"…to meet a tall young man with hazel eyes and the beginnings of a mustache which made him look so much older and maturer that Anne had one awful moment of wondering if it were really Gilbert or a stranger."
Anne of Windy Poplars The Second Year Ch. 6
After months of being away at medical school and only corresponding with her in letters, the look of shock upon her face was not one he expected when she returned to Green Gables with a Katherine Brooke after what he could only assume was a day of adventures.
He had hoped to surprise her, but there was a bit too much surprise across her face than he would have liked. He had written and told her he was coming, had he not?
There was no real chance to talk to her besides the formalities of catching up with a roomful of their family and friends. At least not respectfully. Her friend, the great Katherine Brooke, who she had written him about who she had asked him to buy a gift for, gave him a sarcastic smile before she went to leave them alone as they could be in the house. Eyes and ears were everywhere, as he had learned over their few months together before he left for Redmond what felt like ages ago.
Marilla and Mrs. Lynde being two of the biggest eyes and mouths around.
As much as he wanted to do more, have the conversations he had been patiently waiting to have, he was nothing but proper. A greeting to her and her friend. He had already greeted Marilla and Mrs. Lynde, and then he patiently waited for a proper moment where they could be alone, or as alone as they could be as an engaged couple.
"Good evening, Anne," He said with a smile as he joined her on the porch where she sat watching the snow fall on the hazy winter day. "I hope you've been doing well in Summerside." He knew she had, but polite conversation would get you everywhere, especially where Mrs. Lynde was involved.
Mrs. Lynde had been an influence in his life probably long before he had even been born. His first memory of her, at around four years old, was Mrs. Lynde gossiping to his mother about how boys shouldn't cling to their mothers much after the age of 3. He had promptly stuck his tongue out at her, but her advice still continued, even then.
"Such a nice boy," he heard her say, most likely loud enough so they could hear it out in the front room.
"Good afternoon, Gilbert," She said, looking over his shoulder to where Katherine was entertaining the twins with some story or other in a very stern matronly tone in the front room. "Summerside has gone well." Much more than that was in their correspondences to one another, minute details that were too many to recount standing in the front hall like ninnies. "I do hope you've been keeping up with your studies at Redmond," Her smile held a small wickedness. "Keeping up at the top of your class without your best scholarly rival."
Marilla made a comment to Mrs. Lynde, but it was swallowed in his own laughter.
He smiled and stifled a laugh. "No academic rival could hold a candle to you, Anne Shirley." How he would miss saying her name when she took his. There was still time, still so many letters and correspondences with her name upon them to come. Still, he couldn't help but enjoy tasting her name with his last name. Especially when she said it.
"Soon to be Anne Blythe mind you," She said with a knowing smile. "That is if—"
A crash sounded from the sitting room with Katherine and the twins. She politely excused herself and he stood there wondering just what her sentence was going to end with. If what?
He didn't get an answer to that question for some time. The seven of them sat down to supper and allowed the twins to reenact the crash from earlier, the coffee table had been knocked over during their roughhousing and had made a divot in the floor. Marilla just gave him a small knowing smile and said simply: "It adds more character to the place."
After dinner, despite the looks he would get, he asked Anne out on one of their usual walks to Hester Gray's garden.
"Take Davy with you," Mrs. Lynde suggested. "Goodness knows he needs to get out some of that energy before going to bed on Christmas Eve."
"Better yet," Marilla said. "Take both the twins with you, as your chaperone."
He should have known that would be the case. Neither of the older women would want to go out in the last dregs of the light. "All of you wear your coats," Mrs. Lynde chided. "It's only going to get colder as it gets darker."
Once they were all bundled, with hats and scarves and gloves and Katherine was asked to join Marilla and Mrs. Lynde in a knitting circle, he and Anne, with the twins not far behind set off on their walk.
For the first part of the walk, the twins were behind them. He could feel Davy's eyes on him, urging him to do something so he could take his role as chaperone seriously. For the first little while, they walked in silence, until he couldn't take it any longer.
"Anne, did I do something against your liking?" Once they reached Hester's gate, he couldn't keep silent any longer. He reached for her hand and Davy cleared his throat loudly and importantly.
Gilbert pulled away and pulled a coin from his pocket and passed it to Davy. Their agreement, to make him feel important.
"One minute!" Davy said. He turned away, turned Dora with him and began counting under his breath.
Gilbert took her hands again as Anne giggled. His question still stood.
"Against my liking, no," She said with a smile. "At least nothing that can't be rectified, I hope." She brushed her thumb over his mustache. Then, she gave him a chaste kiss and pulled him down to sit with her on the same bench he had proposed on. "Tell me more about your time at Redmond," She said. "What didn't you include in your letters?"
"One minute is up!" Davy called out triumphantly.
So she didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering her.