"What did Alec and Alonzo feel like when you came away?" queried Priscilla.
"Oh, they still have hope. I told them they'd have to wait till I could make up my mind. They're quite willing to wait. They both worship me, you know. Meanwhile, I intend to have a good time. I expect I shall have heaps of beaux at Redmond. I can't be happy unless I have, you know. But don't you think the freshmen are fearfully homely? I saw only one really handsome fellow among them. He went away before you came. I heard his chum call him Gilbert. His chum had eyes that stuck out THAT FAR. But you're not going yet, girls? Don't go yet."
"I think we must," said Anne, rather coldly. It had started already! Girls noticing HER Gilbert. She knew how handsome Gilbert was but to have this girl flaunt it in front of her! "It's getting late, and I've some work to do."
Anne walked a little ahead. She heard Priscilla and Phil behind her whispering before Phil linked arms with her.
"Say Anne, I didn't know Gilbert was an old beau, I'm awfully sorry, I let my mouth run away like I knew you for years."
Anne sighed. "I'm not being fair. You have every right to notice Gilbert, he IS very handsome."
"So was he not a gentleman?" she asked.
" NO! Oh no nothing like that he was perfect." She admitted.
"Perfect?" Phil asked her, "Then he broke it off?"
"No, no it was me." Anne said quietly.
"You broke it off with a perfect boyfriend? I'm confused." Phil asked her flabbergasted.
"You're not the only one." Anne muttered to her feet.
Phil decided wisely not to pursue the matter but instead changed the subject
"But you'll both come to see me, won't you?" asked Philippa, putting an arm around each. "And let me come to see you. I want to be chummy with you. I've taken such a fancy to you both. And I haven't quite disgusted you with my frivolity, have I?"
"Not quite," laughed Anne, responding to Phil's squeeze, with a return of cordiality.
Anne froze at the sight in front of her. That couldn't be? That wasn't? HER Gilbert?! What was he wearing? Peaking from under a large sunbonnet was his signature curls playing on his forehead as ever and the kitchen apron?! And he was doing this doffing the sunbonnet (as only Gilbert could) with a courtly grace. When he saw Anne and Philippa standing in awe his grin widen and he picked up the apron as a princess might her dress and ran towards them. He took Philippa hand and curtsied it with a "milady" in return he got a friendly scoff of laughter. He grabbed Anne round her middle and right there in the street started to dance with her Whisking her feet off the ground
"Gilbert Blythe!?" she said in shock. "What ARE you wearing?!"
"My best bonnet and apron!" he exclaimed like nothing was wrong.
"I can see that!" Anne laughed "But why!?"
"You must promise not to tell anyone why, but I shall whisper it to you, but you must promise not to tell anyone why, not even Phil." He told her.
"Alright? Just tell me!" She said.
He pulled her closer for show and whispered in her ear "The lambs offered me a spot in their fraternity, this is part of the initiation I have to get the most people looking at me like this. But if I tell anyone why they won't give me the spot. They have eyes everywhere," he pulled back and looked at her. "I can trust you can't I?" he said with a wink. He noticed there was alright a crowd round them watching the couple dance.
Anne smiled and laughed "Of course." She laughed again. "Oh Gilbert Blythe!" her eyes sparkled as he looked at her. "Let me help," she whispered before pulling away but their hands remained clasped and addressing the crowds. "Ladies and gentlemen boys and girls come and see if you will the handsomest boy on campus..."
"Why thank you!" He interjected.
" But be not deceived ladies and gentlemen no no no! His crowing moment is not coming first place in the entrance exams to queens!" quite a group now was forming round them " no that simply would not do, neither was winning the gold medal at said school, no no no! Neither was being freshman class president for not even THAT could prepare him! No ladies and gentlemen. Right here! Right now! This is him!" She said starting to giggle in her speech." Fashioning the latest trends in ladies wear, boys take notice this is a true mans man, for only he can pull it off! Yes his sunbonnet and apron! the elegant...the illustrious..." She paused for dramatic effect " Mr Gilbert Blythe!" She ended quickly with a dramatic bow towards him. The crowd erupted with clapping Gilbert taking the apron again and curtsying to the crowd as an elegant lady would.
