Chapter Song: Take my hand by Skerrymore
(Please listen to this song, it's beautiful and is perfect for the dance!)
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"Anne, that dress looks just splendid on you! Is it new?" asked Diana.
"Yes, dearest Matthew had bought it in secret as I've grown so tall, and gave it to me this morning. Aren't the sleeves just divine?" she moved her arms, displaying the ample pale blue puffs and delicate buttons that ran from just below the elbow to her wrist.
"That shade does suit your colouring ever so much" Diana smiled, looking beautiful in a delicate pink shade that was even more striking against her raven hair.
It was a colour Anne could never have worn with her red hair.
They both stood in front of the glass, arm in arm, and admired themselves. Diana had her hair in a rather grown up style her mother had fashioned.
"You're not grown up just yet Anne despite your height, you shouldn't be wearing it up fully just now" but Marilla had conceded to her having her hair part way up as a compromise.
Anne sighed.
"Oh Diana, I do feel as if we are all of a sudden in some fast forward. We're but a step away from growing up, and though it's exciting and new and wonderful it fills me with fear" she confessed.
"How so Anne?"
"Promise me we'll always be bosom friends no matter what," and she reached out her pinky finger to her dearest friend.
"Of course Anne, you are my bosom friend forever" she replied almost as passionately, as her finger linked with Anne's.
"No matter where we go, to college, if we marry, become mothers, nothing will part us truly will it Diana?" Anne's eyes were serious and pleading and it pulled at Diana's soul to see her friend so distressed. She leapt forward and pulled her into a deep embrace.
" My dearest Anne, we are both a long way off any of those things, but I love you without question, and always will." She released her and added "Now we must go or else Matthew will be sat outside all night waiting with the buggy, and we won't make the dance! "
Anne nodded and smiled but felt a tug of guilt at not having told Diana about her and Gilbert. That said, she wasn't quite sure what she and Gilbert were just now to be able to say. Maybe after this evening it would be clearer, but Anne didn't like keeping secrets from her best friend, it made her feel a little hollow.
When they arrived the music was already flowing out of the doors of old Mr Sloane's barn, and the older couples were happily twirling one another around the makeshift dance floor. Anne's eyes widened in delight, she'd never been to a dance like this before.
There were garlands of Ivy and paper ribbons hung to decorate the barn, and at one end of the building stood a long sturdy table holding punch for the adults and cordial for the youngsters. There were also dainty cakes and slices of meat pies and savoury pastries that could be eaten just with your fingers, so that even the most enthusiastic of dancers could replenish their energy. If there was one thing the women of Avonlea excelled at (aside from gossip,) it was feeding folk!
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Forever Red - an Anne and Gilbert Story
Fanfiction"Don't you know Anne?" his voice barely a whisper as he shook his head disbelieving. "Know what?" she breathed back. "You're beautiful." Anne and Gilbert didn't set off quite on the right foot, and after two years of arguments, misunderstandings and...
