In the Woods When First We Met

161. The Andrews

While the Andrews children were at school, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews thought it would be a good time to discuss things with the Cuthberts. They did not want their children overhearing any of what Mrs. Andrews referred to as "this torrid affair".

At the same time, Marilla and Matthew decided they couldn't put off their talk with the Andrews any further.

The two families met in the road.

"We were just coming to speak with you," Mrs. Andrews said.

"We were as well," Marilla said.

They did not smile at each other.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"I'm glad to see you finally decided to allow us a moment of your time," Mr. Andrews said dryly. "Should we go on to Green Gables, then, or are you coming round our way?"

"Your house, if you don't mind. We have Anne at home and I don't care for her to hear any of this."

"Oh, you didn't send her to school?" Mrs. Andrews asked, a faint smile playing on her lips. Billy being in school and Anne staying home gave a clear indication of which child was the one causing problems.

"No, we didn't send her," Marilla said, her voice clipped. She had picked up on the brief expression that had crossed Mrs. Andrews face, and she didn't like it.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrews turned their buggy around. The Cuthberts followed in theirs.

Once at the Andrews, they were given a cold invitation to come into the parlor.

While Mr. Andrews was still very angry, Mrs. Andrews had a chance to calm just a bit. She, too, was angry, but she was determined that they would discuss it in a civilized way.

"I could make tea..." Mrs. Andrews suggested awkwardly.

"No, thank you," Marilla said shortly. "This isn't a social call."

Mrs. Andrews nodded. She sat down.

"We would like to know what you're going to do about that child's rumors," Mr. Andrews began. "Our son cannot have his reputation soiled in this manner."

"If I were you, the last thing I would be concerned about is his reputation. I'd be more concerned with his propensity for violence!" Marilla said, incensed within the first minute of this conversation.

"Violence?" Mr. Andrews exclaimed. "Well, I won't say my son has never gotten into any schoolboy scuffles, but that is neither here nor there. We aren't here to discuss playground fights; let's not have things muddled with outside issues."

"We are not without sympathy for you," Mrs. Andrews put in, in an attempt to meet them half way. "It cannot be easy for you to have thought you were being generous benefactors, only to find that the orphan you took in has such...unholy tendencies..."

Marilla bristled. "Unholy tendencies? I don't know what kind of story Billy has been telling you but this is not a situation of unholy tendencies. This is a situation of violent tendencies, and you need to wake up and realize them! Your son attacked Anne. Attacked her!"

"That's what she's telling you?" Mr. Andrews asked in surprise.

"She is telling us the truth," Marilla said. "Though I don't feel any shock at all at your son denying what he did."

"Now wait just a minute, our son did not attack her! He never even touched her. I don't know why she is spreading these rumors, but-"

"Anne has spread no rumors at all," Marilla said hotly. "She hasn't wanted to tell a soul what your son did to her. She's gone to great lengths to hide your son's actions, and he certainly doesn't deserve to be shielded from the consequences of it!"

Mr. Andrews sneered at them. "The consequences of it? Well when that little consequence is born, it surely won't be our son's responsibility. Why don't you tell her she needs to stay with its own father instead of dragging our son's reputation through the mud?"

The Cuthbert's sat staring at them, confusion on their faces.

The Andrews stared back.

"They don't know," Mrs. Andrews slowly realized. "Harmon, they don't know!"

"Surely she's made you aware that she's expecting? She hasn't? Well, I can see why you're puzzled. Apparently you only had half the story- that girl is telling you Billy attacked her, but the truth is she's expecting another boy's child and trying to pin it on our son!"

"That's not possible!" Marilla said in reproach.

"Why ever not?" Mrs. Andrews asked incredulously.

Marilla was not about to tell the Andrews that Anne had not yet begun her ascent into womanhood at the time of the attack. Anne would die of shame if she knew they'd been discussing her period with the Andrews, and anyway Anne's cycles were most definitely not anyone's business but Anne's. So instead she stated, simply: "Because it isn't possible, that's all there is to it."

"Well perhaps you need to re-examine your ideas of what's possible and what isn't, because that little vixen is fooling you. There seems to be a lot you don't know about her!"

"There is nothing to know," Marilla said sharply, quickly getting ahold of her shock. "I don't know why that sort of rumor is being spread, but it simply isn't true. And Anne is not the one spreading it!"

"She most surely is," Mr. Andrews put in. "One of the girls- I won't say who, I don't wish to drag her good name into this- she heard with her own two ears Anne discussing the baby, saying how it was unfair that she wouldn't get to have a white wedding dress due to our son."

Marilla wanted to protest this, but she was reminded of Anne asking recently about wedding gowns and whether the social convention was very stringent on wearing white...

Mrs. Andrews went on: "Girls at school have stated that Anne has been consistently sick in the mornings, just as she would be if she were in the early stages of pregnancy," She stopped and looked at Matthew, "Pardon me, Mr. Cuthbert. Perhaps this isn't a good subject for mixed company. But it simply must be addressed."

Mr. Andrews said to his wife, "There was the thing about the job- didn't one of the girls say Anne was looking for work?"

Mrs. Andrews nodded. "Yes, apparently Anne has been asking about babysitting because she needed to earn money."

Marilla and Matthew sat in stunned silence.

Mr. Andrews continued, "She appears to be planning a wedding with a boy at school."

"Gilbert Blythe," Mrs. Andrews filled in.

"I have it on good authority from one of the other mothers that her intention is to first put the blame on our son in an attempt to extort funds from us, and if that doesn't work, then she will marry the baby's father as a last resort. This is all news to you, isn't it?"

Marilla tried to speak and found she couldn't. Her face was white as a ghost. Matthew had no said one word in all of this, but he found now that he couldn't even if he'd wanted to. His tongue felt frozen.

Mrs. Andrews said quickly, seeing Marilla's face, "Perhaps we should call it a day. You have things to discuss with Anne. We can speak again at a later date."

Matthew and Marilla walked out, not even saying goodbye to the Andrews. They wouldn't have been able to speak if they'd tried. They couldn't even breathe.