He took Anne's hand again "be my good luck charm?" he asked her. " come and roll the attention for me?" he said with a cheeky grin.
She laughed and consented. He took her in his arm and every once in a while twirled her around and on every street corner they set up stage and played to the crowds.
Phil stood back and watched in awe. Anne Shirley was definitely in love with Gilbert Blythe, she had never seen a girls eyes sparkle like hers did that afternoon. Even more dominate was when Anne Shirley was around every other female faded into insignificance in Gilbert Blythe's eyes. He was most definitely in love with her and not afraid to show it. So why in heavens name weren't they still together? She had heard from Priscilla the full story, they had gone to queens and as far as anyone from Avonlea were concerned Gilbert and Anne were the perfect couple. Priscilla had said that Ruby a girl who had grown up with them had a theory they had been together at least a year before anyone else knew but she had no proof other then their uncannily close friendship. But then they had separated under the strangest conditions. But had remained close friends and everyone back in home thought they would end up together again one day and everyone was still surprised over two years later there had been no reconciliation. Priscilla herself was surprised, they had been so very head over heels for each other at queens, she couldn't imagine them being with anyone else.
The last street came and Phil noticed they had quite the following. After the clapping subsided Gilbert accompanied Anne to Philippa and offered to walk them home.
"Anne!" Phil gasped "what were you doing encouraging him like that?"
Anne smiled but was aware of the crowds around her, she knew someone would be listening for a hint of Gilbert's betrayal to her after they pulled that stunt. "well if he will insist on humiliating himself I might as well make sure he does it right." She said merrily as Gilbert took them both in arms laughing himself at it.
"humiliating?" Phillipa questioned. "sweetie that was more then humiliating, Gilbert Blythe why?"
"can't a boy walk out with his best bonnet and apron on anymore?" he said as dramatically as Anne had been.
"well you must be an islander Anne, no blue nose would behave like that and not give an explanation!"
"of course she is an islander!" Gilbert defended. "don't listen to her Anne, us islanders have to stick together." He said with an insiders knowledge as to what was going on. They arrived at the door. "well maladies this is where I must bid you adieu." He laughed. "oh.." he said suddenly turned as if there was only Anne there. "there's a dance the sophomores are hosting on Friday night, open to all, mind if I escort you?" Gilbert asked looking only at Anne.
Anne smiled, this afternoon had been so much fun! Gilbert was so much fun. When he wasn't being sentimental "alright." She said with a laugh "alright why not!"
He smiled almost sweetly but remembered himself in time to cover it with a laugh.
"will you be in more formal attire?" Phil interrupted.
Gilbert truly snapped back to himself. "I haven't made up my mind yet, these here are quite comfortable." He said with a laugh and a wink. " Phil." He said before talking Anne's hand to his mouth. He went a little slower so he could smell the scent on her hand, but not slow enough to get caught. "Anne." He said far more huskily then he intended but it went unnoticed by Anne.
Anne wondered at Gilbert when he arrived on the Friday evening, he seemed stiff in his mannerisms which was most unlike Gilbert. Despite his apparent discomfort he still found a place in him for a genuine smile at Anne coming in the room with a particularly pretty dress on.
" Anne you look beau..." He started but realised it sounded as he was feeling, it sounded as though he was in love with her, he couldn't drop it in and ruin the friendship they had built back up again. " pretty, very pretty." He corrected himself.
" thank you." She smiled " is my hair alright?" she asked " Phil convinced me to do it like this I'm not sure of it."
He smiled " you know how I prefer your hair but it suits you if that's what you mean." He said shuffling uncomfortably.
Anne looked at him concerned but walked out with him when he offered his arm.
