Anne Shirley Blythe.
Thank you! You made me think about Gilberts reaction a bit more about Fred and I can see why you might think that way. For me, Anne and Gil were trying to teach Rilla to embrace herself, to stand up for herself. Gain back some confidence that she lost, rather than telling Fred about it themselves. Yes, it would have helped the situation greatly, but with these sorts of trauma...it allows Rilla to have more autonomy over herself by letting her do it. The more she learns to admit to strangers that she's married, she more she will heal in the long run of things. Fred is a tool though...a right tool for reacting as he did, but he was caught off guard. Also I went back and fixed up the chapter...somehow I uploaded the wrong version, most of it is the same but the letter makes more sense, and its in another spot.
Hope this one is enjoyed as the others.
April 1915
Dearest,
Take a deep breath and just breathe for me. You did nothing wrong and you behaved just as you always would politely. It's not your fault that he can't take a hint, and trust me I am ready to deck him if he ever insults you in my presence.
Most young men can take a hint and if you tried to brush him off multiple times I believe you, but he should have given up and not gone on bothering you. Let alone lay his hands on you should have been the last thing he should have ever done as well.
Your mother is right as well, you are not damaged goods, speaking of Mothers, mine has finally conceded that I will miss convocation. Exams are finished though and results come out tomorrow, I'm not worried. I mostly want to be on the train, on my way to you.
I plan on opening an account with your name attached to it, with part of my savings in it. For any sort of expense, you may have. Don't argue to say you don't have need for it, if I am going off to the front in the future I need to know you will be taken care of, and you will also need a place to put separation pay as well.
I also have a surprise or two for you as well for my visit, I hope you will enjoy them. I have to run an errand for Father quickly. I don't mind leaving this letter short since I will see you in a little over a weeks time.
Always Kenneth.
Rilla is waving her hat in the air as she sees the train come to a complete stop. But all he sees through the window is as her hair is shining in the sunlight, while white and black dress and saturated red stands out amongst the colours of the platform. People around her mostly ignore her, but some look with interest he notes still.
"You made it!" She says brightly, kissing his cheek which surprises him slightly. "I have the carriage this morning, where is your luggage?"
Ken looks at her, a twinkle in his eye. He hadn't seen her like this in ages, even her letters were melancholy and talked Hades as they usually are.
"Can I breathe for a moment," he jokes, as she bounces on her heels.
"Sorry," she says stepping back.
When they finally get his trunk and suitcase in the cart she untethers the horse and jumps onto the bench before looking at him. She kissed him quickly on the lips, thinking about her sisters and their gossip.
"Rilla?" Ken says, a look in his eyes that she didn't understand.
She drives them back to Ingleside, he doesn't think he has ever seen her drive the carriage before, but she has good control over the reigns. She straightens up slightly passing a house, with an older woman sweeping over on the porch and her head peeks up from the hammock between two trees.
"Was that him?" Ken asked curiously and Rilla could only nod her head.
Ken was out of the carriage first taking the horse off for her and tethering the animal and making sure it had water in its bucket and some feed.
"Pretty good for a city boy," Rilla teases him.
"I grew up with horses," Ken gives her a look, still slightly confused by her mood. They leave his things by the door as she leads him into the kitchen. She had set the table for two with the pretty china, and there were small dainty sandwiches, savoury pastries and a cake on the table with preserves and cream in the middle of it.
"What is this?"
"Susan has been teaching me how to cook," Rilla tells him brightly. "And bake,"
"Good thing I am hungry," Ken grins and they sit down. Iced tea and lemonade, and they ate the sandwiches before picking at the sweet treats.
"Where is everyone?" Ken asks leaning back in his chair.
"Mother is at the Manse, and Susan is visiting cousin Sophia for the afternoon, Father is on a call, Di and Nan are doing some sewing somewhere, and Walter is helping Shirley pack up his things from the boardinghouse," Rilla tells him. "Shirley is still in Charlottetown until the end of the month."
"Of course," he says nodding his head as if he should have known.
"I didn't know…"She says awkwardly as she leads him up the stairs. "Plus my parents…" she says stopping at the Ingleside spare bedroom and leaving him to freshen up as she tidies up the kitchen so Susan wouldn't be angry when she comes back, and afterwards she sits down at the piano, to pass time.
"How has your arm been?" He asks when he comes back down the stairs. Rilla wanted to groan, but realized he had gone through the same thing, and had a crooked smile on his lips.
"Good, I think? It aches occasionally, but nothing too bothersome," She tells him as he sits on the piano bench next to her, hitting a few keys, until they both fall into a song, laughing as they dodge each other's hands as they play an easy duet.
"Let's go for a walk," Rilla nudges him as she hears Susan come home. Taking his hand in her own, enough for him to be shocked at the very least. They leave by the back door, telling Susan they will be back for dinner and begin the trek down to the old valley.
Where spring is in full swing, it's already lush and green, but flowers have yet to fully bloom in the tries. They create a moment in time as they head towards Rainbow Valley as they weave around the trees as they talk of ordinary things, never once bringing up the war. She knows of course, but she cannot think of it. Not on his first day here, still as they approach the old maple grove, on that she would catch Jem and Faith sweethearting in she stops in her tracks.
