Mirabelle with an E

Chapter 10

sit at a desk making Christmas decorations as the younger students practice singing.

I look next to me and see Anne and Moody conversing. About what?

Don't know.

Don't care.

But the conversation the preppy girls are having. "And the bank manager who happens to be my uncle. He said that Cuthberts are poor." I look at them unnoticeably. "Anne and Belle are poor," Diana asks shocked.

"What do you mean 'poor'?" Jane asks.

"Poor as in penniless old fellow with no head for finance."

I crumple a piece of paper in my hands. "That's not very nice," Ruby tells her.

"That can't be true."

"The Cuthberts had to mortgage their farm. Isn't that sad?" me and Anne stand up abruptly.

"Josie Pye you take that back!" Anne demands. "Why are you two upset? It's only true. You're poor." she states.

"Wait you didn't know?" she says smiling. "Do you know if they're going to keep you?" "keep us?" she says confused.

"NEXT" they switch places with the younger children.

Me and Anne get home and hear Marilla and Matthew arguing. "Yet another thing you neglected to mention. This is my home too. And the girls!" she shouts. "I didn't want to talk about it!"

"You didn't trust me? To talk about our future? Anne and Mirabelle's future?"

We look at each other and go around.

We open the door quickly and quietly. To hide

"I knew you'd lose your head."

"Oh, I ought to smack yours off your shoulders!"

"Well uh, we have a loan. That's done. And with it, I have purchased everything that we need." "you've already spent the money?" he asks.

"Yes." "Madness!"

"On high-yield crops-" "this is madness!"

"WHY CANT YOU JUST LISTEN?!" He shouts.

The room gets pin-drop silent.

"Well have a high-yield crop and then another in the fall. So now we have two new crops in addition to the potatoes. Well be fine Marilla." he reassures. "So now at your age, you're working even harder?" "It's just- it's a bit more work uh that's all," he states. " I don't want you doing more! I want you doing less!"

"Matthew? Matthew!" she shouts. We rush into the room and he collapses to the floor.

"MATTHEW"

"What's happening?"

"I don't know."

The doctor came that night to check him out. "He's had an episode of the heart. An occurrence of coronary thrombosis hes extremely lucky it wasn't fatal, but make no mistake hes in a dangerous condition." The doctor informs.

"Dangerous?" "It's going to take a long time to heal. He's gonna need months of rest with no stress or work if any kind." He explains. "Thank you."

Later that night me and Anne head downstairs. "You two should be asleep." "So should you" Anne states.

We sit down next to her and rest our heads on her. "Wish I had a head for numbers." "I'm a dunce at geometry but I'm pretty good at math now." She states. 'I'm good at geometry' I add.

"Which part is troublesome?" "Here and here" she points.

Next day me Marilla and Anne head to the bank. "This is most irregular. Where is Mr Cuthbert?" He asks. "Indisposed unfortunately. I'm here on his behalf." "Most irregular." He states.