables.