₁.₀ SUPERCUT; gilbert blythe ✔

047.

They arrive just in time, considering the competition has started already. Thankfully, the judges are yet to have a taste of Anne's cake, so it's not like they missed anything important (the redhead girl included, since her, Teddy and Edward are nowhere in sight).

Marianne keeps her eyes fixed on the ground as they stand next to Marilla and Matthew. Perhaps she is overthinking it, exaggerating maybe, but she has no wish of being an object of the two's questioning gazes upon seeing Gilbert in Winifred's company. Even though it's not like there is anything indicating a possible relationship between them beside the girl's actual presence itself (and her parents', of course), their arms are not even linked together, but Marianne shall take no chances. Instead, she tries with all her might to keep her attention on Delphine, telling herself that she must do so in order to stop the baby from grabbing anyone's hair.

Anne arrives at last, out of breath from all the laughing, in her hand the small wooden bird Teddy won in the shooting practice (the boy trailing not far behind). She halts abruptly in front of them and Marianne has no need to look at her. She knows that the redhead girl is surprised to see some people unknown to her standing next to her family, her eyes surely widening and lips parted as she stares at Winifred.

"This is Anne," Gilbert introduces, "my classmate and family friend."

Marianne has no desire to listen on. Despite her best efforts to remain indifferent, she can't help wondering whether Gilbert would describe her with that name also when he first mentioned her to Winifred. The thought is rather painful, she realises. To be so close to each other only to be called a family friend due to one making a silly mistake (for that is how she sees rejecting his proposal, stupid girl) is... Well, it makes her feel sad. Causes her throat to tighten and her heart to clench as she blinks rapidly.

What bothers her the most is the fact that she could have had a different title, had she made a different decision back then.

Only when the number of Anne's cake does she start paying attention once again. Next to her, Marilla seems even moreso excited than the redhead herself - Marianne knows she is much more proud of the girl then she would ever let it show, having seen the woman with that special look in her eyes as she watched Anne back in the kitchen.

"It's the Lake of Shining Waters," the author of the cake laughs anxiously as one of the judges makes a comment on the presentation of her baking. Her expression falters a little, though, when another one says something calls it ostentatious.

In a whisper loud enough for everyone to hear, Teddy interjects, "Certainly for those with narrow minds and no artistic sense."

Despite that, everything seems to be going well. That is, until all three judges start spitting out the cake, accompanied by the crowd's exclamations, disgusted looks on their faces.

"Dear God."

"What is that?"

"That flavouring."

"It tastes like liniment."

Suddenly, Marianne's worries are pushed aside. Her heart breaks just a little more for Anne's sake as she watches the crowd react with no regard for the feelings of the cake's author. It's easy to laugh, she supposes, when one knows nothing of how much work was put into the making progress, how much passion. Anne is always rather emotional when it comes to doing most things, her ability to make the most mundane activities seem like exciting tasks of great importance all of a sudden. Making this cake, however, she was thinking of Mary especially, which only makes the current evens more difficult to endure.

Therefore, remembering the way Anne comforted her that fateful night not so long ago, Marianne is quick to pass Delphine to Bash. She mutters a few words of apologies, though they are not needed, considering he does understand her intentions completely.