Chapter 23 - An Early Day at Avonlea

A week had passed since Muriel Stacy left Sebastian Delacroix's house in a hurry.

It was the weekend, that Friday morning, Muriel was riding her motorcycle to Avonlea's school. All week she had been careful to avoid Bash, she kept thinking about what had happened at the end of dinner, and how ridiculous her reaction had been last Friday.

She didn't understand why she had reacted that way, Sebastian was a grieving man just like her, he was still grieving for Mary, she was still grieving for Jonah. There was nothing but a sincere friendship between them, so why did they leave in such a hurry?

The teacher wasn't particularly early that morning, not that she hadn't got up early enough, she had spent an unreasonable amount of time observing a nest of chickadees that had decided to take up residence in her garden, in one of the many nesting boxes she had made.

It was with a smile on her face that she left for school. Her day started so well that nothing could spoil it.

She was halfway there when she heard a strange noise coming from her motorcycle, and that's how she realized that fate had decided otherwise. Even though her motorcycle was very noisy, the rattling sound was unusual, and so it slowed down until it stopped moving at all. The vehicle was now at a standstill, the good mood she felt a few moments ago had turned into weariness.

Then, she got off the motorcycle and exclaimed, "Of course! It was far too beautiful! I guess you can't have it all!", She knocked one of the wheels the vehicle, causing it to fall off, "Why do you have to let go of me today?!"

Suddenly a familiar voice came from behind her, "Well, I wouldn't want to be in the place of that machine!"

Her eyes widened, she turned around, "Se-Sebastian, what are you doing here?!", she asked awkwardly.

This one was standing there driving his cart, he was not in work clothes, he was rather dressed that morning. He laughed and said, "I'd rather return this question to you, although I have an idea!", he stopped the chariot.

Muriel lowered her eyes and looked embarrassed at her motorcycle.

Sebastian continued, "Actually I was on my way to town, I had some errands to run."

The young schoolteacher nodded, "Good luck with that.", she smiled.

The farmer then got out of his cart and walked to the broken down vehicle and began to lift the machine. This caused Muriel to react, "What are you doing?!"

Bash continued his maneuver and answered without even looking at her, "Well, I'm going to put this in the back of the cart, I'm not going to leave you here.", he said confidently.

"You really don't have to, I don't want to hold you up!", she exclaimed upset.

"You want to keep a whole class of students waiting longer?", he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Miss Stacy did not answer, but the look she gave him said much, for it was true that her class could be undisciplined at times, so if she was late she could not imagine what might happen in her absence.

So she just followed Sebastian, and sat on the edge of the chariot, once the motorcycle was set up, they were both off to school.

The two friends were very quiet on the way, which did not look at all like the young woman. And that Bash noticed, so he asked a harmless question, "So, is there going to be a spectacle this year at Christmas?"

The teacher seemed lost in thought, and then she replied unsure of herself, "Well... uh... yes."

The young farmer couldn't understand why she didn't grasp the pole he was throwing at her to start a conversation, why was she so quiet?

So he tried again, "And to think that Christmas is already three weeks away, time flies so fast... Are you making good progress in your preparations?"

Muriel seemed to be definitely absent, she couldn't help feeling a certain embarrassment but she didn't understand why, so she briefly replied again, "Uh...yes rather."

This did not discourage Sebastian, "If you need help with the sets, don't hesitate! The first Christmas I spent at Avonlea, I had done it moving the decors, there had been some clumsiness on my part, but I think I'd be better off now! I'd like Delphine to see the spectacle too."

The anecdote made the teacher react, "Oh! I didn't know that! Well, I wouldn't hesitate to call on you!"

Bash was quite pleased with her reaction, but he still found her a little off, so he continued on to another anecdote, "You know, Gilbert aside, the Cuthbert family was the first to accept me here, they invited me to Christmas Eve when they knew nothing about me. My first Christmas here was indeed a success, but this year, I'm afraid it's quite different.", Suddenly sadness took over his face.

The young teacher instantly understood the young widowed father's feeling, "You know, I can't promise you that this feeling will change over time, because I still feel the same way. But today I smile more than I cry when I think of him, maybe I have exhausted all my grief or maybe I just wanted to change it. I wish you that, Sebastian."

Bash didn't answer anything, he simply threw a discreet smile at her.

Muriel, who was now more relaxed, asked Sebastian in a slightly more playful tone, "I'd be very curious to know your first impression when you spent that famous Christmas Eve at the Cuthbert's, and what did you think of Anne, for example, the first time you saw her?"

The young farmer burst out laughing and said, "The Cuthberts are simply the nicest people I have ever known! And I already had lots of ideas about who Anne could be before I met her, and I wasn't disappointed. I must say that I was sailing at sea with her greatest admirer!"

The young blonde-haired woman laughed in turn and then sighed, "Ah... I miss those young ones."

They were only a few metres from the school, when they saw a cart on the opposite side of the road, the person in front of it made big signs. Sebastian began to giggle, while Miss Stacy dreaded what that person would say to her, for it was none other than Rachel Lynde.

When she reached their level, they greeted each other with their hands, Muriel noticed immediately that something was bothering the old woman, her expression was communicating for her.

"Well... It's about time you got here, Muriel, they all look a little overexcited over there.", she says, pointing to the school.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm only a few minutes late.", reassured the teacher firmly.

Then the old woman added, pretending not to be too interested, "Oh Sebastian! You here! You're going with Muriel to school now?", she asked in a tone that seemed a little irritated.

"It wasn't meant to be. Muriel broke down.", Bash said, pointing to the motorbike in the back.

"Oh...I see.", Rachel said with a pinched look, then she glanced at the back of the chariot.

Then, she added, "Good day to you! I'm busy!", Rachel exclaimed in a superior voice, and headed back to her destination.

Moments later, the two friends had arrived in front of the school, Bash went down first and showed gallantry by assisting the young blonde.

Muriel, not expecting it, smiled embarrassedly, her cheeks could be perceived to turn slightly pink as the caring man took her hand.

She finally realized that she had to hurry because she could hear her students heckling in the background, "Well... Thank you Sebastian! That was really nice of you.", She thanked him awkwardly as she prepared to go to her class.

He replied with a smile, and glanced at the motorcycle that was still on the back of his cart, "Uh... I almost forgot, do you want me to get your machine fixed or do you want me to drop it off at your home later?"

The young teacher was confused, "Oh! I'm so sorry! I forgot that I was crowding you! You can even leave it here, I'll manage later, only I know how to tame this thing!"

Sebastian laughed, "In that case, I can at least help you take it home, if you want I can drive you home at the end of your classes. I would probably have finished what I have to do."

"Oh! I really don't want to bother you any more!", She exclaimed, upset.

He also replied sharply, "You know very well that I don't mind! So, see you later! I wish you a good class.", he got back in his chariot at once, without the young blonde having had time to have the slightest reaction.

She entered her class with a smile on her face, even though the children were quite noisy, especially Minnie May Barry, who had decided to imitate Miss Stacy by putting herself on the blackboard. But that didn't even make the teacher grumble, she just pointed to her place, so that the girl would return to her place. The class then became silent and docile of itself.

Finally, the young woman thought that the day had definitely started in the best way.