๑♡My Dearest Bliss - An AWAE/Shirbert Story♡⁠๑

Chapter Nine

I'm publishing this in the car before school without doing any checking so sorry if there's mistakes😭

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"We think Anne has a secret beau."

"WHAT?!" Josie stared at Ruby and Jane as if they had said something utterly bonkers. Diana and Tillie shared a panicked look before turning once again to the girls.

"Believe me," said Ruby, "I had that exact reaction when Jane told me. But we have proof, it all makes sense if you put it together!"

"What...sort of proof?" Questioned Josie.

"A lot." Replied Jane. "So, first thing's first. Every week, we know Mrs Blackmore and Lily hand out our letters for us from the post and announce who it's from, correct?" The girls all nodded. "And every week Anne, just like the rest of us, gets at least one letter from Ms Cuthbert, Cole, Jerry or someone else along those lines. But what I've also noticed is that every week, Anne always gets an extra letter who's name isn't announced. In the first week Mrs Blackmore said that her parents had sent separate letters, but I saw enough of a glimpse of her envelope to see it wasn't true - Mrs Blackmore obviously knows something then, but we'll think about that later. Now, what I've also noticed is that she always seems either incredibly happy when she sees these every week, or that her cheeks go pink. Would you really have this kind of reaction to anything other than the letter of your lover?"

"I mean- I guess. But there are still numerous explanations, perhaps Anne just blushes with happiness because it's someone she's always excited to hear from and wants to keep a secret from us, but not a lover?"

"But that's not all Diana. Ruby, you explain the next point."

"Oh- okay. Well, remember the first time we all went shopping in Charlottetown? And we went to the shop I really wanted to visit? After Anne came back from delivering her letter - which could very well have not been to Matthew like she said but to a sweetheart instead - she ordered a men's watch!"

"But didn't she tell you that was for Jerry?" Asked Tillie.

"But that wouldn't make sense because Anne had bought gifts for her parents as well, I don't remember what she bought for Miss Cuthbert but I do know that she bought Matthew another pair of cufflinks and got Jerry a pouch of sweets, so why would she buy a pocket watch for Jerry too?"

"Ruby, you do realise you can buy someone more than one gift, right?" Josie rolled her eyes.

"But that wouldn't make sense because she only bought one gift each for her own parents, why on earth would she buy two for her farmhand unless they were courting? And that wouldn't make sense since Anne told me he's like a brother, so that means she bought a golden men's watch for a man who's not from her family! A pocket watch is certainly worth more than cufflinks and sweets, so it must be to someone special. Aka. A BEAU."

"I-I mean I guess." Said Tillie.

"Wait just a minute," Interrupted Diana, "don't you think it could just be for Cole? Cole's incredibly dear to us so it would make sense, plus since he lives with my Aunt Josephine he's more used to lavish things now so it would only make sense for Anne to buy him something extravagant."

Josie added to her point with her own theory. "I mean, they've always been awful close so couldn't they be courting? Didn't they also kiss in the spin the bottle game back in school?"

"On the cheek though. And Diana, if you are right and it's for Cole, there'd be no reason for her to keep it a secret from you who's just as close to him unless they were courting, but whether it's Cole or not Cole it still makes sense for it to be from a beau. That is, unless you know who she sent it to?" Jane raised an eyebrow at Diana.