Note:

Warning: There's a bedroom scene (it's vague though) and the trauma of memories of having witnessed sexual abuse (again vague). Also we're dealing with Douglas Cuthbert again… Also, Due to being so busy I've missed some posts - if you left off with the journals of Rose Cuthbert - read Chapter 22, posted both together.

Chapter 23: Disaster of Epic Proportions

Suddenly the rain of Aunt Jamesina's prophecy came with a swish and rush. Anne put up her umbrella and hurried down the slope. As she turned out on the harbor road a savage gust of wind tore along it. Instantly her umbrella turned wrong side out. Anne clutched at it in despair. And then—there came a voice close to her.

"Pardon me—may I offer you the shelter of my umbrella?"

Anne looked up. Tall and handsome and distinguished-looking—dark, melancholy, inscrutable eyes—melting, musical, sympathetic voice—yes, the very hero of her dreams stood before her in the flesh. He could not have more closely resembled her ideal if he had been made to order.

"Thank you," she said confusedly.

"We'd better hurry over to that little pavilion on the point," suggested the unknown. "We can wait there until this shower is over. It is not likely to rain so heavily very long."

The words were very commonplace, but oh, the tone! And the smile which accompanied them! Anne felt her heart beating strangely. - Chapter XXV, Anne of the Island

They arrived at Green Gables only in time for Gilbert to turn around and head to Carmody to pick up their lawyer, Mr. Judson, Douglas Cuthbert, and his lawyer. Anne had waved Gilbert off before rushing inside to get an update from Mrs. Lynde and the twins. To quickly exchange news of the week, before Mrs. Lynde briskly informed her. "Anne I told Gilbert to move your things back to your room. We'll need the spare room for that Douglas creature and his lawyer. Dora will bunk with me so that Mr. Judson can take her room."

"We'll get the cot…"

"No Anne." Mrs. Lynde crossed her arms. "A man and wife share a bed unless you're married to Theodore Pye then you pity his wife for everyone can hear his snoring from the road. Sure the Lawyer you've got understands your reasons for delaying consummating it, and wanting to guard against temptation from starting a nursery early. But that Douglas Creature is here for two reasons I recogn'. One, he's here to poke around and search for any treasure he feels should have been his not Matthew and Marilla's due to some old family feud. Course we all know about the mysterious heirloom that never existed. Likely worth less if found then one jar of my preserves I made this summer. The second reason is just to spite, wants to find a reason to argue Gilbert's not a fit guardian. And unless we can prove one of you snores like Theodore Pye, you're going where you belong - in his bed. Folks everywhere know you're his wife. But they understand you're you. You've got your ways, queer at times, but you always mean well. Perhaps you give us a spark of beauty that shows us how precious that Providence made us all. Gilbert already brought your things up and I've been airing out the spare room and Dora's room. Get your things in order, and let's see to tea and supper. Creature or not, I'm afraid we've got to feed the man and his lawyers."

Anne had little time to dwell on Mrs. Lynde's speech. Instead she found herself sent up with Dora to put her and Gilbert's room in order. How strange that felt, even if only for a few days. Nothing, she reminded herself would change. It would just be like the few times they were traveling and forced to share a bed. She tucked her nightgown under the pillow she'd noticed Gilbert had moved up from the spare room bed. Her Prince Royal stories! She suddenly remembered. Where were they? Likely still in the spare room. Informing Dora who was tidying up the wardrobe that she'd returned shortly she rushed down the stairs. Finding Mrs. Lynde in the yard instructing Davy on sweeping the yard. She'd quickly checked for the book. It was gone, she'd left it under her pillow correct? The pillow! Gilbert had switched them, bringing her own preferred pillow that had gone from the east gable, to Marilla's room, and then the spare room as Anne moved about Green Gables. The dear thing truly had gone on a journey keeping her secrets.

He must have taken it to their room, there, the first time she'd allowed herself to think of the room as theirs. She truly needed to edit those stories, they were not fit for anyone's eyes. Certainly not with now judging she was at times of Gilbert. It truly wasn't his fault but the situation. He was a good man, and she admitted a good husband. Once she'd edited the stories, perhaps having Lady Cordelia realizing what was right under her nose? Or simply taking out the servant completely and replacing with a character more like Mrs. Lynde? A kindly older woman who guided vs a servant who could rival Prince Royal. Had she truly compared Gilbert and Prince Royal and found Prince Royal, her childhood ideal man wanting?

