In the Woods When First We Met

77. Overheard

"I'm afraid I have bad news," Diana said once lunchtime came. "Jane said she was considering inviting you to her party, because I wanted so much for you to be there, but that her mother wouldn't let her. Mrs. Andrews is still furious about what you said." Diana looked so upset that Anne felt sorry for her instead of feeling sorry for herself.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Anne said with a sigh, "Once the words escaped my lips they darkened my horizons and will haunt me even to my grave."

Diana put her hand on Anne's arm comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry, Anne. It's...it's just the rudest thing I could have done, mentioning a social event in the presence of someone who wasn't invited. I only brought up the party because I felt so sure we'd be able to get an invitation arranged for you by now!" She said, shaking her head, "Getting you made right with the girls is taking a lot longer than I thought it would."

"It's weighing heavily on my mind," Anne said, "But I've got other worries, too, and this isn't the worst of them." Seeing that Diana felt terrible, Anne tried to sound positive. "It's all right, Diana. I know you tried."

Diana held her chin up. "I won't go, either. I'll stay home, and- I have an idea! Why don't you come over on Saturday? We'll have our own party. Just the two of us. I'll make tarts, and I'll think of games that only need two players, and it won't be a fancy dress affair so you won't have to feel bad that you don't have one..." She trailed off, looking awkward.

Anne shook her head. "Thank you, Diana, but I don't want you to miss Jane's party. Truly. It would make me most sorrowful to think of you missing the occasion on my account. No, you go and have a splendorous time with the girls. Don't worry about me. ...I didn't want to go to Jane's house, anyway."

"I don't mind, Anne, really I don't-"

"I'm sure your mother wouldn't approve of you accepting an invitation to a party and then not showing up because you found something else to do," Anne pointed out.

"You're right. She'd say cancelling plans with one person to go spend time with another person shows a deplorable lack of etiquette." She sighed. "I guess it wouldn't have worked anyway. She's still not quite on board with us being friends, due to the whole...." She lowered her voice: "...mouse incident."

Anne didn't know what she was talking about at first.

The 'mouse in the pocket' phrase had disappeared from her vocabulary entirely, as she had been made to understand what intimate relations actually entailed.

So it was a moment before what Diana meant by that 'clicked'.

Once she realized, she said, rather tiredly, "Oh, yeah, about intimate relations-"

"Shhhh!" Diana exclaimed, looking terrified. "Anne!"

Prissy wasn't near enough to have heard, but Jane and Billy were both sitting closer to where Anne and Diana were sitting.

Jane looked up quickly, hearing exactly what Anne had said. She looked at Anne with no expression whatsoever, but then turned to Josie and began whispering furiously.

Anne knew that even if Jane had extended an invitation to her party after all, it would surely have been rescinded at this very moment.

She was afraid to look at Billy, but she forced herself to. She hoped he hadn't heard- although Jane had, so Billy would eventually be told, if he hadn't heard already.

But he had.

His eyes met hers, and for nearly an entire minute, their eyes were locked to each other's.

It felt as if neither could look away.

Billy's eyes held an expression Anne could not put into words. He didn't look angry, exactly...she couldn't explain what it was.

She didn't know what her own eyes looked like at that moment, but she guessed they looked afraid.

Diana looked back and forth between them, looking at each other.

After almost a whole minute of agonizing eye contact, they finally broke away- Anne felt a slight shudder go through her and she looked away from him suddenly, and then Billy ducked his head, turning away from her.

Anne suddenly thought, I wonder if Gilbert heard me... She looked over at him.

Gilbert and Moody were bent over a book, unaware of what had just happened; Gilbert was going over their spelling words with Moody.

When Anne looked away from Gilbert, she caught Billy's eyes again- he, too, had looked over at Gilbert at the same moment, to see if Gilbert was paying attention to them.

Diana was watching Billy. "What was that all about?"

"Billy heard what I said," Anne told her, under her breath. "What I just said. About....you know."

Diana frowned. "I know, but..."

"What?!" Anne asked.

Diana shrugged. "I don't know. I thought he'd be mad, but...he was just looking at you weird."

Anne shook herself out of the moment. "I don't know what you mean. He looked the same as he always looks: Abhorrent."

Diana smiled a bit. "Are you sure you don't like him?"

"No...I don't. Please stop thinking that."

Diana looked at her as if she thought Anne might just be acting coy.

Anne said, looking like she could cry, "I mean it, Diana. It's really bothering me. I don't want anything to do with him."

Diana nodded. "All right. I promise, I believe you."

"Thank you," Anne said, but her eyes were on Billy.