Lavender - {G.B}

quinze

Alice followed, beginning to take her coat off where Gilbert said she could. She set her scarf, hat, and coat off onto the hook near the door, then turned to the man that sat with blankets around him. He tried to keep warm as he wasn't used to this cold.

"Not like this, Blythe. Not like this. The sun isn't even real. It don't give you no heat, no...warmth, no nothing." Alice noticed his accent, beginning to like him. "It just shine on you like some faraway lantern in the sky. Oh! And the air! How can I do any work if the very air I breathe is out to kill me?"

"Let's get you situated," Gilbert said. "Bash, this is Alice. Alice, Bash." Gilbert walked into his father's room.

"Nice to meet you." Alice smiled, shaking his shaky, cold hand.

"As to you." Bash smiled, bringing the blankets around him.

She looked back at the door leading to his father's room. She walked through the doorway, Bash following behind her. Alice stayed at the doorway, Bash continuing to walk toward him.

Gilbert took a grey wool coat out of the chest and looked up at Bash. "Dad would be happy that it's being appreciated." Gilbert passed him the coat. "And you're pathetic."

"Thank you, Mr. Blythe," Bash thanked, looking above the ceiling. "So, I've heard a lot about the Alice Miller from Blythe. All good things." Gilbert turned to Bash with two cups of tea, slightly embarrassed.

"Thank you." She turned back to Bash. "I'd hope it was all good things."

"He once said you were very beautiful. 'Your eyes were the prettiest eyes he's seen." Gilbert's cheeks turned to a light pink and Alice giggled.

-

"You're not proposing to me, are you?" Alice asked as Gilbert bent down on one knee, holding a small box colored lavender.

"No, saving that for another day." A smile crept onto her face. "There weren't many things on the steamship so it took me a while to purchase this." Gilbert opened the box, revealing a barrette with lavender colored jewels. "Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas."

Alice put her hand to her side, away from tracing the barrette. "I thank you very much for this beautiful gift. I shall treasure it forever." Alice laughed lightly.

Gilbert chuckled. He smiled, beginning to lean in for a kiss. Their soft lips met for the second time. Both smiled into the kiss.

"Blythe!" Bash yelled. "There's a very surprised lady here to see you."

Gilbert pulled away, resting his forehead on hers, sighing. "You should go see what he wants, who it is." Alice looked up at him.

"After you, ma'am."

Alice playfully pushed him at his words, walking out of the room to the kitchen to see Bash and Ms. Cuthbert at the door. Alice smiled, walking beside Bash.

"Alice, it's nice seeing you. Your birthday wasn't too long ago, was it? I hope I can still say happy birthday." Ms. Cuthbert asked.

"It's never too late, thank you." Alice smiled politely, nodding.

"Ms. Cuthbert! What a pleasant surprise," Gilbert greeted.

"Hello, Gilbert welcome home," Ms. Cuthbert greeted.

"Thank you. I see you've already met Sebastian. Won't you come in?"

"Oh, thank you, I just came by to see if you'd like to join us for Christmas dinner at Green Gables. Alice, you and Angelica are more than welcome to join us," Ms. Cuthbert offered.

"That's very kind of you to offer," Alice smiled. "Angelica, unfortunately, has to work in town so she wouldn't be able to make it."

"Oh." Ms. Cuthbert looked at Bash, then back at Gilbert. "And of course you're welcome to join us."

"I'd be delighted." Bash smiled.

"Very well then."

"Good day." Gilbert smiled as Ms. Cuthbert left back through the snow.

-

Alice and Gilbert left Bash at home, walking to the theatre where the Christmas event was being held for the town to see. I grabbed a paint bucket of brown paints, dipping a brush into the liquid.

She was helping Cole paint the mural for the background setting. Cole mainly painted the higher parts of the mural, finishing the leaves of trees and recently painting a red bird.

"Could you pass me the yellow paint and a new brush?" Cole asked.

Alice licked her finger, brushing the paint she just posted. She grabbed yellow paint from the table and a small brush. She climbed up the wooden ladder Cole was up on. Cole looked back, grabbing the brush and paint.

"It looks brilliant, Cole. You could be a real artist one day," Alice complimented, smiling up at the painting.

"Thank you, Alice. I don't know though. Something's wrong with the beak." Cole looked at his painting.

"Perhaps it's a bit too big?" Alice suggested, stepping back from the ladder.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe you could be an artist and have me as your assistant," Cole joked.

Alice laughed. "I think it's the other way around except I'd be the least artistic artist on your team." Alice walked away, back to the table to mix paint.

Alice looked over at Cole as she mixed paint to make a lighter green by using yellow. His ladder tilted left to right. Before Alice could react, Cole lost his balance, falling towards the floor.

Alice put the paint on the table, running carefully over the spilled green paint as Cole rolled over onto the next floor. Everyone rushed to Cole, Alice and Gilbert being the first to arrive.

Cole groaned, clearly in pain. As he fell onto the floor, his bones cracked resulting in a broken wrist. "Don't move, Cole," Alice warned him.

"His wrist is definitely broke. I don't know what else," Gilbert alerted Ms. Lynde.

"It was an accident," Billy defended. Everyone looked up at him "I swear!"

"Everything's always an 'accident' with you," Alice sneered, looking back down at Cole, then back at him. "What happened to the boy at the graveyard a few days ago? I guess it just dug up a grave to bury itself there."

Billy was slightly guilty, not meaning to do that much harm to Cole, but he was very wrong. Cole had a broken wrist, possibly ending his artist career. Alice felt sorry for her friend and disliked Billy even more.