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___ "How was the beauty contest? I mean, school," Marilla joked as Marigold and Anne walked into the house. She turned around to face the two and gasped at Anne's hair. "Anne, what did I say about your hair?"
"I know, but my friend Cole styled it for me and did such a lovely job that I just had to leave it," Anne explained.
"Perhaps one day you'll grow into a style like that, but for now I'll thank you to restore yourself to yourself."
"I know it's foolish to want to be anything other than what I am, but I can't help it. I love pretty things. I hate when I look in the glass and I see something that isn't pretty. It makes me feel so sorrowful, just as I feel when I see any ugly thing. I pity it because it's not beautiful."
"Anne Shirely-Cuthbert!" Marigold exclaimed, "You are the most beautiful girl in all of Avonlea and if I have to get that tattoo on my forehead to let you and everyone else know, I will."
"You will not do anything of the sort," Marilla scolded before relaxing a bit, "Well, I have something that might cheer you up. We received a letter today. Two to be specific. From Gilbert Blythe."
"Oh!" Anne exclaimed as she grabbed the letters from the older woman's hand, "Oh, Marilla! I'd forgotten about my foreign correspondence! Trinidad! I imagined that I was writing to some far-flung corner of the world, but nowhere this intriguing. "Miss Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. "How wonderful! Look at that, Marilla!
"I saw," Marilla laughed, "Do try to learn to take things calmly, child."
"How can I be calm when I've never seen my name written with "Miss" before?"
"Well, open it."
"There's nothing romantical about this letter, nothing whatsoever."
"You wrote to him about the gold, as I recall."
"Yes, that's exactly right. I wonder what he said." Marigold stared down at her letter. A rush of nerves flooded her body as she trace the wording that spelt her name. This was a new feeling she had when receiving a letter from Gilbert, because this was would tell her if she's ever see him again. Slowly ripping the envelope and unfolding the piece of paper, she began to read the faith of her love life.
Dear Marigold, My God, sometimes when I get struck by your beauty I completely forget why I do the things I do to upset you. You're like an angel on earth who has stuck around with me for so long that I can't even begin to fathom why I'd do anything to hurt you. You're my whole life, my one true love. But I feel like I can't return to Avonlea if I can't give you all the world's desires. I can't stay in Avonlea with you when I'm not truly happy myself. I would love to be with you, but I can't be in Avonlea.
