Anne with an E The Next Chapter

Self Deception, Self Destruction

Moody broke from his conversation with Mr. Lynde to go find Ruby in the parlor. He sat next to her on the sofa and looked at her with a questioning expression. She huffed and rolled her eyes. "What Moody?"

"Ruby, I've known you my whole life... even if you wont have me, I worry about you. I want to know what was going on with you last week at that house? Did someone hurt you?"

"No Moody, no one hurt me" Ruby said turning her face away from him. He was the most gentle person she knew and seemed to be reading her in a way no one else could. It made her uncomfortable to be near him.  The week prior, Moody had been on a walk home from visiting a sick child who had pneumonia. He had spent some time with the family and lead them in a prayer. He left at dusk on this particularly cool December day and found it odd to hear someone crying from the big abandoned house down the road from the Barry's. As he approached, he found Ruby sitting in the grand circular porch. Although this was not an uncommon sight given Ruby was never short on tears, it was the middle of December and Ruby was sitting outside on a snow covered rocker, absolutely beside herself.

Moody had run up the stairs to comfort her and to ask her what had happened. He crouched in front of her and peered up into her red, tear streaked face.

"Nothing.... nothing, I'm fine, I... I just can't talk to anyone right now.. I" Ruby started to heave great heavy sobs and stood up pushing Moody out of the way.

"What are you doing here? " Moody had asked her gently. He had wanted so baldly to hug her, to warm her from her shivering and to dry her tears. He had seen a note in her hands which fell to the ground while tears flooded her hot pink face. Moodie reached for it and handed it to her - but she pushed it off. Part of her had wanted him to read it so she wouldn't need to explain the secret she was keeping from everyone in her life. This secret, this farce, was wilting away before her and she was sick with worry and disappointment.

Just as Moody had started to open the letter, Ruby had panicked and grabbed it from him. All he could make out was the scrawling penmanship and the signature James. JAMES ANDREWS.... he'd seen him slinking around town impressing everyone, but Moody felt a great unease every time he saw him and his black, soulless eyes.

"James Andrews??? Ruby, what is going on...".

"Nothing...it's nothing. I'm just emotional today". At that moment she had picked up her skirts and ran off before he could stop her.

"Ruby!!!" he called after her but she had run off and never looked back.

Back in the parlor at Bash and Muriel's wedding, Ruby answered his earlier question "what is going on with me is none of your concern"she said coldly and stood up to walk out to the kitchen.

Anne happenned to walk back into the parlour to check on Matthew and Delli and heard Ruby's cool comment to Moody as she stormed away.

"Everything ok Moody?"Anne said.
He stood from the sofa with a concerned look on his face he asked Anne "Have you seen much of Ruby lately?"

"No, to be honest I haven't, I've been really busy with work and the wedding, I can't say I've been much of a good friend to anyone these days" she said feeling vexed at herself for her absence and inability to fit everything and everyone in.

"Why, what's wrong with Ruby?"

"I don't know Anne, I don't want to start any rumors, but I am seriously worried."

"Moody, you know I hate rumors, but if Ruby is in trouble, maybe one of us can help" Anne said gently.

"I really haven't seen much of her at all lately and you know, when she was at Queens, we wrote to each other all the time and it seemed to me that we were very close." Anne nodded in agreement . "But now, her parents disaprove and she's all but disapeared from my life. Last week I found her alone and crying at the big mansion near the Barry's. She was holding a letter from James Andrews."