Anne Shirley Blythe-

Thank you! The Brownie was an achievement for home photography for sure and I agree the history is fascinating! Leslie is lovely and someone whom Rilla needs in her life and needs to hear some of those things that Leslie tells her. Anne and Gilbert try their best but they are just as traumatized as Rilla about this all. But I did have way too much fun with the second of Leslie's talk! Hope you enjoy this one as well!


"You know I always wanted a sister," Persis says as she helps Rilla choose a dress for dinner from her closet.

"Oh?" Rilla says unsure of what to say. She and Persis have never really stayed in touch, she wrote to Nan and Di but only sent the occasional holiday or birthday card to Rilla. Even the past few days had been awkward. Maybe once before they could have giggled over ladies' magazines and clothing, but that seemed like a lifetime since Rilla did that even for herself.

"I didn't think it would be like this, but at least I know you and you've grown up a fair bit since I last saw you," Persis says. "Fifteen, turning sixteen with all the talk of italics and romance in school."

"I'm not in school," Rilla says shyly. "I finished the highest level at the school house, and saw no point in going to queens."

"Oh, then what do you do during the day?" Persis says confused because most of her day was school and Red Cross things.

"I…I help Susan in the kitchen or the garden. Sometimes I read fairytales or mythology books. I help sew things that Mrs. Meredith and Una bring by. I….I should be in the junior Reds as I think they are called, but given the circumstances, some families don't think it's right, and Mother thinks actual Red Cross meetings are too mature for me…So I just do what I can when I can?

"That sounds lonely," Persis says after a moment.

"I help Father sometimes, I go look in on Mrs. Anderson and her infant, I help clean up and get the laundry sorted or take the baby for a walk if it's not too cold out?" Rilla explains. "Minnie is nice, her husband left when Britain declared war, and when the baby was born she almost died. Dad saved her and instructed me to help her."

"That still sounds lonely,"

"Hades can be lonely," Rilla says quietly.

"Hades?" Persis' brow crinkles.

"Mother doesn't like me saying hell, so I call hell Hades. My life, the war our brothers are fighting. It's Hades, waiting for Persephone to shine her light on the world once more." Rilla explains.

"You like tales then," Persis asks and Rilla just nods her. She is not sure what Persis has been told. "I have a book about Greek mythology if you want it. Maybe we can write more to each other and discuss our favourites? I take a mythology class at university, I can always make you a mock course. Ken likes discussing mythology as well though he does read more science fiction and enjoys Forester most of the time?"

"I can't make any promises?" Rilla frowns.

"You're a lot prettier than what I was expecting," Persis says honestly. "Though the last time I saw you, you were only twelve? When told me he Ken was married to you, I thought he was joking. I mean, who would hurt a child? Sure Nan and Di called you spider in letters, which seeing you now, makes sense, you're so slim but modestly tall, but also you are much prettier than a spider. No wonder Kenneth was taken with you, even his first letter after seeing you commented on how much you had grown up. You're a pretty thing, even with your sadness that penetrates through your eyes."

Rilla just stares at her.

"I said too much haven't I?" Persis says groaning. "My friends say I never think when I ramble on as I do. Wear this dress to dinner it will look pretty in the candlelight of the chandelier they will light for the party and don't worry, all of Dad's business friends are nice. Never once have they ever wiggled their eyebrows at me. "

Rilla nods looking at the gold and cream-coloured dress, She was taller than Persis, but Persis had longer dresses. "Why would they wiggle their eyebrows at you?"

"They wouldn't," Rilla hears from the doorway and she turns at Ken's voice. "Is that the dress? I thought you had a green one that you didn't wear for some reason?"

"This one is fine," Rilla says as Persis is already looking through her closet once more. It's a deep green, with a velvet girdle and beading and flimsy silk. "That is way too fancy for the likes of me."

"You may want it," Persis says quietly. "It will make people think you are older than you are, which might not be a bad thing?"

"Do I look all right?" Rilla asks as she stands not the stairs. Ken's mouth is partly open, and Walter hits his friends after a moment.

"You look perfect," Ken says shaking his head. Taking in the green gown on her, the gold trim and silk that fall to just to her ankles the velvet girdle and sheer ivory of the sleeves. "Persis let down the hem a bit for me/"

"I would have never noticed," Ken says. "I don't think anyone would have right Walt?"

