Anne with an E - A Winter Journey

13 - This is no good

As soon as he had caught his breath, Gilbert stood up and helped Anne to her feet.

"What happened?" he asked, his face full of concern.

"I caught my foot and twisted my ankle," Anne explained. "I tried to keep walking but it was too difficult in the snow."

"I see," said Gilbert, not sure what else to say. When he had realised that Anne was missing, he had completely forgotten about the morning's events, his mind consumed with finding her and making sure that she was safe. Now that he had found her and his panic had subsided, Anne's hurtful words were reeling in his head once more. "We aren't even friends... If I could, I would never speak to him again".

Gilbert was torn over what to do next. His heart was telling him to be honest and declare the feelings which had become so clear to him when he was dashing through the forest, terrified for Anne's safety. His head, however, was telling him to guard his own heart. Anne had made it quite clear that she wanted nothing to do with him and there was a good chance she was in love with someone else.

In the end, it was Gilbert's pride that won. He simply couldn't bear the thought of Anne rejecting, or worse, pitying him if he told her how he truly felt and she did not reciprocate his feelings. Instead he would be civil to her, just as she was to him.

"Well we must try and get back to the cabin," Gilbert said flatly. "Diana and Ruby will be worried sick. It's not too far from here. Do you think you can walk?"

Anne was taken aback by Gilbert's sudden indifference towards her. When he had burst through the trees and landed in front of her just moments before, he had seemed so happy to see her. "I must've been mistaken," she thought glumly.

Anne looked at her feet, avoiding Gilbert's gaze. "Yes, I think I can walk," she said honestly, "Although I may be a little slower than usual." Anne lifted her left foot and placed it down in the snow just ahead of where she stood. "That wasn't so bad," she thought optimistically.

Gilbert took a small step alongside Anne, watching her feet warily. As she lifted her right foot from the snow, her weight shifted onto her left leg. An excruciating pain shot through her ankle and Anne let out a small whimper as her leg buckled beneath her. Gilbert's hands shot out and caught her by the forearms, steadying her before she fell.

"This is no good," said Gilbert pensively.

Anne felt completely useless as she stood in the snow, balanced on one foot with Gilbert's arm for support. It wasn't often that she accepted the help of others and in any other circumstance she would have insisted on fixing the problem herself. This time, however, she was completely out of ideas so she allowed Gilbert to take control.

They were standing very close together as he helped her keep balance and Anne couldn't help but watch his face as he tried to think of a solution. She noticed how he narrowed his eyes as if focusing on something she couldn't see and he clenched his jaw ever so slightly, creating a small dimple in his left cheek.

Anne felt herself blush when Gilbert's eyes gradually widened and met hers, as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Anne," he said cautiously, "I think I'll have to carry you."