|
|
|
Home | Paperclips | Fan Fiction | Olympics | Photos | Lyrics | My Faith | Favorite Links | Poetry n Prose | About Me | Web Design | Contact | My Blog |
||
|
Fan Fiction Home
By Kelly
By Jamie
By Steffi
By Rebekkah
By Alli
By Becca Destiny Gives
By Alizabeth
By Beth Mott
By AngelRose
By Beks
By Queensgirl
By ElleJay |
Anne of Green Gables
Announcement By Kelly Sweet Dreams | Anne Tells | Diana's Surprise | Gilbert's Concern | A Lazy Afternoon | Yesterday's Rose | Farewells Chapter six—Yesterday's Rose “Anne, are you almost ready?” Marilla called up to Anne, who had put on her loveliest green dress and was looking for something to wear with it. “Gilbert is coming up the lane in the buggy.” The A.V.I.S. (The Avonlea Improvement Society) was having a big Harvest Ball, the proceeds of which would go to some beautification project, and Gilbert was, of course, taking Anne. Anne came down the stairs to find Gilbert sitting in the parlor waiting for her. She had to catch her breath. “He looks especially handsome this evening.” She thought. It was the first time she had seen him in his very best since the days of Redmond—her view of him, of course, had changed since then. Gilbert saw her, stood and gave a big smile. She had done her hair with a single thin curl on each side framing her face. She was even more beautiful now—to Gilbert, Anne’s beauty surpassed all. From the time he first saw her until now she had grown more and more beautiful with each year. At that moment two people could not have looked more adoringly at each other. “Well, are you two just going to stand there looking at each other or are you going to go to a dance?” Mrs. Rachel said. Anne blushed while Gilbert cleared his throat. Whereupon Gilbert helped Anne with her shawl and they left. The Hall, which reeked of an awful blue color, was festively decorated and well lit. Avonlea folks had given up the idea that the color might actually fade. They chose rather to ignore it—and had to since the Improvement Society had gotten up a collection to get it repainted only to have Mr. Roger Pye and the rest of the Pye clan get the color wrong. It was thus painted before anyone could object. The Hall, the Improvement Society and its members (Gilbert and Anne being founders) had since been the object of many a joke. Despite the teasing the Society had received, the Ball was looked on as an event not to be missed. So, as Gilbert and Anne arrived at the said Hall, the sound of gaiety was heard all around. Before alighting the buggy Gilbert said to Anne, “I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slightly faded pink tissue rose. “I want you to have this. It belongs to you. It fell from your hair a long time ago. I do not even know if you remember it or not. I have had it ever since. It went with me to Queens, to White Sands, to Redmond and back. I did not tell you that this rose was the underlying reason I could not forget about you. Several times I wanted to throw it away—once when you refused to be my friend after I saved you from Barry’s Pond, when you walked home with Charlie Sloane after the farewell party before going off to Redmond, when you refused to marry me and when I thought you were going to marry…” Gilbert paused. “I could never bring myself to actually throw it away. I have you now or rather have the knowledge that you will be mine. This flower now belongs to you.” “Oh, Gilbert, Diana told me that you had picked it up and put it in your pocket. I—I had almost forgotten about that. Diana was so right. It was very romantic of you. I should like to wear it in my hair, again, this night. I shall wear it very proudly.” Anne sat looking at the rose. Her eyes welled up with tears. Gilbert alighted from the buggy and assisted Anne to the ground. He noticed that she had not taken her eyes from the rose. “Are you alright, Anne?” Gilbert said with some concern. Anne finally took her eyes from the rose, looked up at Gilbert and said, very softly, “Did you know that I am so very much in love with you?” Gilbert looked around somewhat casually and, seeing that no one was watching, drew her close and kissed her. The rest of the evening they had a delightful time. Even Charlie Sloane had a girl on his arm. Between dances Gilbert couldn't help notice an obvious snub that came from Billy Andrews. Once when Gilbert turned to look at Anne he found his sweetheart about to bust a gut for laughter. "Did you know, Gilbert," Anne whispered with laughter in her voice, "that you were not the first to propose to me. Oh, Gilbert, I have never told anyone this before. At the time I was incredibly embarrassed about the whole thing." She recanted how Billy Andrews had convinced his sister, Jane, to ask Anne if she would marry him. Anne had flatly refused. At the time it was all so horrible. Now, however, she found the whole incident rather humorous. "I knew that Charlie Sloane had asked you, but had not idea that anyone else was in pursuit of my Anne-girl," Gilbert said joining her laughter. "You knew about Charlie?" Anne was suddenly serious. "Well, I didn't right at first, but I began to wonder when Charlie always came up with excuses for not visiting you and your roommates at 'Thirty-eight, St. John's.' I finally asked him what his problem was--though I nearly had to drag it out of him." "Before that day I had no inkling that someone else might snatch you up. It was then that I realized there was no time for games. I couldn't pretend that your friendship was all that mattered. By Christmas that year I was certain that you felt the same. All those evenings we spent by the fire at Green Gables--everyone else seem to disappear." "Oh, Gilbert, I remember just dreading those visits of yours. I was quite helpless about it though. Marilla and Mrs. Rachel seemed to be of the same mind as you. I was so blind. I truly did feel the same--I just didn't see it then." "Well, that probably explains why I found it difficult to be alone with you after that. It was quite by chance that evening at Patty's Place that I found you out in the garden by yourself. Did you know that it all makes sense now? Though, I firmly believe had you said 'yes' that day I would not fully appreciate the depths of love that I feel for you. The same could also be said that if I had not asked--we both would not know." "So, we have Charlie to thank, do we?" Anne said as her laughter returned. Home | Fan Fiction Home | Submit a story | Forum (yahoo groups) |
|