Chapter 29 - Hidden intentions are often the most obvious ones
After spending a long time in the company of the Lacroix family, Anne travelled again across the plains to Miss Stacy's home.
She finally entered the grove and saw the teacher in the distance doing mechanics on her motorbike, the latter was dressed in her handywoman's outfit, trousers and headband in her hair, and was covered in soot.
Suddenly she raised her head and saw the redhead on her mare, then she exclaimed with a radiant smile, "Anne! It's good to see you!"
The former pupil tied Belle to a tree while declaring, "I couldn't not visit you! You seem to be having a very exciting morning!"
"Well... This machine is giving me a hard time, but I'm about to get there." At the same time she restarted it, apparently the parasitic sound it made the day before had disappeared.
She then stopped the motorbike, "I'm going to clean myself up a bit, you can come in.", She opened the front door of her house.
While waiting for Miss Stacy in the living room, the young student began one of her famous monologues, "Remember when I left you, I was sadder than ever, and today I am so happy! You were right, in order to experience the greatest joys, one must also have experienced the greatest sorrows. It's not so bad in Queens, I've had a few problems, but they are insignificant compared to what I experienced months ago."
"I am delighted to hear that! So what brings you here?" asked the teacher, who now wiped her face with a towel at the other end of the room.
"Well, as I told you in our correspondence, there is a short story competition at Queens College. I've written some drafts, some first drafts that need to be reworked, I would have liked to have your opinion, I haven't had anyone read it yet."
Muriel walked over to the couch and sat down beside her former student, "It's an honour you're doing me! And tell me, what's the prize for the big winner?"
She explained, not without some excitement, "Oh well, the grand prize winner will have the honour of reading his or her short story in public at The First Snow's Prom, which takes place just before the Christmas break."
"The First Snow's Prom? And it's happening in Queens too?", asked the teacher.
At the same time a familiar face appeared in front of the living room window, which was wide open. Immediately the person mischievously declared, "So we're talking about worldliness?"
"Mrs Lynde! I am glad to see you!", and then with some enthusiasm she continued looking at the teacher, "I would love for you to come if I ever win this competition!"
"Am I invited too?!" Asked Rachel, who seemed a little offended.
The young redhead was content to approve timidly, "Oh but... if you don't mind, I don't oblige you to do anything."
"Well, for me it will be a pleasure!", replied Miss Stacy, excited.
"It will be necessary at all costs to come accompanied? I mean an escort?", asked the village gossip, then glanced at the young teacher.
Anne frowned slightly, she didn't know what to say, "Oh...er... I admit I have no idea."
The elderly woman smiled politely and then said, "Anyway, I'd love to come too, but normally it's customary to be accompanied by an escort, so Muriel you'll need..."
The woman with blond hair decided to change the subject immediately, "Enough chatter, you wanted me to read your first draft Anne?"
Mrs. Lynde, who had noticed that Miss Stacy had deliberately avoided her remark, hurried around the house to go through the front door, without the owner even inviting her in.
The young redhead then gave her pages to her former teacher, "In fact, it's mainly the subject of my short story that I would like your opinion on."
"Let's see..." Muriel began to read, and her look became serious, Anne gazed at her with fear in her stomach.
At the same moment Rachel arrived in the living room with a haughty look on her face, "I allowed myself to go in.", but the host didn't react, she was too busy reading.
After a long, heavy silence that lasted several minutes, with only the sound of pages turning, Miss Stacy finally spoke.
The latter seemed to be overwhelmed, "Anne, it's beautiful. Kak'wet, is this the friend you told me about?", She just nodded.
Rachel looked at the redhead with a sorry look on her face, for she had learned of the young Mi'kmaq girl's fate through Marilla. She felt responsible for the girl's situation because, after all, she was the one who had told her parents about the boarding school.
"Is there a limit to the number of sheets in the competition rules?", asked the teacher.
"Oh yes! We are allowed a maximum of five sheets, can you imagine me reading fifty sheets in front of everyone? Oh I could have done it! But I'm not sure what kind of world will be left at the end..." replied Anne, laughing.
"In relation to the theme it addresses. I find it very relevant and it raises questions. Nevertheless... I am not in a position to comment on what the jury might think. Either you're going to be dealing with open-minded people, or stubborn people, if you know what I mean...", The professor took a quick glance at Rachel as she said this.
Then she added, "The main thing is that you wrote what you wanted. The price doesn't matter."
But the student did not completely share the same opinion, "For me the price is important. I want people to hear this story."
Miss Stacy put her hand on the young redhead's shoulder, "I wish you that, but don't get your hopes up."
Anne replied simply by nodding her head with a slight bittersweet smile.
"I wanted to ask you, it's been a long time since I've heard from Gilbert, does he like Toronto?", the teacher asked innocently.
She did not know how to answer this, she also felt the look on her face from Mrs Lynde, who seemed to be particularly attentive to the answer she could give.
But the young redhead simply replied, "I have the impression that he likes it there, to tell the truth I haven't talked to him much either."
"Yet I have heard just the opposite.", Rachel said with a sly smile.