When they arrived the dancing had already started, they knew it wasn't the formal dances they were accustom to back home but happily joined the group.
" how's the initiation going?" Anne whispered to him.
"all the better thanks to you, I got double the amount of points as the next fellow." He laughed. " I'm on the last task now."
" what's that then? Or are you still sworn to secrecy?" Anne smiled
"I have no secrets from you Anne." He said, "but again can I depend on..."
"Of course you can." She laughed.
He winced a little before continuing "I have to spend 48 hours in a corset." He whispered.
Anne looked at him in shock "Gilbert Blythe! You're not?!" He took her hand and swept it over his middle. They looked at each other and started to laugh. "Is that why you're so stiff tonight?" she asked him.
"How can you wear these Anne? I've never been so uncomfortable! It hurts!" He told her.
"Hurts? Gilbert they are a little uncomfortable it's not meant to hurt, are you sure it's on right?" she asked him
"On right? There's a wrong way of wearing it?" he asked her slightly shocked.
"Well yes, women have been known to lose their spleens over wearing it wrong."
Gilbert looked at her "Am I going to loose my spleen?!" He almost whined.
She giggled again. "Come on come with me ." She took his hand and lead him into a side room. "Come on Gil, jacket waistcoat shirt off."
"What?" he asked suddenly shy of her. "No!"
"Gil don't be ridiculous I can see if it's on wrong and what's more I can fix it." She told him. He tentatively started to take off his top half of clothing Anne giggled for a moment when she saw the corset
"Anne!" He laughed "Don't!" He continued "You'll hurt my masculinity."
"I think you left it in Avonlea" she giggled. "Is it holding up anything?" she said standing on her tip toes trying to look down the corset.
"Anne Shirley stop it!" He said blushing starting to button his shirt up again " I'm all man!"
"Gil stop." She said holding his hands "I was only teasing, I'm sorry ,really! let me make sure it's on right. I promise I won't tease again."
He looked again and slowly unbuttoned his shirt.
"I can't believe they didn't let you wear a vest under it?" she questioned looking round the corset.
"Is there supposed to be?" he asked her.
"Well I would have thought you would be...Gilbert I... oh here's the problem... you can tell a man did this..." She said undoing it. As she did Gilbert took a sigh of relief. "48 hours? Did you sleep in this?" she asked him.
"If you mean rolled and in my bed trying to get comfortable all night, sure." He said shrugging.
"You could take it off Gil, you don't need to be part of a frat you know." She told him
"But the networking is amazing, the president of several organisations in Kingsport are alumni lambs I can't miss the opportunity." He sighed. "Can you do it up right?"
Anne shook her head " Already on it." She smiled and did it up. "There you go!" She looked at him. "You can put your shirt back on." He took his shirt and buttoned it back up. "Better?" she asked him
"Yes much, thank you." She reached up and tied his tie for him he reached for his waistcoat letting her button it back up.
"You want to know something ironic?" Anne asked him.
"What's that?" he asked her. She took his hand and put it round her middle.
He laughed "You're not wearing one?" he said certain of the answer. They looked at each other and laughed again. "Thank you, thank you Anne, my saviour. Come on let's go back in to the dance."
"So your tests of masculinity complete Gilbert hope we didn't scare you too much." The president said to him the next day initiation complete Gilbert was part of the lambs!
Gilbert laughed "It'll take more than that to scare me."
"Good man good man. There's one question I do have? Our agents said a particular red haired girl was around a lot. Is she a girlfriend?"
"Anne, her name is Anne... and she's my best friend." He told him.
"Unusual, for a fella and girl to be best friends?" he questioned.
"Anne is... very unusual." Gilbert replied with admiration in his voice
"And did you share what you were doing with her? That would be breaking the code?"
"Anne and I have a whole different honour code." Gilbert laughed " Confidences we would never break. I'm afraid that falls under that honour code and that's been in place since I was 13... I'm afraid that comes first."
"I see. Well, well played Blythe. Well played." He said with a chuckle.