In the Woods When First We Met

163. A Potential Ally

While the Andrews and the Cuthberts were busy discussing Anne's future on Monday afternoon, Ruby was also thinking about Anne's future. She approached Gilbert as school was coming to a close.

"Gilbert, I wanted Anne to decide on invitations today, but she isn't here. Do you want to decide? Or you could take them with you, and you two could look at them together. I don't have the stationary yet, but I wrote them out..."

Gilbert didn't know what she was talking about at first. But then he remembered that he was supposed to be marrying Anne, at least according to the girls.

"Did you tell anyone Anne and I are getting married?" Gilbert asked, wanting to heave a sigh- but holding it in. He was sure he already knew the answer.

"Of course," she said innocently. "I had to ask my mother if we could use the big heavy crystal punch bowl she brings out for parties."

Now Gilbert did sigh. "What did she say?"

"Well at first she said no, we couldn't use it, but then after-"

"Not about the punch bowl, Ruby," Gilbert said tiredly. "About us- me and Anne."

"Oh," Ruby said. "Well, first she asked why you and Anne were planning to get married. I think she thought we were all playing a game, you know, pretending we were having weddings on the playground or something. So I told her about the baby- how you stepped in to marry Anne because Billy wouldn't. She went a bit mad at first and asked how much I knew about what Anne had done with Billy, and I said nothing at all, only that he's left her and Gilbert's going to marry her. Then I cried because she said Anne was 'entirely unsuitable' for us girls to spend any time with."

Gilbert was sad. It was always Anne's fault; she'd been pinned with a scarlet letter.

Ruby took a big breath. "But then later Josie's mother stopped by, and wasn't she angry! She went into the parlor with my mother- and my mother made me go upstairs, but I was listening from the top of the steps, of course- and they were shouting a bit, but finally Mrs. Pye left."

Gilbert assumed that when Josie's mother told Ruby's mother the false story, she'd accept it. The idea that the two of them had such a strong disagreement interested him.

Ruby went on, "Mrs. Pye told my mother that you and Anne were telling everyone Billy had attacked her because that was her wicked plan to get money from the Andrews. And if that didn't work, then she'd marry you after all, because she'd have to."

Gilbert expected as much.

Then Ruby said something that surprised him. "But the reason they were shouting at each other is that my mother said 'Gilbert Blythe is a smart, responsible young man. He doesn't have a dishonorable bone in his body; he'd never try to extort money from someone by telling such lies'."

Gilbert was relieved.

"So then Mrs. Pye said, 'that girl's got him fooled. My Josie said she's been stringing Gilbert along, making him believe all kinds of lies.' ...And my mother said she didn't believe that either."

She stopped and then said, "I mean, my mother doesn't really have a firm opinion on Anne, but she couldn't think more highly of you, Gilbert- she knows you don't lie and she knows you aren't a fool to be taken in by lies, either."

"Well, thank you, Ruby."

Ruby said, "So my mother told Josie's mother that if Gilbert said Billy attacked her, then Billy probably did!"

"She believed it?" Gilbert asked, hopeful.

"Yes. My mother said there was always something about Billy that she just didn't like. She told me to stay away from him. And she said she wouldn't be surprised a bit if your story was true."

"What then?" Gilbert asked.

"Nothing. Mrs. Pye stormed out, saying that my mother was being a fool. Then I came downstairs, and of course I had to pretend I hadn't been listening in." Ruby finished. "Then, I asked again about the punch bowl."

Gilbert couldn't care less about the punch bowl, but he wanted to know more about what Mrs. Gillis had said. "Is she letting you borrow it, then?"

"Yes, but she said that even though what you're doing is very honorable, Gilbert, you shouldn't have had to do it- she said Billy ought to marry Anne if they're having a baby together! I said to her that Anne can't, because Billy won't, and that's why you were stepping in-"

Gilbert interrupted, "Anne and Billy are not having a baby together," he said with disgust. "There was no together about it!"

But then something else hit him. "Wait. Really, Ruby-your mother believes Billy attacked her, but she still thinks Anne should marry him anyway?!"

"Well...she doesn't trust Billy, but...she said that he probably wouldn't have done such a thing if Anne hadn't put those ideas in his head."

Gilbert sighed. "I have to give your mother credit- even though she believes it wasn't Anne's fault, she still managed to find a way to turn it into Anne's fault."

Ruby frowned.

Then she told him, "She said it doesn't really matter who marries her as long as someone marries her before that baby arrives!"

Gilbert understood wanting a baby to have two married parents, but he was starting to find it frustrating and ridiculous that the idea of a baby born out of wedlock was so terrible that Anne should have to put up with marrying her attacker or accept a proposal from any random man who took pity on her...or even a not-so-random one who she probably didn't have any feelings for anyway.

Then Ruby looked sad. "But my mother said I can't visit you two, unless she comes with me, because she wants to make sure Anne doesn't talk about any married woman things in front of me."

"Ruby..." Gilbert began wearily; but then he had the thought that if he made it clear he wasn't marrying Anne, then Ruby would happily reassert her claim over him again. Not only was that bad news for him, but it was for Anne too- he had been the source of strife among the girls, leaving Anne an outsider in the group. So instead he said carefully, "Ruby, I think it's nice, you trying to make a pretty wedding and all, but...I think you should take a break. There's no need to rush into anything. We can do all that planning stuff later. All right?"

Ruby looked confused. "But you don't have a lot of time, do you?" She leaned in and whispered, "I don't know when she'll start showing but Josie told me it can't be long now."

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "You should never listen to Josie...about anything. Anyway, you all decided Anne was having a baby, and-"

"We didn't decide," Ruby said, "I heard you and Anne-"

"Yes, but you didn't hear anything definite. You got the wires all crossed: you heard a 'maybe' and you decided it was a 'yes'. There might not be any baby at all. So please don't say anything to Anne about it. She really doesn't need to be thinking of that right now."

"Where is she, anyway?" Ruby asked. "Is she sick again?"

"No, she's fine," Gilbert said. "I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"