At a change in the music Gilbert made his move, placing his hand on her knee. "Anne," he said lowly, "I."

"No, no, not now." As quick as she was able, she lumbered to her feet regretfully using his shoulder for balance, and ran back into the safety of the hall leaving a disappointed Gilbert in her wake. He did not pursue her. Instead, he looked steadily into the black of the night before sighing and making his way back to his buggy for the long drive home.

Panting Anne found her maid still in Earl's arms. She tapped her on the shoulder. "Ma'am?" Charlotte exclaimed, coming to a sudden halt. Seeing the wild look in her mistress's eyes she sent Earl off for some water and led Anne to a chair at the side. "What is it? Are you unwell?"

"No, that is to say, yes. I need to leave."

"Shall I get Earl to fetch the doctor?"

"What? Oh, er no that's fine. It's not a medical matter." Much to Charlotte's confusion Anne laughed. "No, not medical. I just need." She looked around wildly, half expecting Gilbert to have followed her in. "I just need to get home."

Reluctantly, for they had been enjoying themselves, Charlotte directed Earl to bring the buggy around.

They had but a bare moment to converse while Anne was on her way into Echo Lodge. "I'm so sorry, I'll come and see you in the morning," Charlotte said.

"Please do," replied Earl, running his hand up her arm.

Giggling softly so that only he would hear, she smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Until tomorrow then."

Earl nodded and drove off into the dark. Charlotte watched as his buggy was consumed by the night before turning to attend to her mistress.

"You don't mind do you," said Anne sleepily when Charlotte had helped her into bed.

"Not at all ma'am. We was getting tired from all the dancing anyways." White lies didn't really count, Charlotte reasoned, under the circumstances.

"How was your evening, Gilbert? You're back earlier than I expected," his mother said when he arrived.

"Good."

"You don't sound so sure. How's Anne?"

"She's, er, in a delicate condition."

"Pregnant?" Gilbert ran his fingers through his hair and nodded. "That changes things."

"Does it?"

"Well, surely."

"I mean I still love her, Ma. I still want to marry her. That's never changed. But I think I was a bit foolish tonight."

"Oh?"

"I moved too fast."

"Gilbert, love," she sighed.

"I know, but I've loved her forever. I hate to wait any longer. She gave me a crumb and I leapt at it."

"Do you want my advice?"

"I guess."

"Take it easy, Gilbert. Real easy. Don't rush her." Mrs Blythe got up to the stove. Turning around she added, "if she's with child it's a confusing time, her emotions will be all over the place."

"Mm."

"You'll have read about that in your textbooks?"

"I suppose."

"Unless?"

"No, I have. They say," he hesitated, expecting his mother wouldn't be particularly impressed with his professors' opinion. "They say women bearing children tend towards the hysterical."

Mrs Blythe snorted, "and who could blame us? It's an uneasy time, Gilbert; a worrying time."

Gilbert knew only too well; their last dissection had been that of a mother who had died in childbirth. He shuddered realising that fate could very well be what Anne faced. His mother studied him intently, perhaps knowing what was going on behind those brown eyes. "All I'm saying," she added setting down a cup of warm milk. "Is take it easy with her. She's had a difficult time of it. Give her space. Maybe wait until she makes the first move."

"But what if she doesn't? I don't think I could stand that, Ma."

"Then it was never meant to be. You can't put your life on hold, Gilbert, waiting for the perfect woman. And now there's a baby to consider."

Cupping his hands around the mug Gilbert said, "that doesn't make any difference to the way I feel about her.

"But you'll have to bring it up."

"I know."

"Another man's child."

"Mm."

"Children are expensive."

"Ma!"

"Sorry, but it's true."

"Well money's not really an issue now. Roy left Anne plenty."

"His family will need to know."

"Mm. That's not really my concern."

"Maybe not, but it will alter things."

"Yeah, I guess."

"How many months is she along? Oh, I see it now. We thought."

"Yeah, we jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"I don't know why I didn't see it."

"Anyway, she's about five or six months."

"Ah, quite a nice time, the sickness will be over.

"I don't think she had it too bad."

"Lucky girl, and she's not so large yet as to be uncomfortable. You'll be back in school when she'll be confined."

"I expect so."

"She has a maid, I hear."

"Charlotte. She's a nice girl."

"I hear tell she and Earl Wainwright are enamoured."

Gilbert grinned, "word gets around fast."

"I have my ways, Gilbert."

Gilbert climbed the stairs to bed his tread as heavy as his heart. His mother's advice rang in his ears. Had he been too fast, had he moved too quickly? He loved Anne more than life itself, but he reminded himself that he had to go oh so slowly. Don't want to risk losing her all over again.

Anne too had a lot to think about before she sank into sleep. Her marriage to Roy had not gone according to plan, she scoffed inwardly, now that's the understatement of the century. What did I see in him? That's what's wrong with falling in love with an ideal, with a fairy tale. Reality has a way of crashing down. Life might not have been totally rosy back here on the island, but she realised it was far more pleasurable living amongst friends than the frosty, rarified some might say, stultifying atmosphere of Kingsport. Getting involved with Gilbert was tempting but could she risk it all going wrong again? She rolled over trying to get comfortable, but her bladder was uncomfortably full. Again, she sighed sitting up and reaching down to locate the chamber pot. It'll be full in the morning at this rate, she grimaced.

Earl fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and he slept well dreaming of Charlotte in his arms.

