Baker - G. BLYTHE

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-ˋˏ *.·:·. [FOUR DAYS LATER] .·:·.* ˎˊ-

WHAT ANNE HAD TOLD CHARLOTTE ON THAT WALK HOME AFTER STORY CLUB COMPLETELY SHOCKED HER. The scientist with a moral quandary. This supposed to be a secret, moral quandary was soon outed by non-other than Mrs Lynde, who Anne had made the mistake of telling. The place was completely abuzz with confused questions or conversations, each coming to the same conclusion of them needing more information. So a town meeting was arranged, these didn't happen very often so when they did you could be sure it was something of the utmost importance. 

"Don't you think this is all rather exciting?" Ruby whispered as the four story club girls sneakily listened to the meeting from an overlooking balcony, very hidden from the adults beneath. 

"I suppose," Charlotte replied apprehensively, she didn't quite trust that this was the truth without any proof. After all, the boarder had only been here less than a year, so it took a lot of time to earn Charlotte's trust. 

"There really is gold in Avonlea," Anne whispered in disbelief with a grin forming on her face, the Scientist had just given proof about the gold with a certificate from New York. This proof led Charlotte to believe that it was the truth, that there really was gold in Avonlea, this didn't mean Charlotte trusted him though. 

"Father is quite preoccupied with the prospect," Diana added gazing down at her Father as he talked to the group of adults, all having their own murmured debating conversations. 

"Do you really think we'll all be rich like you Diana?" Ruby asked gigging excitedly at the idea, being rich wasn't something Charlotte dreamed about. As long as they had enough to keep them alive and happy, that was all they needed. 

"One Hundred and Fifty Dollars? Mo dhia! That's close to half what people make every year!"(my god) Charlotte whispered in shock to the girls feeling the Irish roll off her tongue without a thought, the girls looked in her direction puzzled at the meaning but decided not to bring it up as Charlotte seemed blissfully ignorant of the words.  

"You have to write to Gilbert, to tell him about the gold," Anne whispered back, gasping slightly as the idea popped into her head. 

"I don't know Anne, I wouldn't want to trouble him with this while he's away. Plus I don't even know where he is." This was a bald-faced lie, Charlotte knew exactly where he was as she had not long ago received a letter saying they were headed for Trinidad including the address for her to send follow up letters to. She simply didn't want to give Gilbert a reason to come back to Avonlea, he had voiced on many occasions that he wanted it to be his choice and this may adjust that choice (something which she didn't want, even if it did mean she could see him sooner.) 

"There's a way we can find out." And with that Anne ran off down the staircase on some mission that the other three girls hadn't a clue would entail. Charlotte continued to watch the town meeting from behind the bannister, carefully watching her Mother's wondering expression. 

The two Rayhills returned home after the town meeting and during the walk home, they began discussing the gold testing. A discussion that they thought would only last a few minutes lasted the entire walk home, since they had opposing views on the matter. The two hung up their coats and moved to the sitting room, through one of the doors in the bakery, where they began to read believing the conversation had come to a close. Charlotte wasn't happy with the conclusion they came to, in fact she was the furthest she had ever been from happy on a mutual decision like this one. So she brought up the topic once more, giving good reason after good reason. 

"We have enough money from the bakery, I don't see why we should ruin the fields," Charlotte argued leaning forward in the comfy chair as if it would get her point across more. Mother lay down on the larger settee with her feet up, a book resting on her chest and a pair of spectacles hanging from her nose. The two had spent a while discussing the pros and cons of testing their land, the Rayhill house was a democracy. Every opinion was given, reasoned and taken into consideration. Even after all this Mother's word went but usually, the two agreed on the final decision. 

"It's more money Flower," her mother reasoned pushing her glasses up her nose for the fiftieth time in the past hour. "You could get some more dresses,  paints or that set of brushes you were looking at when we went to Carmody," she listed looking at her daughter, in her eyes this money would be good so she could buy Charlotte whatever she wanted. Her daughter was the best daughter a mother could ask for, she had been through so much and she deserved to be treated once in a while. 

"I don't need anything Mother, I have everything I need," Charlotte replied in earnest, it was true she did have everything she needed. Only two things were missing from her life, both being people that could turn up at any given moment. Gilbert Blythe or her Brother. She didn't bother to waste time longing for someone that she couldn't have anymore, it doesn't do the soul any good. 

"I still think we should," Mother replied with a soft smile bringing out the dimples in her cheeks, her daughter could not have been any politer or any less material. She much reminded Mother of herself at her age, a few baking supplies and happiness would come to her. With Charlotte, it was books, paint and family. 

"Dad wouldn't have wanted to, he always said that our soil was special and that no one who wasn't family could touch it," Charlotte said with a slight break in her voice at the mention of her Father. Mother looked unconvinced at this, even though the mention of her Husband and something he did in fact always used to say, had her heart being pulled towards not doing it. If he were here right now, he would be siding with Charlotte in this discussion. Charlotte, unknowingly, was so much like her Father it often make Mother smile. "Is linn féin é, ní le duine eile," she recited one of her father's sayings in Irish, a language that hadn't been spoken in the Rayhill household for years. (It's ours, not anyone else's)

Her Mother sighed picking up her book once again. "We won't then," she replied, being convinced immediately after the words had been spoken. Charlotte must have been really against it since they had discussed it for so long and she had made some very good points. 

"Okay," Charlotte replied trying to stop a grin from forming on her face, she was ecstatic that they weren't going to tear up the beautiful fields just for money. She was even happier that she had managed to remember some Irish and with that, the language seemed to come flooding back to her. The two returned to reading their books, having the odd conversation between pages or discussing the theme of the book (since Charlotte had already read what her mother was reading and had thoroughly enjoyed it.) Eventually, the oil lamp light got too dim compared to the darkness outside and Charlotte chose to head up to bed. "Goodnight Mother," she smiled as she walked past the settee where her Mother still lay, only now with a blanket tucked around her legs. 

"Sleep well Flower," Mother smiled back moving the book from her gaze so she could watch her daughter walk up the white bannister staircase. Charlotte's gaze, like always, landed on the picture of her entire family as she headed to bed. She kissed two fingers and pressed those against her Father's cheek, a soft smile forming as she did, it was something she did every day and it never failed to make her smile. Charlotte slept easy that night, dreaming of a colourful world where no one ever left. The dreams had her waking in tears but it was worth it, dreams were the one place she could see her father again.