Anne Shirley Cuthbert... Bylthe - translation

stress and meeting

Diana did not know how to react. She was happy and stressed. She had a dinner with her parents and Fred and his family next weekend. She was happy to see Fred again but needed to know how to act so that her parents wouldn't suspect anything. And not to stress too much about her exams that were coming up. Anne tried to reassure her as best she could, but she understood her. She also tried to spend time with Josie. She was doing better since she was in the room with Ruby. But she knew that losing Jane's friendship and being blamed for so many things she was trying to put behind her was complicated. Anne decided to go and talk to Jane, to try and sort things out, she hated to see her friends suffer. So she approached her in the library, where she used to work. She sat quietly beside her and took out her books. She started to read when Jane began:

"You're here to tell me about Josie, aren't you?

- Jane, I... yes. I hate to see my friends angry.

- Anne, life is more complicated than that, she's been smearing my brother's reputation by spreading these lies, playing the victim and everyone believes her.

- Maybe because it's true you don't believe her? Do you really think she could have been faking it? It's a serious matter what she's been through.

- Suffer? Anne, she brought it on herself.

Ann tried to remain calm but she couldn't help it.

- If she'd had the same thing from anyone else, would you have called her a liar too? Or is it just that your vile brother did this to her and you're protecting him?

- My despicable brother? My brother didn't do anything wrong. NOTHING!

- Nothing? He's been harassing me since I got here, he destroyed Cole's life, he destroyed Josie's reputation, but he also destroyed part of her. So really? You think your brother didn't do anything wrong? I'm disappointed in you, Jane. Very disappointed.

- Always fighting for others, huh? You can't help it?

Anne didn't answer, she put her things away quickly and left. She had to calm down.

It was now Friday and Diana was at the height of her stress. How should she dress? How should she do her hair? She needed to calm down and talk to someone who understood her. Ann understood her, or at least tried as best she could and she was more than grateful, but it wasn't the same as with Aunt Jo. She took some dresses she liked, dressed simply and left for her aunt's house. She took the trouble to write a note to Ann so she wouldn't worry. But she needed a change of scene. She knew that the atmosphere had been tense since the fight between Jane and Josie, and she was supporting Josie as best she could, but she realised that it was complicated.

She arrived at her aunt's house to be greeted by a smiling Cole. She gave him a shy smile back, but it wasn't enough to convince him.

"What's wrong Di?

- I don't know, honestly, it's complicated to deal with but it could be so much worse! I don't have much right to complain...

- Try as you might, you're allowed to complain

Aunt Jo arrived at the same time with tea and biscuits.

- Diana! How nice to have you here! But you weren't supposed to arrive until the evening, were you?

- Yes, but I felt I had to come here, I felt cramped in my boarding house, and Anne is helping me as best she can, but she's worried about Josie and ...

- It's OK Diana, I'm glad you're here. Why don't you continue your discussion with Cole?

- Tonight I'm having dinner with my parents and Fred and his parents, and I don't know how to behave. I mean, I don't want my parents to know that we already know and like each other. They would refuse to marry me for love. And I'm very happy that my parents want me to marry Fred, he's a great guy, but the fact that they still want to decide for me who I should marry and manage everything is beyond me.

- I understand Di, you're going to have to do things differently with your parents than you would on your own with him. But don't beat yourself up too much, you know how your parents want you to act, they've taught you that since you were little, and think that once these dinners are over, you'll be free to be who you are.

- That's true, but it's hard when you already know the person.

- Yes," added Aunt Jo, "but you think he'll have to play that game too, and manage to seduce your parents on top of it.

- I hadn't thought about that...

- It's okay, don't worry, go get ready now.

- Cole, will you help me with my hair?

- Sure, Di."

When evening came, Diana waited for her parents and sister to arrive, but she was still happy to see them. When they came in, Minnie-May ran into her sister's arms.

- Diana! I missed you so much!

- I missed you too, Minnie-May, I'm so glad to see you. She turned to her parents and received a smile, but nothing more. Her mother just told her that the dress looked good on her.

Meanwhile, Fred was stressed in the cariole with his parents. How should he act? Should he call her names? Should he have a moment alone with her to really tell her how beautiful she would be (he knew she would be), all questions that would remain unanswered, because he would never dare ask his parents. So he would have to do what he had always been taught.

Dinner went smoothly, Diana and Fred glanced at each other from time to time, joined in the discussion, but leaving the two fathers to discuss economics was much easier. Fred nevertheless had to talk, and lie a little too.

"So Fred," began Mr. Barry, "I hear you went to the University of Toronto?

- Yes, that's right, I'm studying medicine there.

- A good course of study, are you thinking of taking over your father's practice?

Fred swallowed hard, he knew he would never do that, and that his father wouldn't want to either, his other brother was much more in the same mindset as his father.

- I don't know, I still have time to think about it, I still have two years of university left, but my older brother who followed that path will certainly do it, he answered, looking at his father.

- Yes indeed, that's the plan for the moment, we'll see in due course if he wants to join him or not, his father added.

- Oh, all right," Mr. Barry replied, visibly disappointed. He would have been sure to have a good seat for his daughter, but he rather liked this Fred.

At the end of dinner, when the Wrights were about to leave, Diana accompanied Fred outside. Fred took her hands, kissed them, and whispered in her ear how happy he was and how beautiful she was. He quickly placed a kiss on her cheek and left for the cariole where his parents were already waiting. Diana was happy. Now all he had to do was convince his parents.

They were waiting for her with smiles on their faces inside. Her father now had one fixed idea in mind, that his daughter should become Fred Wright's wife.

So Diana," began her father, "what do you think of this young man?

- He's very nice," she replied politely.

- Good," her father replied, "your mother will explain the rules of courtship to you, he will probably write to me soon to court you, I hope to make your engagement official by the end of the summer. He absentmindedly stroked his daughter's shoulder and went up the stairs to bed, muttering "I hope he's in a good place..."

Diana was happy, even if it wasn't the way she hoped, she would have her happy marriage. If all went well...

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Here is the next part! The exams are approaching for our students, intermediate for most of them and final for Anne! If all goes well I'll try to finish the year as soon as possible to write about the summer where many beautiful things are waiting for them!

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