Drifts of spent blossom festooned the old White Way of Delight when Anne made her way back to Green Gables the next morning. She found Marilla and Rachel kneeling in the garden, tending to what was left of their flower beds. Anne blinked a bit, saying, "oh."

Marilla rolled her eyes. "Yes. I'm guessing you have some lovely blooms in Echo Lodge."

"Oh. You don't mean Davy…"

"I'm afraid so."

"I mean I did wonder. But oh, Marilla." Marilla pointed over to Rachel's side of the garden. Anne found a nearby bench to lower herself down. "Oh dear."

"How were they received?" Rachel enquired. "Tell me she appreciated them, at least."

"Well." Anne shrugged her shoulders.

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

Anne giggled. "Poor Davy. And now Charlotte has a new amour."

"Mr Wainwright or so I heard tell."

Anne frowned, "how did you know – oh." Marilla smiled and looked at Rachel who grinned back.

"And I hear tell you and Gilbert went to the dance?" Rachel remarked seemingly innocently.

Rolling her eyes, Anne replied, "for goodness sakes are there no secrets round here?"

"Ha ha, not in a small town like this, you should know that by now."

"And did you have a nice time?" Marilla asked, ignoring Anne's indignation. "How was Gilbert?"

Anne sighed, "I found out I'm not as fleet of foot as I have been in the past."

"I did wonder," commented Rachel. "You must take care, Anne."

"Yes, well, of course Gilbert was ignorant of my situation, at first."

"At first?"

"We bumped into Charlotte and Earl. Trust Charlotte to spill the beans."

Marilla frowned, "she was just taking good care of you, Anne. You and the baby."

"Oh, I know," replied Anne, frustration lacing her words.

"And what was Gilbert's response?"

"He was shocked. I can't say I blame him. Do you know, he and his mother have been discussing me. Mrs Blythe thought I'd been high on the hog."

"Eh?"

"That I looked less slim than I have done in the past." Rachel and Marilla shared a knowing glance. "What are you implying?"

"Just that it's becoming more difficult to hide now, Anne. If term wasn't coming to an end, I fear the Governors would have made you stop regardless."

Anne looked at them both in some fury; she hated that the town was discussing her personal life. Eventually she slumped and put her head in her hands. "Now, now, Anne. We're all just concerned for you, for you and the baby," Marilla said soothingly. "Folks are just naturally curious, when someone returns home in the manner you did, they'll be keeping an eye out. I've had a few people enquire about your health."

"You didn't say anything did you?"

"Of course not, that's your business; not mine."

"What did answer them?"

"I just said that you were doing well and left it at that."

Later when it was just the two of them Marilla asked how her night had gone.

"I don't know Marilla. I suspect I'll never hear from him again."

"Gilbert? But I thought…"

Anne looked away. "I don't know. I don't know what to do."

"You love him, you said as much the other day."

"I do. But then I thought I was in love with Roy and look how that turned out."

"Gilbert Blythe is no Royal Gardner," Marilla said loyally.

"No, I know he isn't, but I don't know if I want to get involved with anyone else right now," Anne patted her stomach, "what with all this going on."

Marilla pursed her lips, "hm."

"What?"

"Nothing. I can see how you have a lot to think about."

"Yes. I do," Anne nodded.

One last week. Anne was pleased. Teaching had always been her passion, but she had to admit these last few weeks had been some of the toughest teaching weeks of her life. Harder even than when she had first started out and had no idea what she was doing. The teaching itself had been fine, the children were dears, and she had loved imparting her love of learning to them all, hoping to set them up for life.

No, that part was fine. It was the physicality of the job that she found difficult. She had not reckoned on the sheer exhaustion of pregnancy, how the distance between Echo Lodge and Avonlea would become such a drudge. If only I could fly between each spot, she'd thought one cold morning or click my fingers and just be there. Standing at the front of the class, pretending all was well day after day. Her ankles had started to swell, she'd noticed and then there's my aggravating bladder. It's not as though the teacher can run out to the privy every five minutes.

The mood was restless as it always is that last week. Her pupils' minds were most definitely not on algebra or literature. Anne longed to take them out for a ramble, but they had some last tests to complete before they could be free.

She had planned a picnic for their last day, anything rather than the lot of them sitting in the schoolroom waiting for the clock to tick down the final moments. Marilla and Rachel kindly baked some cookies for her to share with them all. "I should have done it myself," Anne protested feebly.

"Hush now, I want you off your feet some," replied Marilla popping the last batch into the oven.

Anne remembered her words when she lowered herself to the ground on that last afternoon. Watching the children frolic around her she smiled brightly. "Don't go too far," she called. "You'll be able to soon enough, but for now you're under my watch."

Mary Smith, one of the younger girls, brought her a daisy chain. "Thank you for teaching us, Mrs Gardner," she said, lisping slightly.

"It was my pleasure, Mary," Anne replied. She glanced at her watch and called everyone over.

"I'm sorry for the circumstances in which it happened; I believe Mr Biffin is on the mend. But regardless, I have very much enjoyed teaching you all these last few months. I believe you have all made real progress and I hope you welcome Mr Biffin back next year. Try not to forget all I have taught you.

The particulars, the facts, may have faded from her pupils' minds, but the enthusiasm with which she imparted them stayed with them for the rest of their lives. Whatever path they chose to follow, they shared their love of the world with their friends and family. A trait, many ascribed to the scant months they spent with Anne in her little one room classroom.

Making her way back home Anne felt a tremendous sense of peace as though one door had closed behind her while another stretched out before.