Anne Shirley Cuthbert's expectations

Chapter 20 - Return to Blackmore Manor

Anne had been waiting for an hour at the port of New Brunswick, her ferry would arrive at any moment, she had managed to escape Miss Blackmore's vision until now by some miracle.

When she saw a lady coming near her, she immediately avoided her gaze, at the moment she thought she was really out of luck, it was necessary for Miss Blackmore to take the train in Montreal and catch the ferry at the same time she did, and then she wait beside her.

But the girl was still far from imagining what awaited her on her return.

The ferry finally arrived, the wait had been a torment for Anne. And Miss Blackmore took a malicious pleasure in torturing the young redhead.

Once on board the ferry, the redhead had settled on a bench on the port side of the vessel, knowing that the elderly lady must be on the opposite side.

She was lost in her thoughts as she looked at the horizon, her eyes still filled with memories of the last two days, finally, she found that it went pretty well with Gilbert, forgetting that famous phrase that troubled her so much that she pretended to be asleep.

What did he mean when he said that? "Anne, I'd like to propose to you"

Was it his way of proposing, or was he just saying that so she'd be prepared? These questions kept running through her mind.

For her, the dark-haired boy hadn't been the lightest. It's true that it would have been enough to ask the young man for clarification. But that evening, her mind was not clear enough on the subject, so it was difficult for her to have the right words. Maybe talking about it with Diana would help her to understand, and that's also why she was not unhappy to come home.

"Will this young man have the courtesy to pay a visit at convenient times, or does he prefer secret appointments?", That voice, familiar to the redhead's ears, brought her out of her reverie.

Then, she turned her head and panicked, "Mi-Miss Bla-Blackmore! I, uh..."

The strict looking woman cut her off, "Oh, don't bother to explain yourself, young lady... I know very well what you were doing in Montreal, don't forget I was your age.

"I'm truly sorry Miss Blackmore, I didn't mean to do this behind anyone's back!", she replied, still in such anguish.

"If only I could believe you... It doesn't surprise me that you're the one who acts this way first, because you're the one who gets the most agitated. But please don't give up your studies for a boy, I still saw a lot of potential in you.", She had the gift of complimenting someone while at the same time reproaching them.

This troubled the girl even more, "N-no! That's not my attention at all, believe me! I take my studies very seriously! Did you know that I entered the Queen's College short story contest? Coming to Montreal was very inspiring! It's so modern! Ahh... It brought me a lot! In a way that's why I was here!", She hoped so much to convince Miss Blackmore with that explanation, that she was almost convinced herself.

The young redhead added one last thing in a pleading tone, "I ask you with the greatest gratitude, it's really not necessary for Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert to know, they would imagine things right away."

The lady with the bun toised Anne from head to toe, "Hmm! And they would be right. They are the ones who pay for your boarding house, it's my duty to inform them of your misbehaviour."

The young student panicked even more, and knelt down before the surly woman, "Oh, I beg you Miss Blackmore, I will be punished instead and do any unpleasant work !"

Miss Blackmore did not like to draw attention to herself at all, and so the girl begged her, half of the passengers had their eyes glued to the stage.