The stingy wife of gossip took the opportunity to ask the girl a question, "Did you know that young Blythe had finally renounced to engage with this Charlottetown girl?"
Muriel rolled her eyes immediately when she heard this, "Rachel... I don't think Anne wants to talk about this, then how does it concern her?"
Anne found herself in an embarrassing situation, she was in the company of a woman who knew too much and another who seemed to know nothing about the situation.
So to get out of there, she glanced at the clock, "Oh my God, I have to go! I promised Marilla I'd be home before 12 o'clock!"
The two women watched the girl run away at full speed.
The redhead finally turned back, she had forgotten to say one thing before leaving, "Oh! And if I don't see you again before I leave tomorrow, take care of yourself!"
With these words, Anne flees and left the two women with a dazed look on their face, it was not like her to say goodbye in this way. One of them knew very well why she had had such a reaction, Rachel simply smiled an embarrassed smile at Muriel, she had promised Marilla she wouldn't tell what she knew, but you could feel that she was struggling strongly.
On the Toronto side of town, Gilbert was about to head to the Rosedale neighbourhood where the Stuart family lived in the early afternoon. He was in his room preparing some books to study, he had even prepared some geometry exercises for Christine.
He was serene, there was no reason for this first private lesson to go wrong.
But suddenly he was alerted by Jack, who rushed into the room, "How do I look?!", he asked Gilbert in an urgent tone.
"Uh... as usual.", replied his comrade nonchalantly.
This did not calm the redhead, "As usual?! But that's awful!"
The brown boy was confused, "What does it matter what you look like? You decided to come with me after all...?"
"Do you really think I was ready for this?! But I thought you knew, Christine... she-she's on campus!", he says alarmed.
This panicked the apprentice teacher, "What?! But I had to go to their house?!"
"I don't know, but it was definitely her! And you know what the worst thing is?!"
Gilbert was gradually losing his patience, "No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me."
"Christine, she was chatting with Chase Beauchemin!", his roommate was definitely at the bottom of the abyss.
"And... who is he again?", the medical student asked himself.
"The brotherhood guy! The same guy who brought us to this... place. ", Jack was not particularly comfortable with this anecdote.
This made the dark-haired boy wince, "Oh... That guy there."
"Please Gilbert, make sure you keep Christine away from this guy, you'll be with her all afternoon, tell her the truth!", He begged.
But his friend immediately protested, "You know her much better than I do!"
The redhead scratched his head and embarrassedly confessed, "I don't want to admit that I was dragged into this kind of place! Although... I didn't stay there."
"Look, I'm sure she'll understand, if you're going to court her, you have to..."
Jack immediately interrupted his friend, "Well, well... Wait before you lecture me. Are you telling me that you told Anne all about it?"
The brown boy was suddenly embarrassed by this question, "I haven't had the chance to do it yet..."
"And are you seriously thinking of telling her?", insisted his comrade with a small smile.
"I think we were talking about you at first, weren't we?", said Gilbert, who didn't want to dwell on the subject.
"So you weren't ready to tarnish your image, like me today.", concludes the young redhead.
"I can just tell her that she should avoid seeing him, why go into details? And then that way you can tell her yourself.", The student was quite satisfied with his reasoning, he thought he had convinced his friend.
"And then pass for someone jealous?", he immediately took offence.
Gilbert said sarcastically, "Isn't that already the case?"
His friend didn't respond to this, he just looked away.
The dark-haired boy grabbed his satchel and walked to the door, "Well, I'll already try to find out why she's here, I don't want to get in trouble with Mr. Stuart."
He was now in the corridors, and indeed, he saw Christine chatting with Chase, the head of the famous brotherhood, he walked towards the two individuals, he had not spoken to the student since that evening at the brothel.
He cleared his throat, "Hum. Hello.", he didn't really dare interrupt them.
"Oh Mr. Blythe!", exclaimed Christine, who was not unhappy that Gilbert saw her with another boy, "I don't know if you know Mr. Beauchemin."
"We've already crossed paths.", Chase said dryly.
"Actually.", confirmed the medical student without much enthusiasm.
"I'm sorry, I know we should have studied at home, but I thought coming to university would be a better environment! Isn't it a wonderful place!", said the brunette girl in ecstasy.
"Does your father know? I don't want to get in trouble?", the young man worried.
"Of course he is!", and then she instantly asked, "Then where's your room! I'm dying to find out!"
"Oh I think we would be much better off in the library. And then there's Jack who needs to study a little alone.", Gilbert thought that this way the girl would give up her somewhat inappropriate ideas.
She exclaimed again, "But that Jack is wrong! The more the merrier!", She went far out in front, "So Mr. Blythe, where is your room?"
Gilbert raised his eyes to heaven, he resigned himself, he had understood what kind of girl she could be, that means, not to take into consideration the opinions of those around her. He wondered if Jack's feelings were for the girl standing in front of him, or for the girl he played hide-and-seek with as a child.
Whatever the answer to this question, the young student concluded that the afternoon was obviously going to drag on, to his dismay.