Douglas and the lawyers arrived with Gilbert just in time for a late luncheon, showcasing Mrs. Lynde and Anne's skills, and Anne insisting on using an old Cuthbert recipe that Marilla had taught her and claimed her own mother had brought with her from England. There'd been little time to find the journal, or even consider hiding it from Gilbert's eyes. Why had she not thought to keep it more hidden? Perhaps in part guilt over the journal that Gilbert might had seen she'd thrown herself into his arms kissing his lips in greeting before greeting the other men upon their arrival. She'd felt her stomach twist all afternoon, and into the evening. Despite that she'd kept her self glued to his side, as though to convince not only the visitors but herself that she was the dutiful deeply in love wife who'd married for the truest of loves. She had after all, she'd realized with a start. She'd married for the love of friendship with Gilbert, for the love of her first true home - Green Gables, of her love for Marilla and Matthew who'd given her family and a home. Of her love for the twins and Mrs. Lynde who'd extended that family. She might fear when their marriage became more. But if she could trust any man with her heart, there were only two she'd ever met. Matthew who'd seen her as the daughter he'd never had. Who'd adopted her! Even if he was too shy to tell her. And Gilbert, yes. She could. When everything was settled and the lawyers left before they'd leave for their third year with the twins, she'd take a Sunday afternoon ramble with him. Perhaps to Hester Gray's garden, where she'd confess her past, her fears, and what life had been like with the Hammonds and from that her fears of marriage and the marriage bed. If there was a man she could trust with that it would be Gilbert. Gentle Gilbert who was the opposite of Mr. Hammond. She'd even ask him of the journal where he'd put it and offer to let him read it first after she'd edited it. It wasn't fit for anyone's eyes yet. But the second draft…

She was startled by Mrs. Lynde leading the twins upstairs to bed, followed by their visitors heading up also. Left alone with Gilbert and her thoughts. He'd pulled her to him, kissing her deeply before whispering as he'd ran his hands up and down her arms, sending a warm tingling. "I'll just lock up and check on the animals in the barn before I come up if you want a few minutes."

Good. One final chance to check for the journal, perhaps burn it, and prepare for sleep. It had been unusually warm for the Island, and she was quite ready to cool off with a sponge bath, slip into her nightgown. The dainty lawn had been a gift from Miss Lavender from Boston. Covered in store bought lace, and as dainty and lovely as a nightgown could be. She'd climbed into bed, the covers modestly draped over her but leaving her arms and collar exposed for her to admire the lacework as she'd waited. The journal had thankfully been found, and hidden among her underthings. She'd burn it later. Gilbert was a gentleman he wouldn't have read it… her consciousness was getting to her.

He'd entered then, leaning down to kiss her cheek before disrobing before her. This she'd realized with a start was her future. Him coming up after her to see to their home secured before disrobing, seeing to his toiletries and putting on his nightshirt before crawling in beside her. Whispering of any patients he'd had to visit. She was distracted, determined to not watch him preform his nightly duties once he'd removed his shirt that she'd shut her eyes instead imagining that possible future. Green Gables handed over to Davy, while Dr. & Mrs. Blythe with their little ones lived near by. He'd come home from seeing to a patient, perhaps delivering twins. She'd had put the twins to bed and gone to sleep herself only for him to come home perhaps at one or two in the morning, lock up and see to their horse and their other animals, slip into their nursery to kiss each of their children goodnight before coming to slip in beside her. She'd of course wake and want to hear of it. Perhaps she'd even be willing to see to his urges. Miss Lavender had to be right, Gilbert would be gentle, not demanding, not pushing. But would understand and walk through her fears with her.

"Good thoughts?" She was startled to feel Gilbert slipping in beside her.

She was startled to see no signs of night clothes on him, at least none above the waist. Anne gulped. "I… I was daydreaming of the future. Davy had Green Gables in his own right, we were living somewhere near by and you were coming home late from seeing a patient. We had two little ones, and you'd kissed each one goodnight even though they'd been asleep for hours. You'd locked up and tried to not wake me, but of course I would. I wanted to know how it went, I mean I know you'll be a wonderful doctor…"

She'd not been able to continue for he'd wrapped his arms around her pinning her to the bed, kissing her so deeply she thought he was trying to pull from her lips that future into the present. It was much as that kiss had been at the horrible concert, only more intoxicating and more everything. Hands explored, and lips followed and she was quite caught up in the heady intoxicating presence of Gilbert Blythe. They were in their cocoon again. Only she could just make out the outside noises. Mr. Judson snoring from the east gable. Davy and the Shirmp on the other side of the wall from their own bed, thankfully not snoring. While Dora and Mrs. Lynde slept across. This was one intoxicating goodnight kiss, where the loudest noises coming forth where little whispers between herself and Gilbert.

