𝑺𝑵𝑶𝑾𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝒀𝑺 - Gilbert Blythe [1]

EIGHT

8|HIM

The snow drilled down on Avonlea as Amaryllis sat in the kitchen waiting for her soup to cook, the boredom causing her to sigh for the umpteenth time. Her tired eyes lazily read through her story, fingers flicking through the pages. Her thoughts were everywhere.

The front door opened, heavy footsteps sounding out around the halls. Then an unfamiliar voice echoed through the house. "I'll go get the fire started."

Amaryllis twisted around in her chair, face filled with shock as she stared at the two figures standing in the doorway. Their faves mirrored hers, both clearly not expecting to see a girl sat in the kitchen.

"You never told me you had a woman waiting for you back home." The older man smirked, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

"That is because I don't." The other replied, his stare on her never wavering, his brown on her blue.

"Are you Gilbert Blythe?" Amaryllis finally spoke up. As Gilbert nodded his head she left the kitchen, running upstairs before returning with a letter in her hand. She quickly handed it to him and stepped back, observing his reaction. Gilbert took the over-read letter and let his eyes scan over the page.

"So, our fathers signed us both into a marriage and gave us no say in it?" He asked, angrily scrumping the paper up and tossing it to the other side of the room.

"Yes." She answered quietly, suddenly feeling scared. What was to become of her life? He clearly didn't want her, didn't want to marry her. When was the next boat back to Paris? Could she go back to Paris? "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising, it is not your fault." His tone became soft and sympathetic as he watched her fight away tears. He mentally kicked himself for causing it.

"Please don't kick me out. Not yet." Amaryllis begged. "I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Kick you out? In this weather?" Gilbert asked surprised. "These are my fathers last wishes, I must go through with them."

"What? Really?" She almost dropped her book still clutched tightly in her hands, not expecting that response. Then her eyes moved to the man shivering in the doorway.
"Mon dieu, you better get in before you catch your death. Come, sit by the fire and I will grab you a bowl of hot vegetable soup."

"Thank you, ma'am." The man smiled at her, walking further into the warm house and closing the door behind him. He sat down across from where she had just been sat, looking curiously at Gilbert, gesturing for him to join them.

"My name is Amaryllis Bonnefoy but everyone calls me Marie." Marie introduced herself to the two, placing a bowl of soup in front of the freezing man.

"I'm Gilbert Blythe and this is my friend Sebastian Lacroix." Gilbert smiled, dropping his bag on the floor and walking over to the table. She poured him a bowl and placed it in front of him before grabbing her own.

"This is delicious, Marie." Sebastian swallowed up the last drop and placed the bowl down.

"Merci."

"So, you are from France?" Gilbert tried to make conversation.

"Oui." Amaryllis smiled, grabbing the three bowls and putting them in the sink. "I can go run you a bath, Sebastian. It will warm you right up."

"Thank you."

She excused herself from the room, walking up the stairs and entering the bathroom. The moment the door shut behind her, her back leaned against the wood, knees crumbling beneath her. Then her emotions consumed her. She cried.

After her short moment of sadness, Amaryllis cleaned herself up and lit the boiler, waiting for the water to heat up before she poured it in the old bathtub.

"Sebastian." She called down to the man, quickly hearing rushed footsteps running up the stairs.

"Just the thought of a bath is making me warm." Sebastian cheered with excitement, happily taking the towel from her arms.

Amaryllis laughed along with him before stepping back out into the hallway, taking a deep breath and wandering back down the stairs. She found Gilbert still sat at the table, his eyes focused on the snow outside the window.

"Hello." She mumbled nervously, sitting down across from him.

"Hi." He smiled back, attention moving to her. His eyes were warm, melting her worried thoughts.

"Are you going back to school?" She asked, her fingers tapping against the wooden table before stopping herself, worried she was being annoying.

"I was planning too." He answered with a small nod of his head.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you to return with a friend." Amaryllis straightened her back and cleared her throat. "In all honesty I wasn't expecting you to return at all. But, besides the point. I have been staying in the spare room but I understand if you don't want Sebastian staying in your father's room. I don't mind moving to the living room and sleeping on the couch."

"What?" Gilbert looked at her with confusion. "Ah, sorry. I mean, thank you. But I don't mind Bash taking my father's room. It seems unfair on you."

"Thank you." She smiled bashfully. "And I am sorry about your father. I have sent a letter to my father to let him know. I - uh - I lost my mother when I was young so if you ever need to talk about it, I am here."

"Thank you." The kitchen filled with silence once more, both trying to find something to say to the other. Gilbert sighed, leaning behind him to pick up the crumpled letter he had thrown earlier and reading it over again. "May I ask, why are you here?" Gilbert questioned. "The letter says we are to be married at eighteen but we are only sixteen."

"I- um, it's a long story. I will tell you another time." Amaryllis mumbled, glancing down at her lap.

"That felt amazing." Sebastian sung as he re-entered the room.

"It is getting late and you boys must be tired. I think it is time we all retire for tonight." She suggested, standing up abruptly. "Good night."

Amaryllis left the pair in the kitchen, quickly running up the stairs and locking herself in her bedroom. She needed the day to end. Throwing on her nightgown, she paced her room, fingers pulling at her hair. She left her room, not thinking before her knuckles rasped against his door.

"Come in." Gilbert called out. Amaryllis entered the room, stopping awkwardly in the centre of the room. "Are you okay?"

"I understand that you probably don't want this. You're being forced to marry someone you don't even know. But I want to make this work. I can be a good wife." Amaryllis rambled. "I'm sorry." She realised she had overstepped, spilling too much of her own thoughts. So she tried to leave the room, hiding her burning cheeks.

"Marie." Gilbert called out to her, stopping her in the doorway. "Good night."

"Bonne nuit, Gilbert Blythe."