The Three of Us

183. Gilbert's Plan

Miss Smith would not be staying in Avonlea.

While the school board had chosen not to fire her, they let her know they'd decided not to renew her contract for the following year. They needed a teacher who would arrive on time, teach well, and be committed to student progress.

Miss Smith, who had not really wanted to teach anyway, went back home, intending to marry, and a notice went out for a new applicant.

When Gilbert heard about this, he devised a new plan for his life.

He applied for the position of teacher at Avonlea school, and two weeks later, he was interviewed by the school board.

He did not tell anyone, in case he wasn't chosen.

When Gilbert was offered a contract for the year, the first thing he did was contact Redmond and revise his schedule.

He brought his teaching contract to Matthew and Marilla, before he even showed it to Anne.

"Why, Gilbert- what about Redmond? A teacher instead of a doctor?" Marilla was pleased but confused.

"I'll still be a doctor," he explained. "I haven't given up Redmond. I'll finish my courses by correspondence, only traveling there to sit for exams."

"Can you really do everything by correspondence?" she asked, still a bit stunned.

"Well- no," Gilbert admitted. "Not everything. But I looked into it; they offer accelerated courses in the summers."

"Oh."

"So I'll teach school all year and then during the summers I'll go up to Redmond for three weeks to take advantage of the courses I couldn't do by correspondence."

"You've...certainly thought this through, haven't you?" she asked faintly, looking over the contract.

"I can stay here in town and keep my farm," he went on. "I'll need to keep farmhands on- I'm not ambitious enough to think I can teach school and manage the farm on my own- but I've had them here since I went to Queens, already."

"Yes, that's true..." Marilla agreed. "But three years of Redmond work...are you sure they still count you the same as those who were there in person- that going by correspondence won't put you at a disadvantage when you apply for medical school?"

Gilbert shook his head.

"And what about...what about medical school- you can't do that by correspondence..."

Gilbert agreed. "When I'm finished with my Redmond courses, then I will have to leave to go on to medical school. ...But after medical school, we'd come straight back to Avonlea."

We'd come straight back to Avonlea...

"We..." Marilla noticed he'd used. Suddenly emotion came over her and she could not speak.

Gilbert realized, too, that he had said we. "I don't mean to sound presumptuous," he said gently. "I just thought...now that I can be in college without even leaving town...and I have a job, now..."

Marilla, reluctantly, said: "You'll be very busy, you know. Teaching school during the day...coming home to plan your lessons and mark papers...and doing all your own college coursework."

"But my house is so near Green Gables." His voice was full of fragile hope. "Anne could always come over here to you, any time she felt like it...she won't have to be lonely."

"That was always my concern," Marilla admitted. "If she moved away with you when you went to Redmond...she'd be lonely. ...I suppose...if you stay here, I wouldn't have to worry about that part of things."

There was a silence.

"Well, I don't think Anne would like the three of us sitting around discussing her future without her," Marilla finally said. "But I am glad you came to us first."

"I care about you both," Gilbert said plainly. "I don't want you to feel I'm going behind your back. Or that I've acted dishonorably."

Dishonorably, Marilla thought, amused. As if Gilbert Blythe could.

"If I can marry Anne," Gilbert went on, "I know we'd be happy. But...I want you to be happy, too. So I won't ask her until you think it's the right time."

"But when you tell Anne about your new job, and about taking courses by correspondence," Marilla pointed out, "She'll see no reason you can't rush right into marriage now."

Gilbert was disappointed. He had hoped that was exactly what would happen- that his news would allow them to get married now.

But he swallowed and said, "I can tell her I'm not ready yet...if that's what you think I should do."

"She's only eighteen," Marilla said slowly.

Matthew finally spoke up. "Marilla."

Marilla looked over at him.

"We got no cause to keep them apart."

"It isn't about keeping them apart," Marilla protested. "Gilbert, I am glad she has you- and that you have her. I want the two of you together! It's just that...if you were both off at college you'd be waiting till you finished, you'd be older and more-"

"But that's not how it happened," Matthew cut in softly.

"I know that..."

"Four years ago," Matthew began, "We gave Anne a family. Now it's time for us to give her a new one." Already seeing the conflict in his sister's mind, he went on, "I heard a sayin' once- when a daughter gets married, you're not losing a daughter, you're gaining a son."

Marilla just stared at him.

"Tell the boy he can marry her, Marilla."