"What are you dreaming of Anne?" Gilbert asked her as they lay lazily in Hester's Garden watching the clouds go by.

The end of the first year had come and gone. Both Anne and Gilbert had received the scholarships they had worked so hard for. They had had enough of studying so they had taken the lone walk together up to Hester's Garden away from Avonlea and the expectations which was attached to two returning scholers. Just to be them again.

"Diana thinks my writing is good enough to be published." She told him. "But I find she is rather bias on the matter. She never tells me the truth, even in story club she was always placing me with Austin or Keats and I know I'm not as good as that yet."

"Well you can always ask me." Gilbert said as matter of fact. "You know regardless of my affection for you I can be objective."

She turned her head to look at him lying beside him, he wasn't looking his eyes were closed his head towards the sky he was completely relaxed. "why didn't I think of that?" She questioned outloud.

He turned his head towards her opening his eyes with a teasing look and smile he said "I'm trying not to be hurt."

They started laughing in return of his comment. "You're my best friend yet I forget I have you." she told him.

"Am I so easily replaced once back in Avonlea?" he asked with a pretend pet lip. She giggled again. "No, no I get it. Its like it's the two of us at college but once we're back here its back to the same old same old..." he mocked and she knew he was. She laughed gently with him.

They fell silent again watching the clouds pass them by. "Did you know about Ruby?" She asked Gilbert.

He sighed in confirmation. "My ma told me when I came back. Poor Ruby."

"it doesn't seem right. I mean its Ruby. She's one of the sweetest girls on the Island." Anne said out loud.

They lay back again just enjoying the sun's rays.

A month later Gilbert's lips pressed as he read Anne's manuscript through. Today was the day of reckoning. The day he had to tell Anne what he thought of her story.

"Well, what do you think?" She asked him.

"I'm curious what did Diana think?" He asked trying to avoid the confrontation, perhaps Diana had the same opinion as him and he wouldn't have to be the bad guy.

"She thought it was romantic, she even asked me to keep a copy for her own reading of it. " she told him with hopeful eyes.

he nodded gently and bit his bottom lip. "well it is very romantic." he agreed. "That much is for sure."

Anne sensed it coming. "But?" She questioned.

"The story is a solid one, I'm not going to deny there and I like the plot."

"Gilbert Blythe you're avoiding criticising it why?" She demanded.

"Because I want you to still like me by the end of the afternoon."

"I came to you for you to be objective, remember? If you can't do it..."

"Alright, alright." He took a sigh sitting them on a nearby bench. "please remember I like it, I do, I like your intention." he clarified.

"However..." she probed knowing his analytical mind was ticking over.

"Its very Hardy or Bronte." He told her gently.

"Well yes?" she questioned confused.

"If I wanted to read Hardy or Bronte, I would read Hardy or Bronte. But I pick up something written by you, I would want to read something which sounded like you. The world has Bronte and Hardy, but there is only one Anne Shirley and I don't hear her in this."

"Oh?" She said with a sad expression. Bowing her head.

"Anne please don't take it as a criticism. But look at drafting it as you not as someone else, cut out all the thee's and thou's and remember who you are." he took her hand in his. "Anne?" She looked up with tears in her eyes. He immediately felt awful for even having an opinion. "Come here." He said wrapping his arm around her. "Come on, its just my opinion, for all I know I'm rubbish at critiquing and publishers will love it and you'll become a world famous authoress and then I'll feel a real brute for ever criticising it. You'll never speak to me again and I'll not get to say I'm best friends with you and I'll hate myself for all eternity for quibbling over the style."

She laughed a little through her tears. "Oh Gil, you'll always be my best friend. In some ways even more then Diana please don't hate yourself." she took a sigh "can you walk me home Gil?" she asked him.

"Of course." he said gently putting his arm round her guiding her back home.

Despite Anne's assurances she had conveniently managed to be busy every time he called for the next month. he was disappointed but nevertheless not surprised. Until one day she feeling disgraced when Gilbert appeared at her door.

"When I said edit I didn't quite mean like that but it worked! See I told you I didn't know anything about publishing!" He said proudly hugging her. "Why, Anne, what is the matter?" he said looking down at her seriously. "I expected to find you radiant over winning Rollings Reliable prize."

"Oh, Gilbert, not you," implored Anne, in an ET-TU BRUTE tone. "I thought YOU would understand. Can't you see how awful it is?"

"I must confess I can't. WHAT is wrong?"

"Everything," moaned Anne. "I feel as if I were disgraced forever. I didn't even make those changes Diana did!" She exclaimed explaining that is what Diana had done with her copy of the story. "What do you think a mother would feel like if she found her child tattooed over with a baking powder advertisement? I feel just the same. I loved my poor little story, and I wrote it out of the best that was in me. And it is SACRILEGE to have it degraded to the level of a baking powder advertisement. Don't you remember what Professor Hamilton used to tell us in the literature class at Queen's? He said we were never to write a word for a low or unworthy motive, but always to cling to the very highest ideals. What will he think when he hears I've written a story to advertise Rollings Reliable? And, oh, when it gets out at Redmond! Think how I'll be teased and laughed at!"

"That you won't," said Gilbert, wondering uneasily if it were that confounded Junior's opinion in particular over which Anne was worried. "The Reds will think just as I thought—that you, being like nine out of ten of us, not overburdened with worldly wealth, had taken this way of earning an honest penny to help yourself through the year. I don't see that there's anything low or unworthy about that, or anything ridiculous either. One would rather write masterpieces of literature no doubt—but meanwhile board and tuition fees have to be paid."

This commonsense, matter-of-fact view of the case cheered Anne a little. At least it removed her dread of being laughed at, though the deeper hurt of an outraged ideal remained.

"I had read it again you know, and I resentfully agreed with you." she sighed. "I'd even re-written it I was going to show it to you then ask you if I should send it off to be published."

He looked at her with hopeful eye. "Can I read it?" He asked her. She invited him inside to the parlour and showed him the story. she sat and waited patiently for him to finish. She saw along the way his smile widen, his lip being bitten even a chuckle here and there. He finally looked up and sighed. "I love this one, this is much more you and the story line is just the same." He said with wide smile.

"That's what it could have been." She said sadly. "But I suppose I can't get it published now. I'll just have to take comfort that you love to hear me, the real me. Oh Gilbert I knew that very afternoon you were right I was just upset. Please forgive me for being such a fool, at least that can come out positive in all this."

"You don't need to be forgiven." He told her gently bringing her in for a hug. He kissed into her hair. "And don't you forget it." he paused before continuing "One more week until we are back at Redmond Anne are you excited? Are you all packed?"

I think we all know what is coming next!...