They'd pushed further to the territory of the unknown marital acts and closer to what she'd witnessed Mr. Hammond do to Mrs. Hammond. Somehow Gilbert had removed her nightgown so they were equals as Providence first made them. A line flitted through her thoughts as he'd gazed at her. She'd been daring and read Song of Solomon one Sunday afternoon with Diana the summer before she'd left for college, laughingly acting out the parts. Gilbert had reached for something only to whisper about being gentle, but that he was going to be cautious. He'd pulled her to him so they were skin to skin. She began to panic. They'd agreed, they'd just gotten carried away. But he'd been prepared, that sleeve he'd talked about. He'd put it on. This was calculated, not the heady moment of dreaming of the future and getting carried away. He was no different than Mr. Hammond demanding his due for his urges. She'd seen how painful that was. That they'd need to eventually for the nursery, was part of the curse of Eve. He'd moved her just so, and it all became far too real. A memory, the one time that Mr. Hammond had touched her when his wife had been unavailable. He'd not violated her, yet his words… it all came crashing down as her stomach expelled its contents with a rough heave over both of them.

They both stared in shock as the remains of the plum cake she'd made that afternoon fell on their stomachs. "Anne?" They suddenly heard a small voice coming from the adjoining room. "Gilbert? I swear I heard someone being sick." Davy!

They'd scrambled to right themselves, Gilbert grabbing a night shirt waiting innocently in the top drawer of the dresser before rushing to greet Davy at the door. "Anne's just been nervous with the visitors. Come on I'll tuck you fellas in. You know the Shrimps a good judge of character, Douglas Cuthbert and his lawyer are as fishy as they come. But we'll set them on their way in a few days, don't worry. I'll just let Anne clean up and…"

"But why've you got plum cake under your nightshirt? I want to know."

She was going to throw up again. That the dainty nightgown had been tossed onto the floor and escaped the explosion of the bed clothes and themselves was a miracle. Quickly washing off the remains and praying her heart to settle as she'd quickly dressed once more into the night gown determined it would remain. She would sleep on the floor if need be. She'd dabbed the sheets to remove the worst of the stains before they could set then fetched the spare sheets from the bottom drawer. A transition Marilla said her mother started, and had remained yet keeping the sheets always there. Anne's only addition was fresh pine boughs scattered among the sheets. It was a vast improvement over the smell of sick and that. She'd refused to put words to what they'd been doing. They had agreed! They would wait until he was Dr. Blythe, it was one thing to get carried away in the moment thinking of that future, but another to mediate and not only that to prepare for doing what they'd agreed not to! How many times had Gilbert… oh, he was back.

"Davy's asleep, guess we better be quieter, give me a minute to clean up and we can pick up where we left off…"

"NO," Anne whispered as loud as she dared. "It was a mistake, we never should have…"

"A mistake?"

"Yes." She did her best to not look at him. To not risk seeing if he'd repeated his earlier wardrobe coming into bed. We'll need to I suppose one day for starting our nursery, but there's no reason why we should risk that now, clearly it's easy to get carried away. We'll simply pretend we'd not…"

"Got sick thinking I wasn't your dream Prince Royal. I found your book, didn't mean to read it, but was so proud of my wife's writing. Only to realize you'd written yourself as her heroine, a moody sissy as your hero, and of course I'm there, good old Gilbert. There to keep everything going take care of everything and none of the rewards. Just like this mess with Douglas Cuthbert. I agreed to wait for us consummating our marriage, because it was the right thing to do. Make sure you don't have to drop out because we're having a baby before we planned. That sleeve and other methods even the Bible talks about do prevent babies, but only abstinence is foolproof. Course I should have realized I was the fool." He'd dropped into the bed beside her, his voice dropping, shaking. "Am I so repulsive that the thought of us becoming man and wife makes you sick? Bet if it was that imaginary Prince Royal instead of me wanting to…"

"Gilbert." She barely heard her own voice. "I… My greatest fear always has been the marital act. I… the marriages I saw before Green Gables. They weren't good. The men were demanding, even when their wives were bleeding. Only reason I wasn't violated was Mr. Hammond said I was too homely to tempt him into that sin. Said no man in his right mind ever would want me that way. He'd then gone to his wife and I heard her screaming from pain. Prince Royal is just imaginary, he can't hurt me like you can. He's safe. He'd spout poetry not make demands. I thought you wouldn't but…"

"Anne." He'd loosely put his arms about her as though she was as fragile as the platter she'd broken and worked so hard to replace years ago when they'd been teaching. "I don't like Prince Royal and I don't think you're homely, think you're the most beautiful woman I know and am very blessed for a wife like you. I… I'd never hurt you like Mr. Hammond did Mrs. Hammond, though I'm glad he was foolish enough to think you're homely so that he wouldn't touch you." Somehow he'd maneuvered them so they were lying, spooned such that his back was to the door and she faced the window. "Anne girl, you don't need a prince royal. I won't push, but I'll hope. We'll face your fears together… And maybe the idea of pushing things tonight was wrong, I'm sorry. I just got scared when I read your book. I'll be gentle when we do, you know."

