𝑺𝑵𝑶𝑾𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝒀𝑺 - Gilbert Blythe [1]

THREE

3|ALONE

Her back leaned against the schoolroom wall, curious eyes darting to each girl as they spoke. Amaryllis never had friends before, always choosing her solitude over the catty girls her age. Being sixteen, most girls would stick up their noses at choosing books over friends, but these girls were different. She nibbled lightly on the sandwiches Mrs. Kincannon had made her, grateful to have the matron caring for her.

"You should have stopped him from getting on that steamship, Anne." Ruby said harshly, clearly in a huff. "If Gilbert falls overboard and drowns, it'll all be your fault."

"Gilbert?" Marie asked, recognising the name from the letter her father had given her.

"Yes, Gilbert Blythe." Tillie informed her. "Ruby has dibs on him though."

"Dibs?" She questioned, not understanding the English term.

"It means that no one else can have him." Diana explained with a sweet smile.

"Oh mon dieu, je veux juste dire maintenant que je suis désolée et que je n'avais pas le choix." Marie rushed out, her voice sounding like music to their ears even though they did not know what she had just said.

"What?" Ruby asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"Nothing, just that I wish you and Gilbert all the best." Marie lied through her teeth, sending Ruby a fake smile. Diana looked at Marie with shock, understanding everything she just said. The golden haired girl just shook her head, not wanting to explain herself just yet.

"He'd come home soon enough if he knew there was gold on his farm." Josie added, taking the conversation back to Gilbert.

"Anne is writing him a letter, aren't you, Anne?" Ruby nodded her head at Anne who was too busy staring at Cole. He sat by himself with his book and food.

"He looks so awfully lonely." Anne said with a sorrowful glance to the group. Her voice was filled with pity for the boy clearly lacking friends.

"I think he's more sad and handsome than lonely." Josie stated.

"Josie's dead gone over Cole." The group of girls burst into giggles but Anne, Diana and Marie continued watching him.

"I am not. I'm simply observant." She huffed.

"There is no boy more sad and handsome than Gilbert Blythe." Ruby sighed dreamily. Anne cast Diana a glance, the pair sharing a mutual understanding that Amaryllis quickly picked up on. She gathered her lunch back into it's bag and followed the pair over to where Cole sat.

"I know just how he feels." Anne mumbled to them. Her bubbly self resurfaced as they reached the boy, voice loud and cheery as she spoke. "Your drawing was exquisite. It brought Camelot to life. And plus, Billy Andrews is a barbarian."

Amaryllis grimaced at the thought of the vile boy. But after eight weeks on a boat, she had grown used to the stares, and the snide comments, and the blatantly disrespectful hand gestures thrown in her general direction. An insecure boy was the least of her worries.

"I have strawberry tarts to share. May we join you?" Diana offered, standing hesitantly before him. Cole smiled up at the three girls and moved over slightly so they could all fit around in the circle. She looked back at the others who watched in surprise. "Aren't you girls coming over?"

"Thank you." Cole gratefully beamed at each of them.

"Would you like a tart?" Diana offered one of her strawberry tarts to Marie who stared at them with delight.

"Oui, I would love some." She eagerly took the tart from Diana and shoved it all in her mouth, throwing manners and etiquette out the window. The group laughed at her puffed cheeks and the dribble of strawberry juice on her chin.

___

Amaryllis sighed to herself as she walked back into the empty house she had been staying at. She feared to call it home as she knew the moment the actual residents returned, she would be kicked out. It was a far distance to the nearest port, over a days worth of travelling only to wait around for the next ship leaving for France. Even a ship to England would work. Her brain ached as she planned out the worse case scenario. She also knew she would miss her new found friends, her new life and new freedom.

She dumped her school books on the side table beside the door and placed her lunch box next to the sink. She wandered into the pantry, grabbing a selection of root vegs Mrs. Kincannon had left for her while she was at school. Amaryllis had insisted on paying, refusing to let her converted coins go to waste under her bed. She placed all the ingredients on the table and grabbed a large pot, filling it with water. She hummed an old lullaby her mother would sing her, working away to make a basic stew. Although she found the majority of her lessons useless, cooking and baking were two of her favourites despite the circumstances of why she had to learn them. Marie sat back at the table as her stew boiled, the crazy soaking the leftover meat.

"I feel so alone." Marie mumbled to herself, her blue eyes scanning over the empty house she lived in. It didn't appear lived in, or even loved. It lacked life and joy.

"I wish you were still here, mère." Her hands shakily took the locket off her neck and opened it. An old photo of her mother stared back at her. "You wouldn't have allowed father to go through with this deal and I would still be at home."

Placing the locket back around her neck, Marie turned the heat off and before grabbing the ladle and pouring herself a portion. She ate her meal in silence, the longing for company becoming overwhelming as she fought back the tears.