After a discussion about the cannon spelling of Davy's name turns out even LMM wasn't sure, she spells it Davey and Davy. Since I prefer the latter, I'm sticking with it.

"Tell me," Anne asked over the meal Marilla had packed. "Were you there when Mrs Gardner received the news that I was selling the house?"

Charlotte nodded.

"How did she take it?"

"Not well."

Anne leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smile, "Do you mind telling me what she said."

Charlotte blinked a few times making sure she got the wording right. Mrs Gardner's reaction had been rather startling, even for her. "She said," she started slowly, "she said, 'what is that witch up to now?' I'm sorry Ma'am. I'm just repeating what she said." Anne waved her concerns away. "Only Ma'am she didn't say witch."

Anne smiled broadly. "Didn't she now."

"No Ma'am she was not happy."

"I bet. My friend Phil will do such a mountain of good with that house. I didn't want it, but I didn't think the Gardner's needed any more property than they already had. I was going to give it to Phil, but she insisted she pay something."

Charlotte nodded, "I can see that, she didn't just want charity."

"Well, she didn't pay much, nothing like market price. But I don't need that money, Mr Gardner was very rich, you know."

"Well, I'll be off now." The door slammed behind Anne and for the first time in her life, Charlotte found herself completely alone.

It was a strange feeling. At first it was intriguing to know that no one cared what she did next. A good explore seemed in order so she walked around the little lodge trailing her fingers over Anne's books and investigating her wardrobe. Charlotte figured she'd be laundering everything at some point anyway, so it seemed perfectly reasonable to see what was ahead of her. She has a good eye, not too flashy, but nice. I always thought that shade of green goes so well with her hair.

It had been so gay when the family had moved Anne in, with a flurry of movement and noise. The children, twins she soon found out, were rather boisterous, the boy Davy was it, in particular; his sister Flora? no Dora, was delightful. Charlotte had always longed for a sister and Dora seemed perfect. Mrs Lynde was a bit of a gossip and talked all day, not that anyone paid her much mind, Charlotte couldn't help noticing. Old Miss Cuthbert was a bit abrupt, but it was evident that everyone loved her, so she supposed she must have a good heart. Not like that witch, Mrs. Gardner, Charlotte shuddered. Thank goodness she had got away from there. Never a good word from her, never felt she was up to standard. Whereas Anne, and here Charlotte sobbed a little. Anne was so good to her, so understanding and sweet. The only problem, Charlotte realized, looking around, was that at present she wasn't there. She called out tentatively at first and then more strongly hearing the eponymous echo. No, I don't like that, it's too bouncy. No more yelling, at least not on my own. She and Anne had practiced last night, it had been fun then, but now it was a tiny bit spooky.

Deciding her thoughts were getting a bit maudlin, Charlotte set about the dusting, but she got rather lost in Anne's library. So many books, could Anne have read them all? Sitting on the floor she pulled one out and then the next, pretending they needed a good dust but really, she found herself wondering what they were all about. Literature was somewhat of a mystery, people said it was good for you, but Charlotte had never had a chance to find out. There were rooms of books at the Gardners', but she was never allowed to so much as dust them; they were cared for by the butler. Jane Eyre. She couldn't even fathom how to pronounce that last word. What was that about then? A girl named Jane? I've always loved that name. Setting it aside reverently, she read the other titles wishing she had more book learning.

Her bottom numb she clambered to her feet and walked into the kitchen. They had discussed her duties the night before, one of which was the cooking, for Anne had said, "I'll be far too busy." Charlotte had nodded at the time, but the issue was that she had never cooked in her life. Her mother had taken care of it when she was young and then she'd gone into service, but she'd never spent any time in the kitchen. She was merely the scullery maid, lowest of the low. Though Anne had not understood, Mrs Gardner gifted Charlotte to her as a form of protest, designed to denigrate Anne.

Rustling around in the kitchen Charlotte found a piece of mutton and some potatoes and peas, gifted to them by Marilla the previous day. She had fine idea in her head, of a roast surrounded by delicious vegetables and topped with gravy. This, it soon turned out was harder to execute that she gave it credit. The meat was dry and the potatoes hard. And each day after that her meal plans came to nought: undercooked pie, sunken cake, tasteless, dry stew. Even Charlotte came to dread dinner when she had to serve up yet another miserable meal. Anne ate it all without murmur.

