Probably Anne and Diana did empty out their souls to each other that night, but no record of their confidences has been preserved.
"Oh Anne!" Diana giggled "it's so nice to have you home, it's not home without you."
"And I am not home until I am here." Anne smiled.
"Though having Gilbert there must help." Diana whispered.
"It does, you know Diana, I think, our friendship is back on track, it's taken a while but he really is my closest chum there."
"Are you sure it couldn't be more than that?" she asked.
"Diana..." Anne trailed with a warning voice.
"What? Come on Anne its Gilbert, you two were so in love. I don't understand what went wrong."
"It just didn't work out, but we've worked through it and were back stronger as friends, honestly Diana, I don't think before we started our secret we weren't this close."
"Don't you love him Anne?" Diana asked.
"As a friend, of course I do and we do have so much fun together, he makes me laugh so much my stomach hurts some days, but as a chum only Diana."
"Is it true he went round the streets in an apron and hat?" Diana quizzed.
Anne laughed at the memory. "Who told you that?"
"Ruby said Priscilla had said, what would posses him?" Diana said
"My lips are sealed!" Anne laughed.
"Oh! You know! You know why!" Diana giggled.
"I'm sorry I'm sworn to secrecy!" Anne laughed.
"Spoil sport!" Diana exclaimed. "So do tell me about this Phil you all rave about in your letters?"
Anne was walking back by means of the lake when she saw the familiar figure wandering through the woods.
"Gilbert? What brings you out on a day like this?" Anne asked upon seeing him.
"Just fancied a walk. It's been too long since the beauty of Avonlea has really sunk into my skin. Anyway last thing I need is a Christmas spread when going back as captain of the football team." He said with a laugh she returned "I could ask you the same thing?"
"Diana slept over last night I walked her part way home but then didn't fancy going immediately back to green gables I came for a walk the long way."
"Fancy company?" Gilbert offered his arm.
"Yes that would be nice." Anne smiled taking it.
"How's Diana? It was her who picked you up at the ferry station?" Gilbert questioned.
"Oh she's fine. Yes it was her, is been too long since we've all been together. We should all get together." Anne said.
"Yes, I miss her, but she seemed a bit preoccupied with a certain somebody."
"He isn't at all like I imagined Diana's ideal man to be." She said shaking her head.
"That's a bit harsh, you know Fred, he's dependable, sturdy, hard working..."
"And not a bit dashing or roguish."
Gilbert chuckled "Roguish? The poor fellow doesn't stand a chance!" He paused thoughtfully "Is that what went wrong between us? Am I not wicked enough for you?"
Anne's cheeks went red. "No Gilbert really it isn't it. Please don't take that away from all this."
He took a breath and repressed his comments. "Is that really what you have against Fred then?"
"It's just everyone is in such a rush to get married and settled."
"You were going to settle with me. Would it be so bad?" Gilbert questioned.
"But all the time we were going to support each others dreams."
"Perhaps their dreams are of each other, their circumstances didn't matter." He told her meaningfully.
She didn't know why but blushed under his gaze for a moment. How did he do that to her? She had long figured out that Gilbert Blythe was only ever meant to be friends with her. She didn't have those feelings for Gilbert anymore. So why did he still have that effect on her?
A few days later Anne's head was in a whirl! She needed somewhere for comfort so there was only one place she knew. Pixie's Orchard. When she entered the way she was quite surprised to see the dark curly hair and familiar eyes of Gilbert greet her.
"Oh Gilbert, sorry I didn't mean to..."
"Don't be silly Anne, you introduced me to it." He said tapping the space on the ground next to him, he had a book open and was reading, despite the freezing temperatures Gilbert like Anne preferred to read outside. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I came here thinking it would be solitary." She told him sitting beside him.
"That's why I came, I'll be quiet as a mouse, if you let me stay?" he questioned wide eyed.
"Of course you may I'd rather have your company then be completely alone anyway." She told him.
He placed his arm around her holding her gently concerned at the level of seriousness on her face. "Are you okay Anne?"
"Jane came over for a sleepover last night." She said out loud.
"Oh?" Gilbert questioned. "Was it fun?" he asked. Very much doubting Jane could be serious.
"It should have been." Anne said mysteriously.
"Should have been?" he echoed.
"She had a message from Billy." Anne said with the same confused look on her face. "She asked me for him to marry him."
Gilbert felt a laugh rise and his mouth fell open. "Are you being serious?!" He asked confounded.
"I only wish I wasn't." She told him in the same tone as before.
There was silence for a moment. Gilbert realising his arm was still around her. He quite seriously said "Do I need to remove my arm from around you? Is congratulations in order?"
Anne looked at him her face looked in disbelief at him. "Gil... come on? Really? Of course I said no!"
