In the Woods When First We Met

186. A Safety Plan

The next day Anne decided she did want to go to Emily's house. Nothing bad had ever happened there. But she wanted Matthew and Marilla both to go with her on the drive there. And she worriedly told them they should lock the door before they left.

"We'll be just fine, Anne. Don't worry about a thing. You just help Emily and we'll be back round to get you before dinner."

"Both of you?" Anne begged.

"Yes," Matthew said, giving her a bit of a hug. "We'll both come."

Emily, with Clara in her arms, was looking at them a bit strangely during this exchange.

But Anne finally turned to her, ready to leave her family, baby Clara all but threw herself out of her mother's arms and into Anne's.

Anne laughed and the Cuthberts' were happy to see her feel at ease again.

"Anne, my goodness, I've never seen anyone else gain Clara's affections as hurriedly as you have! Why don't you take her up and play with her in the nursery?"

Anne went happily up the stairs with the noisy, babbling baby.

"Uh, Emily- might we speak with you a moment?" Marilla said quietly after Anne left.

"Of course, do you want to come in and sit down?" Emily asked.

"No, no, I just wanted to let you know Anne's had another upset recently and she's on edge. She seemed lifted up at the sight of Clara, so perhaps that's all it will take to do the trick...but I thought we should let you know."

"Poor dear, what's happened? Unless you feel it ought to be kept within the family..."

Matthew looked grim as Marilla said, "The boy that attacked her came round while we were out."

Emily's face was white.

"He didn't have a chance to do anything to her, but as you can imagine it frightened her greatly."

"I can see why! My word. Who is this boy? Do I know him?"

"Harmon Andrews' son- Billy."

"Can anything be done? Perhaps the reverend could speak to his parents-"

"We're dealing with them, sort of. We're meeting with them tomorrow- we've threatened them with a trial in court. We don't want to put Anne through that, but we must do something, so that's what we've told them we plan to do...please don't mention any of this to Anne, but I felt you must know, since she's here with you and her nerves are a bit rattled."

Emily only nodded.

"I wasn't sure if we should allow her to come...I don't know how to keep her from feeling vulnerable."

"Don't let her think she must, Miss Cuthbert," Emily said quickly. "It's easier to get things done if she's occupying Clara, but I can get along without her if need be. I don't want her to feel obligated."

"...I think we did the right thing, bringing her here. She seemed to brighten up the minute Clara wanted her."

Emily smiled.

Once home, Marilla began washing the dishes they'd used when they had lunch before they'd left to take Anne to the Perkins'.

As she washed and dried them, she thought about what to do. Deciding what to do about the Andrews wasn't enough- if Billy could be sent away, that would certainly be an enormous help. But even if he was sent all the way to the moon, Anne still wouldn't feel safe. First she'd been made to realize that her own body could be intruded upon, and now, almost just as bad, that her home could be intruded upon. This wasn't just a matter of how to make sure Anne was safe; this was a matter of how to make sure Anne felt that the world could be safe.