In the Woods When First We Met

135. Josie Pye

Ruby was already upset when she rushed out of the woods, but she was sobbing by the time she made it to the Pye's house. Out of breath from running, she banged on the door and was relieved that Josie herself answered instead of her mother or father.

"Ruby, what's wrong?!" Josie exclaimed, opening the door wide for her to rush in.

"Josie," she sobbed. "It's so awful!"

Josie held out her arms and Ruby stumbled into them. She couldn't say anything at first, she was crying too hard.

Finally she pulled away and said, "It's Anne. That horrible, awful Anne!"

Josie narrowed her eyes. "What did she do now?"

"She's taken Gilbert away from me forever!" Ruby wailed.

Josie said angrily. "Don't you worry, we'll make her stay away from him for good!"

"No," Ruby sputtered, shaking her head. "You don't understand. We're too late. I think they're planning their wedding!"

Josie made a face. "Be sensible, Ruby. They can't be getting married. They're 13 and 15, they're not even old enough to court yet."

"Well, I think they're going to have to rush things," Ruby said, "Because Anne is..."

She broke off, starting to cry all over again.

"Come up to my room," Josie said.

She dragged Ruby up the staircase.

She pushed Ruby into her room and shut the door.

"What do you mean they have to rush things?" Josie asked. "Is Anne so much of a burden to the Cuthberts' that they're trying to get rid of her already?"

Ruby shook her head. "I don't know. But they were talking about Anne's wedding, and- and- and Gilbert said he could already see her looking beautiful in her wedding dress!"

Josie scrunched up her face in a sneer. "That doesn't sound right. Anyway, even if the Cuthberts' are trying to pass her off to someone else, I can't see Gilbert's father thinking Gilbert is old enough to get married."

Ruby sniffled. "Mr. Blythe isn't doing well. My mother said he might even die. Maybe he wants Gilbert to get married while he's still around to see it. And if he does die, then Gilbert will inherit the farm of course...he'll have his own farm and he'll be able to support a wife and child..." She broke off crying again.

"Ruby, Ruby," Josie said. "This all sounds very far-fetched. Are you sure you heard right?"

"Yes!" Ruby exclaimed.

"I still don't see why they'd be getting married," Josie said, shaking her head. "Even if Mr. Blythe is all right with it, and even if the Cuthberts' can't wait to get rid of her, it just...it just doesn't make sense because it would mean Gilbert...ugh, Gilbert can't like her that much!"

"He was talking to her as if he loved her," Ruby said, shaking.

"But when would they have even gotten to know each other?" Josie asked. "I know Gilbert seemed really stuck on Anne for a little while, but he hasn't been paying attention to her lately. And anyway, it's Billy who Anne's always staring at....This just doesn't make sense, Ruby."'

"That's because I haven't told you the worst part," Ruby wailed. "Why they have to rush things!"

Josie got out a clean handkerchief from her dresser and handed it to Ruby. "All right, why do they have to rush things?"

"Because...because it sounded like Anne might be having a baby!" Ruby whispered.

Josie just stared at her.

"Well, say something!" Ruby cried.

Josie shook her head. "That horrid girl knows all kinds of nasty things," she began. "But for her to have a baby, Gilbert would have had to go along with her devious plans."

"He didn't," Ruby said, hiccupping. "At least, I don't think he did. Anne said Billy was the one who...who was making her have a baby."

Josie's jaw could have hit the floor. "What?!"

Ruby nodded, sniffling. "That's what she said. She was complaining about how things were unfair to women and how men and women weren't treated the same-"

Josie rolled her eyes.

Ruby continued, "And she said something about how she'd be the one gossiped about but nobody would care that Billy was in on it, too."

"What does she mean no one would care if Billy was in on it?! They sure would! I care!" Josie snapped, furious.

Josie stood up. "This is too much. I always knew that girl was trouble, but this is just too much. Throwing herself at every boy, having a baby with one and trying to pull the wool over the eyes of another? This is..." she broke off, disgusted. Then she took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, Ruby. We'll make sure Gilbert gets out of this in time, okay? We won't let him make the biggest mistake of his life."

"You think we can stop him?" Ruby asked, wiping her cheeks.

"Yes. She's cooked up some scheme to make Gilbert feel sorry for her. Don't you get it? If Billy really did leave her in trouble and is refusing to marry her or something, then she probably thought she better nail down a situation fast. Maybe she's got her sights set on the Blythe's farm. She knows Gilbert's father isn't doing well and she thinks she can trick Gilbert into settling for her. Then she'll have his farmland and be all taken care of. She doesn't care that she's using Gilbert for her own gain."

"I didn't think of that," Ruby said, sniffling.

"Yes, Ruby. Gilbert is a victim in all of this. Don't be upset with him. We have to make sure he sees that Anne is trying to trap him."

Josie looked so angry she could spit.

"Josie," Ruby said, "I'm so sorry for the news about Billy."

Josie was thinking. "It's probably not even true, what she said."

"But if she isn't having a baby, then why..."

"Oh, I'm not saying she isn't having a baby. That revolting girl is probably always at risk for that. But that doesn't mean Billy did it. She could have been trying to pin that on any boy around."

Ruby shuddered. "What should we do?"

"I don't know yet," Josie said lowly. "But we're going to get to the bottom of this, and tomorrow can't come soon enough."