"Oh..." He sounded out loud, "... well good." Anne looked at him a little insulted. "I mean good for YOU not him!" He told her.
"Jane acted very coldly towards me afterwards and said, Billy would ask Nettie instead." Anne paused. "I just, can't believe it! What would make him ask?"
"Well you're pretty, intelligent, funny, sweet and kind." He said careful not to add sentiment to what he was saying.
"I mean what would make him think I would say yes?" she mused. "I mean there's nothing wrong with Billy, just... he's not..." She trailed not finishing her sentence. "I always thought if I should marry it would be with..." She trailed again not finishing her thought. Who would she marry really? "Oh Gilbert! I'm horrified! Are all proposals so awful?"
He looked confused for a moment. "How should I know? I've never proposed to anyone." He brought her closer to him comforting her. "I can't believe he had a back up girl to ask! Poor Nettie, she's going to believe he loves her."
"Oh Gil, we mustn't say anything!" She emphasised. "We can't..."
"Anne come on remember it's me, I'll never break your confidences you know that." He gave her a kiss on the forehead then hugged her into him her head in his chest. " our secret." He whispered.
They sat silently Gilbert returned to his book after a couple of minutes still holding her to him she continued quietly in pensive thought for a few minutes then looked up at Gilbert. His eyes fixed on his book reading, he was apparently being serious about being as quiet as a mouse. She felt quite free to think or no to. She wondered why he was here.
"What brought you here?" she asked him.
"I just needed some peace from my mother, she's been chasing me since I came home with pies and tarts and she tells me off if she catches me reading telling me it's the holidays as if I can't take any pleasure from it, I snuck the book in my pocket and told her I was going for a walk, I just needed some place I could relax, be happy. Some of my best memories are right here."
"Do you come here often?" she asked him.
He nodded. "Yes." He admitted blushing.
"I don't much, anymore. Davy and Dora take up a lot of time. I feel like such the grown up next to them, I forget to come to replenish myself." There was a silence for a minute as Gilbert seemed to settle back down but he suddenly went to say something then stopped himself. "What is it?" she asked him.
"Nothing it's alright Anne honest." He said quietly.
Anne looked at him for a moment. "You were going to ask something about when we were together weren't you?" he looked at her surprised "You get the same look on your face just before you hesitate every time. " She paused before continuing. "Tell me? Please Gil."
"Just..." He hesitated. "I know we had plans for the future which implied marriage, but I never asked, but if I had, when we were together... would you have... accepted?" he was almost whispering at the end.
Anne's heart started to race. Oh, now that WAS a question! She did think herself in love, and she did sincerely love the idea of their little house with lavender and flowers and their own vegetable garden. Gilbert coming home, kissing her hello, the same look of love reflected in his eyes as had been there forever. "I think, I would have said yes. All our plans implied it you're right, the intention was we'd be together forever."
He smiled slightly then brought out his bottom lip looked to her and shrugged.
"Gilbert Blythe!" she exclaimed.
"I'm joking! I'm kidding!" He said laughing. She sighed slightly in relief and joined in his laughter. "So really this isn't your first marriage proposal I did it years ago by dreams." He smiled.
"Yes I suppose you did." Anne thought out loud. Anne sighed in relief all of a sudden glad Gilbert had been the one to ask her first, kind of.
"All the same... it wouldn't be too bad would it? Being married to me?" He asked her.
She relaxed back into his arm and wrapped it around her. She took the book out his hand and read the side. "Ohhh Dickens!" She smiled looking up at him. "Can we both read it?" she asked him.
He took a breath trying to avoid the sentimental sigh he felt. "Sure." He confirmed. "I got to here." He said pointing at the paragraph.
She took a breath as if to start reading then she paused without looking at him she said quietly but clearly "No, I don't think it would."
He looked to her surprised by her answered. He barely heard her starting to read the book his heart was pounding so hard.
If only she loved me back. He thought sadly.
You couldn't get him wrong, the last term with Anne something had returned to their kinship he had seriously thought had been lost forever, their friendship was strong and loving. They could flirt again and they could joke and show affection. They often held hands kissed affectionately at each other's faces and obviously they gave hugs freely and were finally finally sharing secrets unlimited ever since Gilbert's exuberance when trying for the lambs. But he knew, that recognition of love was lacking in her eyes. She used to have this special look just for him, he thought he had seen it once or twice but then when he'd look again it wouldn't be there. There was no recognition anymore she didn't love him like that. But maybe with that answer, maybe there was a small unfed corner of her soul which still had feelings for him. If only he could access it. She didn't seem to notice his arm tightening round her bringing her closer to him. It was only then he started to listen to her soft and sweet melodic voice, it was like music to him. "...When I had been in Mr. Pocket's family a month or two..."