"I…" Anne felt tears pooling that refused to fall. "I'm scared still. I want to trust…"

—

Gilbert felt a heaviness as he woke. That his marriage was as yet unconsummated, and the sleeve dried out and unusable until it was soaked again was obvious. That he'd slept the night with his wife in his arms, and perhaps the first hope that he'd win her love, even if it meant giving up all hope of consummating his marriage. At least for years. One day for she'd admitted to wanting their nursery to start one day. But as Green Gables woke around them he had to push the thoughts of the future aside, dress quickly and prepare for church.

He remembered little of that morning, of preparations for the day, breakfast, their visitors, even difficult to swallow Douglas Cuthbert who was cut of such a different branch from the Green Gable Cuthbert's it was hard to imagine that they were related. That the sermon was on patience perhaps was the good lord telling him to be patient with his wife. He would win his wife's love and trust even if it took him a decade, or longer.

It was only as they sat down for Sunday Luncheon, of cold sandwiches Anne and Mrs. Lynde had prepared the day before, that Davy had spoken up. "Mr. Cuthbert I want to know why you're so set on wanting Green Gables and my guardianship? I mean you've never once gotten to know us folks and you've had Anne up in nots that she threw up perfectly good plum cake all over Gilbert. Milty Boulter he's my best friend you know always says women folk can't handle things for his mother's always a bundle of nerves about six months before he's got a baby brother or sister coming along. And the Shrimp don't like you either. Mr. Judson explained to me that Green Gables was left free and clear to me, not you and it's just this technicality of the guardinaship that's up in the air. You've got your own business and life in Nova Scotia I hear and you don't care a mite about me or Dora, or Mrs. Lynde or Anne or Gilbert or the Shrimp. All I hear is mumblings about a heirloom some Cuthburt Heirloom. We find it would you see fit to let us be for good?"

To Gilbert's shock the man simple grunted. "Yes. Find me that heirloom, why my grandfather gave it to the Green Gables folks instead of me the first born of his first born."

"Heirloom?" Dora asked. "Like the necklace Mama gave me before she died? She said that Father gave it to her, that his grandmother gave it to him, for she'd been given it when our grandfather was born. David Keith. That his grandmother's best friend and cousin Rose was Marilla's mother and Marilla would take care of us."

"Child," Mr. Judson spoke quietly. "You mean that necklace you're wearing?"

Dora simply undid the clasp and handed it to the kind lawyer while the rest stared in shock. "Mama said that his grandmother, Sara Keith was given the necklace by my grandfather's grandfather because he was the first born by rights."

"I found Rose Cuthbert's journals, she wrote about her cousin Sara Keith who came with them, and her brother in law, her husband's elder brother though engaged to Miss Douglas back in England was sniffing around her as he shouldn't…"

"The Cuthbert heirloom, by rights a Keith Heirloom now." Mr. Judson spoke. "Mr Cuthbert, I think you can agree that the evidence that the family secret of your grandfather trying to right your father's sins that the necklace belongs to Dora not yourself."

"OF course it's Dora's necklace!" Davy cried. "Mama said it was Dora's not mine."

"It's just a bloody necklace? That isn't gold even! Or silver, just copper by the looks of it." Douglas Cuthbert grumbled. "Let me see it."

Mr. Judson who'd managed to open it where an old miniature of a long dead queen was suddenly displayed, quite ugly in Gilbert's mind except for her red hair. He'd handed it over. "It's genuine, a surprise if I ever were to find one. I am not an expert on jewelry but I would suspect it held little value except for sentimental, only that the queen herself reportedly gave it holds any value."

"Fine." Douglas Cuthbert turned to his lawyer. "We'll be heading out in the morning. Your fees were more then even this property is worth let alone that stupid necklace."

The final highlight was Mr. Judson achieving from Mr. Douglas Cuthbert and his lawyer the promise to file for an amendment to the guardianship that would remove some of the requirements for the guardian. Clearly Gilbert was an upstanding guardian, and with the help of Mrs. Lynde, well known for bringing up ten of her own children and Gilbert's wife Anne assisting, the twins were being well looked after and with wanting to have a constant education it was suggested that things be relaxed…

There was hope that come winter the twins would be returning to Green Gables for good, and that everything would be filed to allow Mrs. Lynde to be listed as co guardian of the twins with Anne and Gilbert. The last of Douglas Cuthbert was seen, and after a second night of awkwardly sleeping beside his wife, yet feeling her alternately flinch in his arms comparing him to a monster she'd known as a child. He'd given up and had helped her move back into the spare room for the rest of the summer.

Anne always had been unpredictable, but he was finding in those final weeks before they were to return to Kingsport the most unpredictable Anne he'd yet encountered. One night passionately kissing him goodnight and pulling his shirt off, the next morning flinching when he'd simple approached her from behind while she prepared their breakfast. He prayed hard for them to get through this- but still as they prepared for their junior year he prayed that she would trust him. Just once make their lives easier.