At the conclusion of their first week in Echo Lodge Anne desultorily shifted the latest of Charlotte's burnt offerings around her plate. "I don't want to sound critical," she said speculatively, "but do you actually know how to cook?"

Charlotte's head shot down and she made a studious study of her hands, a gesture Anne had come to know all too well, Charlotte being of quite a nervous disposition. A whisper, "no."

Anne frowned, "now that I think on it, I don't suppose you've ever had a chance to learn, have you? When did you go out to work?"

"Fourteen, ma'am."

"But at a big house?" Charlotte nodded tightly.

"Don't worry."

"You won't send me away?"

Anne looked affronted, "why on earth would I do that?"

"I, you, I mean I claimed."

"You didn't claim anything, I leapt to a false conclusion. Once you get to know me, you'll see I do that a great deal. Marilla is always pulling me up on it. If I recall, I assumed you could cook."

"And I longed to get away from Mrs Gardner, so I never said nothing different, I'm sorry Ma'am."

Anne smiled, "it's no matter, because the good thing is I happen to be acquainted with two of the best cooks on the island."

"Oh?" Charlotte said wonderingly.

"Marilla and Mrs Lynde. Now, I must caution you, you might find their advice somewhat contradictory, but they each come from a good place. How about we drive over together on Monday morning and I drop you off on my way to school. I just know Marilla would love to have someone else to teach."

"Really?"

"Why ever not?"

"Well, she has other things to do. Maybe she enjoys the peace and quiet."

Anne laughed again, "she had thirty years of peace, and anyway now she lives with Mrs Lynde. No, I'm sure she'll be perfectly happy. They'll be coming over tomorrow, we can ask her then."

As Anne predicted, Marilla was happy to help. On Monday morning as arranged Anne delivered her at the Green Gables gate. "I'll see you this afternoon," she said as Charlotte climbed down.

Knocking gently on the back door Charlotte was soon drawn in and not long afterwards found herself sitting with a cup of tea at the Cuthbert kitchen table.

"Have you had any cooking experience?" Marilla asked.

"Not really."

"Not really, or no?"

Charlotte swallowed heavily, sometimes Marilla reminded her a little of Mrs Gardner, so she wasn't sure where this conversation was leading. "Er, no," she admitted.

Marilla smiled, "I thought as much. Well, we had better get to work then. I've been thinking on it since Anne asked. How about I show you the ropes while I cook today. I'm just going to make a stew for dinner, a couple of loaves of bread and I'll do some baking. I try to make enough for leftovers, but that's rarely possible these days. Davy may look small, but I think his legs must be hollow. Anyway, today I'll send the leftovers home with you."

"I don't want to put him out."

"He'll live. We can always fill him up with bread and butter."

Marilla showed Charlotte where she kept her supplies, and together they worked on preparing the ingredients. Charlotte did more than watch, she was put to work chopping, tasting and watching the oven. "Anne always had a problem with this part," Marilla explained. "You must keep an eye on it all, else it winds up tough and dry. Anne would get lost in her daydreams, many the meal she ruined, but we'd have to eat it regardless."

"You don't mean you?"

"She had to learn, it was just a shame we all paid the price," Marilla said grimly. "I refuse to throw out perfectly good food, even if it is poorly cooked. I had to bide my time, but she got there in the end. I suppose I shouldn't be bad-mouthing her to you, but Charlotte, you'll get to know her on your own terms soon enough. She's a wonderful woman, but not without her faults."

"Can't admit to being perfect myself."

"No, we're all sinners in our own ways."

"Speak for yourself," Rachel said setting her basket down taking them both by surprise. "And what have we here?"

Exasperated, Marilla explained her recipe which had Rachel frowning, "you always add too much salt. Be careful with your seasoning, Charlotte."

Gradually as they worked together Charlotte came to realise that whereas Marilla might come across as a bit abrupt, her heart was as wide as the ocean and just as bottomless. With the help of Marilla's infinite patience, Charlotte learnt that cooking was as much about feeling as time. "See," Marilla would explain, "you just press here and when it's ready it'll bounce back gently, that's the way." Charlotte looked forward to their sessions, relishing her gentle instruction, such a contrast to her other teachers.

