A Winter's Ball

Chapter Eleven: Biscuits And Broken Hearts

It's been six whole days since the incident and Anne has been bombarded with questions and unexpected visits from her bosom friend Diana.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" Diana called out as she knocked on the Cuthberts' door one snowy winter morning. She had been coming to Green Gables every day for the past three days to check in on Anne--who was "not feeling well" according the Ms. Cuthbert--and to satisfy her burning queries which Anne refused to answer several times despite her kind subtlety.

Diana knocked on the door once more, pursing her pink lips as she patiently waited.
In her hand, she held a brown woven basket with baked biscuits inside which she had made especially for her downtrodden friend.

"What's wrong, Anne? I hadn't heard from you since the ball. Are you all right?" Diana had asked two days after the event. She had decided to visit Anne and invite her to tea to recount the ball's events but was saddened to find her splayed on the bed, puffy eyed and out of sorts.

"I'm not feeling too well." Anne had said. The Cuthberts presumed she was just sick but Diana knew it wasn't a physical sort of dilemma; It was a matter of the heart.
And so since then, she'd been paying Anne visits to cheer her up and get to the bottom of the redhead's conundrum.

"Diana. Come in." Miss Cuthbert smiled opening the door wider. Diana gracefully nodded and let herself in.

"Is Anne feeling any better?" She asked.

"I'm afraid not. She's been in her room since breakfast. You can go ahead inside but don't go too near. You might catch sick as well."

Diana smiled in agreement though she knew that Anne was in fact not ill. But she decided to keep things between her and Anne for the mean time.

"All right. Thank you Miss Cuthbert."

As soon as Anne heard Diana's footsteps ascending the stairs, she hid under the covers and pretended to be asleep. She appreciated her friend's concern and cherished her company dearly but as of the moment, she wanted nothing more than to be alone with her thoughts and drain all her tears.

Anne heard the door open and she slowed her breathing to seem like she's asleep.

"Anne?" Diana softly said.
She didn't answer.
Diana walked over to her and stood beside her bed. Anne could feel Diana's presence hovering above her. She could almost feel Diana's frown.

Diana gently removed the blanket over Anne's head and revealed a "sleeping" Anne. The redhead's hair was greasy and unkempt, her nose red and wore stained and wrinkled bed clothes from two days ago.

"Oh, Anne." Diana said and Anne could hear the pity and worry in her tone.
Anne almost felt guilty.

"Anne." Diana said softly, giving her a light tap on the shoulder. Anne stirred but did not awaken in hopes that Diana would eventually leave, though deep down she knew better; Diana would never leave her side.

"Anne," Diana said again, lightly shaking Anne's shoulder.

Anne pretended to be newly woken and groggily looked up at Diana. She was careful to open her eyes slowly to add to the effect. "Hmm?" Anne mumbled. "Diana. What are you doing here?" Anne said slowly sitting up as if she didn't expect her to come when in fact, Diana had been coming to Green Gables for the past few days.

"I baked you some biscuits." Diana said pulling the basket to her lap and sat down beside her.

Anne smiled weakly. "Thank you." Her voice was hoarse and quiet.

Both of the girls fell silent, their minds occupied by different matters.

But the elephant was in the room, and it cannot go another second unmentioned.