At breakfast of their fourth day a waiter handed a note to Roy. Roy took the note and read it briefly sucking his teeth. "Hm."

"What is it dearest?"

"Something's come up. I need to get back home."

Anne looked crestfallen, she had enjoyed their sojourn, the change of scenery had done much to improve her mood. "No need for you to leave," Roy said. "I have organised a surprise."

Rather than feeling happy once more Anne felt wrong footed. "I wish you'd stop doing that," she murmured.

"Eh?"

"Sorry, did I say that out loud dearest? I do apologise."

"I thought you liked surprises," Roy said petulantly.

"Oh, I do, I do so so much, but sometimes a bit of warning wouldn't go astray either. May I ask what manner of surprise you have planned?"

"You may ask," Roy said with a grin, "but I will not divulge. I think you'll like it, however. When it arrives, please pass on my apologies."

Now Anne was more confused than ever. She followed Roy up to their room and watched while Nancy packed his trunk. "Now don't be too sad, darling," he said. "I'll expect you home in a few days, think you can manage the journey on your own?"

"Of course I can," Anne replied feeling rather belittled. "I'm a veteran traveller after all. I travelled to Kingsport on my own before we married you know."

"Of course you did," Roy replied kissing her chastely on the top of her head. "Farewell, I'll look forward to our reunion in a few days, but until then enjoy." Standing on the hotel porch Anne watched him drive off, then turned away to ready herself for a walk.

It had been lovely to promenade down the pathway with her husband, but it was strange now to be surrounded by couples knowing he was further and further away with each passing minute.

The surprise arrived before lunch, Anne walked inside after her walk and ran into a familiar face looking wildly out of place in the foyer. "Marilla!" exclaimed Anne. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Roy sent word that you would be here," Marilla explained. "The children have school, so Rachel will bring them along on Saturday, but I thought I would escape before then, so we could have some time together. And where is Roy?"

"He is so terribly sorry, but he had an urgent note this morning and has left for home. He told me there would be a surprise this afternoon, but I never thought."

Marilla shrugged, "that it would be your old mother."

"Old! Never! I'm absolutely delighted, and," she added, dropping her voice conspiratorially, "it's wonderful to have a day or so together without the rest of them. Is that a terrible admission to make?"

"Not at all, I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes they can be a bit," Marilla cast around for the right word, "much."

"Where are your things?" Anne asked, looking around.

"I just have this bag here," Marilla responded. "I admit I feel a little out of place. It's so very grand."

"I know," Anne smiled. "But though you may feel it, you are certainly very welcome. Have you worked out which is your room?"

"Not yet, I thought I would wait for you."

Anne sorted it out for Marilla, feeling as though their roles had swapped; now she was the one taking care of business. Arm in arm they made their way up staircase and waited until the porter opened the door. Anne slipped him a coin for his troubles and watched Marilla take in the scene before her. "My goodness, Anne. This is rather marvellous, isn't it. Will we be sharing this room?"

"The porter said you would have a room each."

"Each! Oh no, Anne. I can't let Roy put himself out. We can make do with one room, two at the most, if Davy takes a room."

Anne laughed, "Roy isn't much good at making do, Marilla. Please let him, it is his pleasure. In fact, he admitted that normally he would have taken me somewhere grander, but he knew I would love to come home."

"I'm sorry he had to leave. I was looking forward to seeing him. I feel I hardly know him."

"Yes, it's a real shame. He sent his apologies. Now, shall we go for a walk, the shore is so beautiful hereabouts."

Mindful of her companion Anne did not suggest the beach this time, but the seaside path was well built with benches at appropriate intervals to allow opportunities to watch the ocean in all its shifting shades of turquoise and teal. Anne and Marilla sat on one such bench after walking for a while. "And you're sure you're happy?" Marilla asked.

"I am, I really am," Anne replied. "He is such a wonderful man. He's taking such good care of me and showing me all of Kingsport. His family are so supportive, too."

"Mrs Gardner?"

"Yes, Mother Gardner is involved in our life," Anne said carefully. Marilla frowned, Anne used an unusual phrase there, 'involved' now what did that mean? She refrained from pressing. Anne continued, "and his sisters are such dears. Dorothy took me out for tea just the other day and we always have such a laugh." She's hiding something, Marilla thought. There's something not quite right.

Anne felt as though there were a barrier between them. It's probably just because I'm married, and she never has lived with a man in this way, that'll be it. She continued, "there are ever so many lovely activities in town, music, theatre, ballet. We seldom have a night in." Marilla smiled, wondering if they ever got a moment to talk.