Marilla filled her in on Anne's background, and later that of the twins. Charlotte appreciated that while Marilla might recognize her children's quirks; she'd defend them to the grave. Charlotte whose mother had farmed her off to work at a young age, appreciated this stance more than she could say.

Initially Anne had relished the idea of her commute. It'll give me a chance to prepare for the day whilst surrounded by bountiful nature. But in reality, it was quite different. The early mornings were hard and after a day's work the ride home was exhausting. She had imagined she and Charlotte would spend the evening chatting but as it turned out after dinner Anne would collapse into her bed, utterly spent.

The days Charlotte accompanied her were a trifle easier as Anne could doze while Charlotte drove, but they were still long and when she got home, she still had to do her marking and lesson preparation. "I think I might have made a bit of a mistake," Anne remarked to Charlotte when she brought her a cup of coffee one evening. "I thought this would be a good way to solve a few problems; teaching the children, giving me something to occupy myself, and that living here would be better than at Green Gables, but this routine is utterly exhausting."

"You have taken on a bit, Ma'am," Charlotte said helplessly. "Wish I could do more to help."

"You do plenty, I certainly couldn't manage at all without you. And your cooking is coming on a treat. You're a far quicker study than I ever was. Marilla told me how impressed she is."

Charlotte looked rather stunned, "she did?"

"It's been a while hasn't it, dear Charlotte." Charlotte knew precisely what Anne meant; it had been a long time since anyone had said anything nice to her. She nodded. "And I'll tell you," Anne continued. "Marilla isn't the type to pay compliments out of the blue; if she said it, she really means it."

Charlotte had to sit down, "really?"

"Mm hm. I don't even know when she first told me I was satisfactory, but it wasn't mere weeks after we first met, I can tell you."

Charlotte had a flash of understanding. "Was it hard?"

"I was so lucky, you know; to come here in the first place. To get out of the asylum." Charlotte nodded. "But I," Anne paused unsure if she should say more. "Sometimes I wished Marilla might have been a bit more demonstrative with her kindness, you know. I had everything I needed, plenty of food, a warm bed, but" she faltered, "I could have done with some hugs and kisses, that's just never been Marilla's way."

"I'm sorry."

Anne laughed sadly, "oh don't mind me, it was fine."

"You'd a liked more affection."

"Mm."

"I spose, you hoped Mr Gardner would." Charlotte stopped abruptly knowing she'd gone too far.

Anne got to her feet and left the room leaving Charlotte feeling awful.

Knowing she had overreacted Anne wasn't sure how to treat Charlotte the next day. In virtual silence they worked together. Charlotte wasn't due at Green Gables that day, so Anne drove way leaving her alone with her worries.

Stupid, stupid, Anne thought as she whipped the horse in her agitation. What was all that about? She meant no harm and she was right; I had hoped for more from Roy. Lost in her thoughts she nearly ran into an oncoming carriage driven as it turned out by no other than John Blythe. "Woah there, woah. Watch where you're go, oh hello Anne. Long time no see. Are you quite well?"

Anne smiled her apologies, "I am so terribly sorry, Mr Blythe. I was lost in thought. You'd think I'd be over such things by now."

"Not at all. I hear you're teaching again, no doubt you were planning the day's lessons." Anne smiled tightly, as lies went it was small enough.

"I was sorry to hear of your loss." Anne gaped at him, she had nearly forgotten what he could be talking about but remembered a beat later; "thank you, yes it was a terrible tragedy. It's comforting to know he's in heaven now, looking down on us all."

"Just so," replied John wondering if she really was quite right.

"Is, um, is Gilbert due home soon?" Anne wasn't sure if it was quite proper to ask after her last beaux but one so soon after discussing her late husband.

"Er, yes, not long now. They finish before the end of the school year. So, he'll be home in a couple of weeks. We haven't seen him since Christmas, he's been working so hard. Had to go out to the railroads to make a bit of extra money mid-term, as his funds were running low. Maggie's been baking non-stop for the last few days. I had to tell her to hold on for a bit else it'll all be stale by the time he arrives."

"She's excited then," Anne smiled.

"We both are. It'll be wonderful to see him again."

"Well, give him my regards when you see him," Anne gathered her reins. "Farewell Mr Blythe. Have a simply wonderful day."

Gilbert Blythe. Gilbert Blythe, despite herself Anne's heart beat a bit louder at this news and she checked to see that there was no one else around to hear.