A New Beginning || Gilbert Blythe x Oc ||

Chapter 8

"Are they making a baby?" Tillie asked, her voice tinged with concern.

They all dissolved into giggles once again, the tension momentarily lifted by their shared amusement.

"It's disgusting," Josie remarked, her tone filled with disdain. "He's the teacher, for heaven's sake."

"Prissy does seem rather taken with grown-up matters this year," Diana added, her voice tinged with a hint of scandal.

"Do you think they're in love?" Tillie asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"When it comes to matters of intimacy, I'm not sure love is a prerequisite," Anne remarked, her tone tinged with wisdom beyond her years.

Their giggles erupted once more, echoing off the walls of the schoolroom.

"Oh, my!" Tillie exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth in shock.

"Do tell, Anne," Josie said, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"Well, in my experience with Mrs. Hammond and her drunken husband--" Anne began, only to be interrupted by Ruby's astonished interjection.

"Drunken husband?" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Oh, my!" Tillie repeated, her shock evident in her voice.

The girls leaned in closer to Anne, eager to hear more about the unfolding drama.

"They're the people you lived with before?" Diana asked, her curiosity piqued.

Lydia, who had momentarily stopped giggling, looked over at Anne with worried eyes, her concern evident.

"They were the last ones, yes," Anne confirmed, her expression reflecting a mixture of nostalgia and apprehension.

Lydia let out a quiet sigh of relief, reassured by Anne's response.

"And he was a drunkard?" Ruby asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Oh, indeed," Anne affirmed, nodding solemnly.

"Mr. Hammond--"

Lydia found herself drifting away from Anne's words, her attention captured by the worried expression on Diana's face as she listened intently.

"I did hear everything!" Anne suddenly exclaimed, drawing Lydia's attention back to the conversation.

"Everything?" Josie questioned, her tone laced with uncertainty.

A knot formed in Lydia's stomach as she sensed the conversation taking a troubling turn.

"To this day, I don't quite know what to make of it," Anne continued, her voice tinged with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. "There were times I heard laughter, and it sounded like fun."

The other girls exchanged concerned glances, their worry mirrored in their expressions.

"But there were other times I was sure he was harming her!" Anne added, her voice growing more somber. "Either way, it surely angered Mrs. Hammond."

"And the next morning, more often than not," she added, her voice trailing off, "she would come after me with a wooden spoon."

Lydia watched as the girls began to pack up their lunches, their movements betraying their discomfort.

"Is lunchtime over already?" Anne asked, her voice filled with confusion.

"No," Josie stated bluntly, her tone cutting. "But I won't sit next to dirty trash."

Lydia's heart sank as she witnessed Anne's crestfallen expression, her concern for her friend growing with each passing moment.

"Come on, girls," Josie urged, motioning for the others to follow her. "Before we all become tarnished."