Late Friday afternoon the rest of the family joined them. Rachel exclaimed over the sumptuous nature of her room. "All this," she asked. "Just for me?"

"Yes, yes," Anne laughed. "Just for you. And the children each have their own rooms also."

"Seems a waste, that's what."

"It's Roy's pleasure. He'll be so happy you enjoyed yourselves."

"Will he be returning?" Rachel asked.

"I'm afraid not, his business has kept him away. He sent his apologies that he couldn't see you this time. I know he's bitterly disappointed."

"As he should be, eh Marilla," Rachel nudged her friend.

With the children there Anne shucked off her shoes to the horror of the older women and raced them down the beach as if she were a young girl again. Davy outstripped her and Dora naturally. He was growing into a fine young man, though glimpses of the young boy could still be seen now and again. Together they started building a sandcastle while Marilla called down the beach at them, fearful for the impending laundry implications.

It was Davy who blurted the news out over afternoon tea. "Did ya know Gilbert has been ill, Anne?"

"I did hear tell," Anne murmured. She had meant to write Marilla, but it had left her mind.

"Yeah, he was real sick, Anne."

Marilla shot Davy a sharp look. "Well, he's all better now."

"Phil told me a while back actually. I meant to write you, but I got caught up. Was he very unwell?"

"It was a nasty case," Rachel replied. "Typhoid. But he had the Blythe constitution."

"Took him a while," Marilla took up the story. "But he's back at university now."

"Is he still studying medicine?"

"That's right."

"Poor Gil," Anne said. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Indeed, it was touch and go there for a while. We were all praying for him."

Watching Davy stretch his mouth over a large slice of cake Anne asked, "and how is dear Avonlea, Rachel?" Earlier she had asked Marilla the same question but as expected she received more in-depth news this time. It was handy really; it gave Marilla a break and no one else had to say much. "And Mrs Pye reports that Josie is with child," Rachel said eventually, having barely drawn breath.

"I think that's enough now," Marilla interrupted. "Give poor Anne a chance to take it all in." Anne looked at her gratefully. Apart from anything else babies were a touchy subject. "Speaking of which," Rachel continued remorsefully. "No word from you on that front?"

"Rachel!"

"Folks are beginning to talk, Anne, it's been a while. Now I know it's not always straightforward. I recall the Willises took a few months, remember, Marilla. But it has been a year after all, Anne. Are we going to hear the pitter patter of little feet soon?"

Blushing a deep red all Anne could do was stutter an embarrassed, "no," She recovered with a small laugh, and added, "plenty of time for that, Rachel." Much to her relief the topic moved on when Dora started to tell them a story about a boy at school who had annoyed her. The three women had to dissuade Davy from 'thumping' him, advising that his method was not at all appropriate.


After dinner Rachel's bedtime routine was interrupted by a quiet knock. "Yes?"

"It's only me," Marilla announced. After she had settled down in the armchair she said, "I wasn't going to say anything about babies. When Anne's ready she'll tell us."

"Well, we had to know. Folks are always stopping me in the mercantile, Marilla."

"Maybe there's something amiss."

"If there is, she should tell her family."

"It's not that easy."

"Is it because you've never borne one, Marilla? I thought you and Anne were as thick as thieves. I thought she told you everything."

"She used to," Marilla said as a wave of sadness overcame her. Dabbing at the corner of her eye with her handkerchief she recovered. "Maybe because she's a married woman now, whereas… Anyway, whatever it is, we're finding it hard to," she flapped her hand, "connect."

Despite misgivings on both sides, overall it was a lovely visit and Anne felt much better connected with her old home at the end of the weekend. She waved the family off and promised to write more often. Marilla waved back, happy but also worried. Anne had presented a troubling picture, and she wasn't sure what to make of it. "I just feel," she'd said to Rachel on their last night, "that she's not as happy as I'd expect. I get the feeling that Roy's wonderful with grand gestures, but maybe not so much at intimacy. What were you and Thomas like that first year?"

"Oh." Rachel was reflective for a moment. "Yes, we were fizzing with excitement for quite a while."

"I just don't see any fizzing, do you?" Rachel regarded her for a long moment and shook her head.


Maybe it was talk of Gilbert that caused her mind to start racing, but Anne who had put him out of her mind the moment Roy proposed, could not stop thinking. Her predicament was not helped after breakfast the next day. As Nancy was upstairs packing she spied the back of a man's head. A man with soft dark curls and square shoulders. Can't be, Anne thought. He's away at university. And it wasn't, for the man laughed with the lady on his arm and looked over his shoulder. But the thought lingered.