"Fred…" Rilla says stopping, her hand clutching his arm in panic as they come across the same person who had made a fuss about her marriage.
"Mrs. Ford," he says like acid on his tongue. Still not over it or his embarrassment it seems?
"We were on our way from the valley, I didn't realize people cut through here," Ken says for her, rather steely and back straight.
"I was at the running errand for my father," Fred says simply. "I didn't realize cutting through was trespassing."
"Ken, let's just go," Rilla tugs on his arm. "Before Hades rears up and spoils this?" She says quietly and Ken nods his head.
"Good Day," he says politely too Fred.
"When are you enlisting? Or are you hiding in cowardice?" Fred calls out.
Ken turns around. "In three weeks, not that it's any of your business. Forgive me for having a broken ankle last year and wanting to see my wife before I leave and go fight in a war that may go on for god knows how long…also I don't see you in Khaki?"
"I awaiting my mother's surgery," Fred huffs. "But really, let's be real you're just here to leave a little Ford around? I mean you actually believed her…" he didn't have time to even finish before he found himself on the ground. Ken's fist was still clutched and now slightly bruising, as the other man clutched his cheek and nose.
"If you ever say anything about my wife again, I will beat the living shit out of you. You have no idea what she has suffered through and I will not let you sully her good name because of your pride when she did nothing wrong." Ken tells him gruffly.
"You shouldn't have done that," Rilla says quietly when he nudges him to follow him when Fred limps away.
"He deserved that, you deserve to be defended Rilla," Ken tells her shaking his head. "He was being awful and disrespectful."
"That doesn't call for violence," Rilla tells him quietly.
"Of course, I'm sorry I'm sorry if I frightened you," Ken says looking down at her and offering her his arm once more. "Tell me more about the baking?"
"I plan to have a pie in the auxiliary bizarre and fair? It will most likely end up in the charity section and not the pie auction but it gives me something to work towards." Rilla tells him quietly losing most of her pep she had of the day.
"I'll tell you what, I'll buy the whole thing, and if you bring a basket we can have our picnic?" Ken tells her. "I hear there is a barn da—," he stops himself short.
"There's a barn dance, you can say it Ken it won't make me upset." She tells him quietly.
"Do you want to go to it? If I'm there with you?" He asks her cautiously.
"I don't knowth? I…" Rilla stuttered and lisped. "I haventh…"
"If you did," he begins. "If you did want to go, I wouldn't leave your side for a moment?"
Rilla could only nod her head blushing, unsure if she wanted to trust that sort of situation yet. She still finds herself flinching when people reach out to touch her sometimes. She's gone to the store running into a group of new fishermen leaving the general store that had made her drop the eggs she had just bought and spend the night in nightmares.
She watches him from the bed in the spare room as he goes through his bag and trunk. Unpacking and hanging up his Sunday jacket and pants, and putting his shoes below them. while placing his summer shirts and trousers until he reached for a white box and looked at it for a moment.
"I went shopping with Mother and Persis…I hope it's all right?," Ken says holding out the gift box for her. Rilla not expecting it can really only look at him curiosity, while tilting her head.
"Well, open it," he urges her sitting down on the bed and Rilla does so carefully. Removing the lid and peeling back the tissue paper to reveal green striped oven work silk, it takes a moment before she realizes it is a pinafore overskirt.
"Did Persis and your Mother or did you buy it?" Rilla at him, and Ken just sheepishly looks at her but doesn't answer.
"Persis saw your photo and letter and I explained that you didn't like wearing white all the time but your mother still prefers it. Persis saw it and thought you could wear it over your white dresses and feel a bit more yourself?"
"Persis thought of that?" Rilla looks at him head tilting not sure if she believed him or not.
"She did," Ken nods his head, ear still slightly pink. "I thought it was very nice of her to think of you that way. I would have never thought of such a thing."
"But you bought it?" Rilla looks at him. "Because your sister gave you the idea?"
"I bought it because you deserved something pretty and the shade of a green would make your eyes stand out," Ken says ever so in a velvety cool voice of his that could make any girl of his choice swoon, and one it might have made Rilla swoon, but these days it just made her feel full of something greater then what she could ever feel.
"Well then, I best try it one," Rilla says standing up, cheeks flushed. She walks across the hall to her room and picks out one of her white dresses. Her old favourite, even if she felt stifled in it most of the time. She undid the buttons and hooks of her striped one and switched the garments. Slipping on the green pinafore over top taking a moment to learn how to hook it up and pulling up the straps that went from a V from the waist.
"It fits," Rilla says coming back after a moment. "I don't even need to hem it," She says looking down at the hem and her shoes.
"It looks lovely on you, Persis was right," Ken says with a smile before standing up. Rilla looks at him blushing.
"Thank you," she says quietly, she jumps slightly as she feels his hand circling his waist. His eyes are bright with something as he stands in front of her, head tilting downwards. She doesn't know what to do but her hands end up resting on his chest. He kisses her slowly…grinning at her when he breaks away.
"I don't think that counts as a thank you just yet," he teases her and Rilla glares at him and lifts on her toes to kiss him.
"Rilla where are you? Have you seen…Fred Arnold is telling Wild—" The footsteps call out to her and the half shut door door swings open. "Oh my! I am sorry!"