She looked beautiful! Anne this was, not Josie.

They had all pooled together. They were all in the same buggie, Anne and Charlie, Gilbert and Josie and Diana and Fred driven by Diana's father Green Gables had been the last stop to pick up Diana and Anne. Anne was wearing a puffy white dress with frills and lace, her hair was up like a young ladies. But it wasn't him who got to knock on her door, it wasn't him who got to take her by the arm and tell her how beautiful she looked, it wasn't him who got to hold her hand in public to help her onto the buggie, it wasn't him who got to sit next to her and talk to her (half of which he knew by the look on Charlie's face he didn't understand). Anne was smiling and paying attention to Charlie he was mostly ignoring Josie making sure the umm's and ah ha's were in the right place was easy and predictable. He had to pay attention to what Anne would say to keep up with her but Josie wasn't like Anne. No one was like Anne. When they got to the concert they all took part in their recitals the evening a success by all accounts. Gilbert had loved hearing Anne's rendition of 'the jabberwocky' she was so brilliant standing up there and the poem! Oh it was brilliant. She was brilliant. And not with him tonight.

Josie was furious! Oh he had brought Josie he was agreeing where he was suppose to, but all his attention was still on Anne! How could it be? He'd only spent the time at school with her for the past few weeks she had made sure of that! Anne was getting attention off the other boys which was fine by her because she had the prize. She (foolishly) decided to confront Gilbert had about it during their first waltz "I saw you fawning over Anne Shirley."

Gilbert tried not to blush. Had he been that obvious? No, he decided Josie was just that bitter.

"Well, you sure couldn't get up there and give a recital like that." He snapped,.

"I could be up there on stage." She said. She wasn't even part of the debate team but she could be an actress if she wanted.

"Well, I'd like to see that sometime, Josie Pye." He was being unkind and he knew it. She was Josie Pye, but she didn't deserve to be treated like this, she just got under his skin. The waltz ended. They stood for a moment.

"you know she's not interested in you." Josie said in anger. "she's been getting really close to Charlie, they are going to be beaux any day. You would be better off settling for someone who was as pretty as possible." She stormed off.

The next dance Anne had with Charlie. Charlie was okay , she guessed. She wondered how Gilbert remained best friends with him... she supposed Charlie was the very boyish side to Gilbert, yes she could see similarity there, and logical thinking, they seemed to have that in common, though Gilbert's answers normally took into consideration emotions Charlie's didn't seem to. Gilbert liked his football... although Gilbert was better at it then a Charlie he was by no means bad at the sport. She allowed herself a look round the room as they danced where she spotted Gilbert. His eyes were fixated on her. She was been spun around enough she couldn't maintain eye contact but she was sure Gilbert's eyes remained on her. Anne was worried about him. He had been acting strange lately. She blushed a little as she realised it, and Charlie began to try and talk to her... something about... his cousins?

The next dance was Gilbert's and Anne's. He held her a little bit closer then he should have. He didn't care he wanted to make clear to everyone Anne was his. His eyes stared at her and Anne noticed she gently whispered "Gil, stop staring people will notice."

"I don't care." He told her. "I don't care anymore this is driving me insane." They were silent for a moment. His jealousy was bubbling "I saw you blushing." He told her.

"I saw you staring, of course I blushed." She told him. He wasn't convinced he was the reason she was blushing Josie's words were echoing in his head, she's been getting really close to Charlie, they are going to be beaux any day.

. She felt for some reason she needed to reassure him. "you remember this dance don't you?" she asked him.

"its Strauss Vienna Blood." He told her.

"yes I know, do you remember we would dance down the lane to this? When we first started this." She whispered into him, "you would hum it all the way down the lane and we would smile and laugh..."she lowered her voice more and whispered in his ear "and kiss"

He closed his eyes. He did remember, he could almost feel the sun beating down on them the rough woodland under their feet. His hold on her loosen a little he held her now as softly as he did down the lane. Yes he remembered. She was lovely in his arms. Just as today, she fit in them, it felt natural to touch her to be with her.

"its still me you know. I still feel the same way... no that's not true, I feel it stronger." She told him. He looked at her again. Her grey eyes almost green.

Right now, he couldn't remember what that feeling was he was feeling just moments before but right now all he knew was "you're lovely." He told her. "and you look beautiful tonight." He let out a sigh "I just wish I had the chance of telling you first."

"thank you, you look dashing yourself, and you are the first one to tell me it."

"what did Charlie say when he saw you then?" he asked.

"Good evening Anne you look aesthetically pleasing tonight." She mocked. "I think he needs some practice on the pick up lines." She said with a smile.

"aesthetically pleasing" he said with a chuckle. "I'll have to remember that one."

"we have to remember Gil... we have to remember why we are keeping this a secret. You were the one who said about the longer dresses. And it can't be too far off now. Don't I look like a young lady?" she joked.

He took a sharp breath in, "you are an angel," he whispered to her. "not long, you promise?"

"I promise you I shall grow all I can so Marilla will have no choice but to put me in long skirts sooner." She smiled at him.

He smiled back and allowed himself to enjoy the rest of the waltz with her without worrying. When the waltz ended he took her back to the crowds and took her dance card again. Yes, she still had two waltz' free number 5 and 8 he took his pencil and wrote his name in them.

"two more?" Anne questioned. "Gilbert Blythe, they'll say you're dead gone on me."

"I hope so." He told her with a wink feeling much more like himself again.