The Arrangement | Gilbert Blythe

09

The weekend went by in a blur, Adeline unable to join Anne's invitation to tea, as her parents had not allowed it, saying she must entertain suitors all weekend long. If Adeline wasn't fond of suitors courting her before, which she wasn't, she despised the idea now. Luckily, none of the boys who her parents had her meet were up to her parent's standards, which meant the second step of seeing each other wasn't reached, but it also meant that she had to see more and more suitors to try and find the boy who met the standards.

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The next day, Monday at school, Gilbert was absent. Adeline sat in her seat, waiting for class to start, her mind wondering against her will to where Gilbert might be, and the reasons for his absence. She cursed herself silently at Gilbert taking up her thoughts, soon forgetting it as Mr. Phillips banned Anne and Diana from sitting next to one another. Soon, her mind was thinking about what had transpired at the tea she hadn't been able to go to instead of why Gilbert wasn't at school.

At their break, Anne pulled Diana and Adeline into the entrance hall.

"What happened at tea?" Adeline demanded, turning on both girls, "why isn't Mr. Phillips letting you two sit next to one another?"

Diana filled Adeline in on what had happened, almost in tears by the end of the story, shaking her head, Anne grasped Diana's hands in hers, "will your mother never relent?"

Shaking her head, Diana told the two girls "I've cried and cried, and told her over and over again that it wasn't your fault, Anne." Diana began weeping, "But it isn't any use."

"So this is an eternal farewell," Anne says dully, looking from Adeline to Diana.

Adeline felt terrible, she wished there was something she could do, but she knew it was in vein. "I could pass messages between the two of you," Adeline began, "I know it won't be the same, but this was it isn't so somber of a farewell."

"Oh bless your heart, Adeline," Anne crushed the girl in a hug, "it won't be the same, but it will be better than the current situation."

"Still," Diana began, and Anne nodded.

"We must speak the most pathetic language we can think of," Anne grabbed ahold of each girls hand in her own, looking to both of them as Adeline grabbed Diana's, forming a circle.

"With "Thees" and "Thous?"" Diana asked.

Nodding, Anne continued, "that way we will never forget the pathos of this moment, even if we will still be able to talk through Adeline."

Adeline took a step back, letting the girls have their moment, leaving the room to give them privacy. As she walked out of the entrance hall and into the main room of the school.

"Ah, Adeline," Mr. Phillips called Adeline over to his desk, gesturing to a stack of papers, "Take these lessons to Gilbert Blyth."

"Won't he be back tomorrow for them?" Adeline asked, unable to hide her annoyance for the treatment Gilbert always got.

"Not that it is any of your business," Mr. Phillips didn't even try to hide his eyes rolling as he handed her the thick stack of papers, "he'll be missing class for a time, and I don't want him falling too far behind, he's my best student."

Adeline had to hide her eye roll and grumbling as she took the papers and walked out of the classroom silently cursing Gilbert.

She walked through the snow and to the Blythe house, complaining her to herself the whole way about how hard she worked but when she was sick she was never brought school supplies so she could catch up.

At the door, she knocked harshly on the door, waiting impatiently for Gilbert to open it. "Gilbert Blythe!" She yelled when no one came to the door. Knocking again, she was met with silence once more, "Ugh," she groaned, "life is so unfair."

Knocking on the door for the fourth time, she began to pace around the Blythe's porch, getting more and more annoyed as no one came to the door. Just as she was going to give up and leave the papers in front of the door, the door began to open.

"My God, finally!" Adeline began, until she saw the person who had opened the door wasn't Gilbert, but an elderly man who looked as if he were about to fall down.

Panting, the man clung to the doorframe as if it was the only thing keeping him standing, "sorry to make you wait," the man began, taking many deep breaths before continuing, "Gilbert," he paused again, "is out back chopping wood."

Looking Adeline up and down, recognition sparked in the man's eyes, "you're the Herbert's daughter aren't you?"

Nodding, Adeline smiled at the man, "yes sir."

"I've heard many nice things about you over the years. And how is your mother? Still mischievous I hope?"

Before Adeline could answer the man to tell him that her mother was not in any way mischievous, Gilbert came from the back of the house with a pile of wood in his arms.

"Dad, what are you doing?" He asked, looking to Adeline in surprise. "You shouldn't be walking."

"My son worries too much," he waves Gilbert off, "It seems this young lady has urgent business with you, I'll go inside now."

"I'll fetch your chair," Gilbert offers, starting inside but his father stops him, "I-I'll go on my own," he reassures his son before turning back to Adeline, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Adeline, please send my regards to your mother."

"Of course Mr. Blythe, it was nice meeting you."

Closing the door, Gilbert walked closer to Adeline, gesturing down to the supplies in her arms, "those for me?"

"Yeah, uh," Adeline chuckles nervously, handing Gilbert the books, "Mr. Phillips insisted I bring these to you his 'best student.'"

"Well, it was kind of you to bring them by," Gilbert thanked Adeline, giving her a small smile.

"He didn't want you falling behind."

"I don't either," Gilbert jokes, "if you're gonna beat me in class, I want you to do it fair and square."

She couldn't help but smile. She had to. "Yes. Exactly." She agreed, slowly backing away from the door.

"Um, thank you," Gilbert looked down at the books once more, "I'll see you."

He went to shut the door as she turned to leave. As she began to walk down the steps of his house, she turned back, not sure what made her do it. She walked back to the door and knocked on it.

Almost immediately, Gilbert opened it looking down at her with a mixture of confusion and something else she couldn't read in his eyes.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm so sorry for getting mad at you in class the other day. I was just upset that you beat me and that you confirmed the courting thing to my friends, I'm sorry." Adeline's words rushed out of her mouth and she was unsure of what she was saying, she just knew she had to say it. "I'm so sorry I was rude to you, I had no idea what you were going through here."

Giving her a small smile, Gilbert said, "Thanks, I didn't expect you to know what was happening here because I don't like to talk about it, although, I am glad you know now," he paused for a second, "it's nice for someone other than me to know."

"Of course," Adeline smiled back, happy that he wasn't upset she knew about his father. "If you ever need anything, let me know."

"I'll keep that in mind," Gilbert smiled again before shutting the door and Adeline set back home.

CELESTE SPEAKS:
hello luvs!!! ok, i know i've been saying we are almost to the big juicy part where the story picks up, but genuinely, I'm serious, we are almost there! make sure to vote and comment

xoxo
celeste<3