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Marigold Abbot dragged her feet as Marilla and Matthew led her in the town hall for the Christmas Pantomime. It was clear to anyone passing by that the girl did not want to be there by her disinterested look in her eyes and the way she stomped her feet as if they were weighing her down.
"I know you don't fancy these types of events, Marigold, but you can at least pretend you want to be here?" Marilla pleaded quietly through a phony smile on her face.
"Oh, now you want me to use imagination," Marigold threw her hands up in defeat, "I honestly don't know what you want from me anymore."
Before Marilla could respond, she took notice of Matthew's frozen state.
"I-I..." he stuttered as he surveyed the area with a nervous look in his eye.
"It'll only take an hour, Matthew," Marilla told him, "You'll be home before you know it. Oh, seats. Excuse me."
"Sorry, excuse me, sorry, pardon me," A distressed Anne apologized as she pushed her way through the crowd to find her guardians.
"Heavens, what's the matter, Anne?"
"I need a shovel. Please? It's a matter most urgent. Josie Pye just fell gravely ill."
"What do you intend to do with it, bury her?"
"I'll get the shovel, you drag the body, I'll break Billy's leg as a distraction and before anyone looks for us, we'll be on the next boat out of Charlottetown. We'll say we're going to Paris, but really we'll be in Italy. Got it? Break!" Before Marigold could make a mad dash to the door, Marilla pulled her back by her collar.
"I'm 'The Boy' now!" Anne explained, "I've been given her role!"
"Oh, that's wonderful," Matthew cheered.
"You don't understand! I need a shovel! Josie forgot! If I don't have a shovel for the end, it won't make sense, it'll ruin the whole thing!"
"I'll run out, I'll find one. You go on now. Don't you worry."
"Probably for the best," Marilla muttered as Matthew walked away. Marigold went to follow Marilla to an empty set of seats before she saw something else.
"Marilla, may I sit up there with Cole and Felix? Please? I'll be within your view."
Marilla pondered for a minute, "Oh alright, but you better not cause any mischief."
