Unforgettable

Chapter 2

With a dust mop in her hand, Anne Shirley walked into the parlor of Green Gables, only to find their house guest waiting there.

"Oh, hello Amanda," the redhead exclaimed happily. "Marilla's looking for you. I...why, Amanda, whatever is the matter?"

Anne put down her rag and rushed to the girl's side.

Amanda raised her dark head and gazed with dismay at Anne Shirley, who seemed to have sneaked in from nowhere. The poor girl struggled to gather the remaining threads of her dignity, but with little affect.

"Oh, hello Anne, it is nothing," the older girl protested feebly. "I am just ... just ..."

Amanda gave a stifled sob and buried her face in her hands. In the next moment, she felt Anne's comforting arm about her shoulders.

"Now, Amanda," Anne began gently. "I know we are not that well acquainted yet, but I never figured you to be a girl like, well, like Ruby Guillis. Of course, I suppose you don't know what Ruby is like, do you? So, something is obviously wrong. Won't you tell me?"

Anne Dropped her voice to a near whisper, and continued conspiratorially,

'I can keep secrets, truly I can. If you tell me it's a secret, I swear to never tell a living soul. Wild horses would not drag it from me. Not under the worst torture. Not under the meanest of threats—'

Amanda laughed in spite of herself, but it was a weak laugh, full of unshed tears.

"Anne Shirley! Have you seen? Oh, there you are, Amanda?"

Marilla's voice came to the girls just before the older woman entered the parlor. She took one look around at the undusted room, Amanda's stricken face, and Anne's position, and sighed heavily. She would not normally let Anne out of her chores even on her school vacations, however...

"Anne, why don't you show Amanda your room," Marilla offered, picking up the abandoned dust rag. "She's got it done up real pretty," she said aside to Amanda.

Anne blinked. She gaped up at Marilla.

"Oh, stop looking like a fish out of water, girl," Marilla huffed. "Runa long now, both of you. I've got things to do."

"No, Marilla," Anne started to protest. She tried to take the dust mop, but the older woman refused to let go.

"Anne Shirley, do as I say. Your chores today will be to help Amanda get herself settled."

"And what are you grinning at," Marilla asked aside to Amanda.

The other girl quickly schooled her features. "Why nothing at all, Marilla," she answered. "It's just so nice how somethings never change."

Anne laughed out loud, gave Marilla a quick sideways grin, then took Amanda's hand and quickly led her from the room. She wanted to get out before Marilla had a change of heart.

Amanda allowed Anne to settle her on the bed in her room. She wondered if the girl was always this lively or was this how she acted in front of company?

But as sweet and friendly as Anne was, it was not long before Amanda's thoughts strayed, as they always did, back to her reason for being there, back to Matthew Cuthbert.

"Please Miss Shirley—I mean, Anne," she corrected herself before Anne could do it for her. "Please, do sit down. You're exhausting me. I promise you I am perfectly fine, and this room is so lovely. You really shouldn't have gone to all the trouble."

"But it was no trouble at all," Anne protested. "And I see it isn't quite pretty enough to take your mind off your troubles, Amanda? Now, can't I help you at all?"

"No," Amanda muttered gloomily. "There's nothing you can do to help me, Anne. I—I shouldn't have ever come back here."

Upon seeing the younger girl's honest concerned expression, Amanda tried to reverse herself. She pasted on a smile and put her arm about Anne's waist.

"It's the loveliest room I've ever seen, Anne, and I am so grateful. But, oh please do tell me, how sick is he, Anne? How sick is Matthew? He doesn't look at all well."

Anne studied her for a long silent moment. It was the longest time the girl had remained quiet since Amanda had met her.

"You came back to see him, didn't you?" Anne whispered conspiratorially. "You really came back to see Matthew."

"No!" Amanda protested. "Well, not only him. I wanted to see Marilla, too. And Marilla's written me such nice long letters about you that I wanted to meet the little girl she and Matthew had adopted. It's funny, but I pictured you much younger. I never imagined Marilla and Matthew adopt a child, let alone a girl child. And, now that I've met you, well, I can see why they adopted you. You're so kind and nice and chipper and... and—"

Gradually, Amanda's speech ran out of steam under Anne's sweet but curious gaze. Gravely, she arose from the bed and went to close the bedroom door. Then, looking utterly defeated, she returned to sit next to Anne on the coverlet.

"Anne, I know we have just met, but can I truly confide in you. I mean, if I tell you something, something terribly serious, do you swear not to tell anyone, not Marilla or especially Matthew, not anyone at all? Why, if Marilla knew—" Amanda shivered with honest dread. "Oh, she'd be so angry! She'd turn me out, I'm sure. And Matthew ... oh my, Matthew must never know either. If he found out, I'd never be able to look him in the eye, not ever again! Anne, do you swear?"

Anne Shirley took Amanda's hand, looked her straight in the eye, leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I swear. I swear to never tell another living soul, not even my bosom friend Diana. I swear I'll never tell another soul that you are in love with Matthew."

The redhead leaned back and grinned. 'Now, we need to start preparing."

"Preparing?" Amanda inquired. "Preparing for what?"

"Preparing to get Matthew to propose to you, of course," Anne told her sincerely.

"Anne!" Amanda exclaimed, and almost fell off the side of the bed in shock.

<TBC>