"Only if you tell them," Walter says barely looking at his sister as he tries to fix his cufflink. When he does look up his eyes are wide as he takes in his baby sister, who is not so much a baby in such a gown. Persis comes beside dressed in a burgundy dress and together the dresses are festive and holiday-themed. Still, Rilla looks grown up with her long skirt and her curls are pinned up in a way ribboned around her head.

It's less an opera and more of a night of carols and various upper-class businessmen who are all conversing Rilla finds out. It didn't take long for introductions before his parents disappeared and Rilla tucked herself into Kenneth's side.

"She can't be more than sixteen…" she hears and her head whips around but Ken squeezes her hand. He heard it too.

"He can dress her up all he wants but we all know that whatever he told people was clearly not the truth."

"Oh, of course, trouble is what trouble does." One says smirking.

Trouble….she heard the term more than a few times this past fall. Trouble…

"I know I saw his sister talking about Layettes at the department store and whatnot, but she is hiding it well, or that broken arm tells us everything?"

Rilla bit her lip. Wasn't Toronto supposed to be a haven for her?

"Ignore them they are vapid and gossip,, Let us go and wait for the show," Ken whispers close to her ear. "Do you want anything to drink beforehand?"

Rilla can only shake her head.

They make their way up to the box Owen had secured for them. It was grand and Rilla couldn't help but mouth along to the songs she knew, feeling Ken squeeze her hand every once in a while.

It's late when they return, but still, they pass out presents as the Fords because it was their custom. Still dressed in their finery, Persis cheerfully handed out gifts to everyone.

Walter got books and writing accessories, Persis a new dress and earrings, and Ken got her another journal and a silver necklace with a cluster of pearls in filigree. She blushes and thanks him briefly by kissing his cheek quickly.

When it comes to retiring, Walter kisses her forehead and heads up to his room. She fiddles with the hooks of her dress, not used to the placement but manages to get it off. Pulling the pins from her hair and letting the curls down and massaging her scalp with her one good hand.

She opens the door a crack, to see Ken's door open for her and what sounds like the shower running. It was Christmas…she told herself then again she was already asleep when Ken found her curled up on what was now her side of the bed in his room. Hair spread out on his pillows, he smiles and shakes his head. She makes a sound of disturbance as he settles in on his side but doesn't do more than that.

She felt familiar phantom pain in her dreams as she tossed and turned into a bed that wasn't hers. She tossed enough that she found her colliding with another more than once, but he never complained. When she sat up in bed with a bit of a cry he woke up thinking it was another bad dream.

"It's okay," he says turning on the light beside his bed. "What's wrong?"

Rilla looks at him and then down at her legs, her nightgown and his blankets that were stained with bright red.

She didn't even have time to stop him before he was up out of bed, calling out for her parents. She's bleeding, she woke up in a pool of blood.

It was Leslie who took one look at her and shook her head at her son. "Come dear, let's get you cleaned up shall we?"

"Shouldn't we call the doctor?"Ken asks still panicked.

"It's fine, one can assume that after the loss her body is still regulating and this is just a surprise," Leslie tells her son. "Owen dear can you just give him a brief run down and strip the bed and throw the soiled ones in the laundry tub with cold water?"

"Of course dear," The older man says.

Rilla finds herself in the bathroom room, with her mother-in-law running the tub once more.

"You haven't had a cycle in a fair bit have you?"

Rilla could only shake her head, she had bled after the miscarriage for a bit, but once it ended it hadn't resumed until this moment.

"I'm sorry?"

"There is nothing to be sorry about, it happens to the best of us. Every woman has had it happen, and this most likely won't be the last either. Now, let's get you cleaned up and I will find a few things for you to use," Leslie caresses her hair. "Wash up and I will be back." She says leaving the bathroom Rilla peels off her night dress slips into the tub and quickly washes. The blood reminds her of that night, but the pain in her lower abdomen is nothing near that level pain this time around. She curls up in a ball when Leslie knocks back at the door, hiding herself from view.

"Here's a new nightgown, belt and sanitary napkin, and some waterproof bloomers that Persis swears by—they are new so you can keep them to bring back home with you," Leslie says before quietly exiting.

Rilla dresses, still self-conscious but no one mentions that she is in his bed again.

"You don't have to panic it's normal." She could hear her father-in-law say his sigh.

"Normal?" Ken stresses. "Waking up a pool of blood is normal?"

"Well, usually not, they usually can tell or know but sometimes it catches them off guard," Owen says a bit in a 'don't be daft sort of way'.

"How do you not know this?" She can hear her brother ask. God Walter woke up too?

"Look it's not that I didn't know, I mean Persis has her moods but I didn't think it was like this," Ken stresses. "How do you know?"

"I have three sisters, Ken, one of them is always on the rag, and Dad's a doctor it's not much of a hidden topic?" Walter said it so simply she could see his shrug saying it. The twins never shied away from the proclamation of not feeling well, while Rilla herself still felt oddly shy about voicing it the past year of starting it herself. The cry for help when she had been freshly thirteen, Mother only smiled wistfully and explained that she was not dying. She was just entering another stage of life.

"Look everyone, her body is readjusting, but let's not embarrass the girl," Leslie breaks into the conversation when she realizes Rilla is standing awkwardly in the hall. "Back to bed everyone," she shoes everyone back to their rooms, leaving Ken and her at his door.

"Come on," Ken nudges her gently. "Do you need anything else?"

Rilla only shakes her head, she barely realizes he still thinking she would sleep in his room. "I should?" She points to the other door.

"So you can stare at the ceiling? It's fine Rilla, all taken care of, let us just go back to sleep." Ken says quietly to her.

She can only nod her head, looking at her brother who doesn't look entirely impressed.

"If you need anything else you won't wake anyone up from my squeaking door."

"I'm sorry," she repeats to him.

"It's fine Rilla, truly it just caught me off guard. It's part of your life, something I'll have to get used to one day, might as well be now?"

He tucks her into the side of the bed she used before, kissing her hair before flopping down into his own space. She lays there for a good moment staring at the ceiling. Before flipping to her side as her insides twinge. Tears fall into her pillow until a sob wracks her body, curled up. She jumps when she feels his touch, soft circles on her back through her tears. She cries for her girlhood, her unending shame, her embarrassment, the pieces of herself long lost and the colour of red that haunted her.


She stays in bed on Christmas morning, only getting up to deal with using the washroom. She looks around Ken's room in the daylight. Done in shades of green and creams, dark wood chest of drawers and armoire.

"How are you feeling?" Ken asks knocking on the door and carrying another tray.

"All right, embarrassed mostly," Rilla says quietly pulling at the cardigan over her nightgown.

"Understandable, but there is no need to be, it happens," Ken brushes it off. "I brought some scones if you're hungry?"

"Thank you," She responds.

"Your father dressed you down though for me being in here?" Rilla asks quietly looking down at her hands.

"Dad just was surprised, he wasn't expecting you to be in my room, I guess Mom caught on quickly but Dad did not?" Ken shrugs. "It's fine really, he just didn't expect it. Do you need anything, we have puzzles and books. Persis has some magazines?" He asks her setting the tray down on the chair beside her and sitting down on the bed beside her.

"I'll be fine, I'll be up and about in a little bit," Rilla says quietly blushing. "You don't have to keep me company if you have things to do."

"Keeping you company is exactly what I am supposed to be doing," Ken chuckles. "I did also find this in the pantry," he brandishes out a chocolate bar from his sweater pocket.

"Chocolate!" Rilla gasps, reaching out for it, making him chuckle even more and he watches her eat it ignoring all the other things he brought her. When she finishes she blushes at her eagerness. Neither of them speaks for a good moment, letting the morning sunlight come over them and bounce off her room,

"Is it awful that I am relieved?" She says quietly settling back into the mattress.

"I think it's a completely natural response given everything," Ken says after a moment. "I was relieved if it makes you feel better."

"Do you regret it now, that you sacrificed yourself for nothing?"

"You are not a sacrifice Rilla, I didn't sacrifice anything offering myself to you," Ken comes to her, taking the tray from the bed and setting it down on the chair before sliding onto the bed beside her. "It's not a sacrifice to have you here- in my bed, watching you sleep, your hair on my pillow. I gained everything you are, which is sweetness and beauty, shrouded in darkness but then your cleverness comes out you shine through it. Nothing is a sacrifice with you."


I wish everyone a Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas! It's Nutcracker season for me but I managed to snag time to post this for you!

Tina