28 Cont. Anne Of Avonlea Read By Stephanie Poppins

Hello.

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,

Your go-to romantic podcast that guarantees you a calm and entertaining transition into a great night's sleep.

Come with me as we immerse ourselves in a romantic journey to a time long since forgotten.

But before we begin,

Let's take a moment to focus on where we are now.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.

Now close your eyes and feel yourself sink deeper into the support beneath you.

It is time to relax and fully let go.

There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.

Happy listening.

Anne of Avonlea This is the second book in the Anne of Green Gables series.

I am delighted to present to you Anne as she has now grown up into an elegant teenager.

Come with me as we hear all the trials and tribulations as she continues on her journey to womanhood.

Chapter 28 continued.

Never did Anne's feet bear her on a more willing errand than on that walk through the Beechwoods to Grafton the next morning.

She found Miss Lavender in the garden.

Anne was fearfully excited,

Her hands grew cold and her voice trembled.

Miss Lavender,

I've something to tell you,

Something very important.

Can you guess what it is?

Anne never supposed that Miss Lavender could guess,

But Miss Lavender's face grew very pale and Miss Lavender said in a quiet,

Still voice,

From which all the colour and sparkle that her voice usually suggested had faded.

Stephen Irving's home.

How did you know?

Who told you?

Cried Anne disappointedly,

Vexed that her great revelation had been anticipated.

Nobody.

I knew that must be it just from the way you spoke.

He wants to come and see you.

Said Anne.

May I send him word he may?

Yes,

Of course,

Fluttered Miss Lavender.

There's no reason why he shouldn't.

He's only coming as any old friend might.

Anne had her own opinion about that as she hastened into the house to write a note at Miss Lavender's desk.

Oh,

It's delightful to be living in a storybook,

She thought gaily.

It will come out all right in the end,

Of course.

And Paul will have a mother after his own heart and everybody will be happy.

But Mr.

Irving will take Miss Lavender away and Dean knows what will happen to the little stone house.

And so there are two sides to it as there seems to be everything in this world.

The important note was written and Anne herself carried it to the graft and post office where she waylaid the mail carrier and asked him to leave it at the Avonlea office.

It's so very important,

She assured him anxiously.

The mail carrier was a rather grumpy old personage who did not book at all the part of a messenger of Cupid and Anne was none too certain his memory was to be trusted.

But he said he would do his best to remember and she had to be content with that.

Charlotta IV felt that some mystery pervaded the stone house that afternoon,

A mystery from which she was excluded.

Miss Lavender roamed about in the garden in a distracted fashion and too seemed possessed by a demon of unrest and walked to and fro and went up and down.

Charlotta IV endured it till patience ceased to be a virtue then she confronted Anne on the occasion of that romantic young person's third aimless peregrination through the kitchen.

Please Miss Shirley ma'am,

Said Charlotta IV with an indignant toss of her very blue bows.

It's plain to be seen you and Miss Lavender's got a secret and I think,

Begging your pardon if I'm too forward Miss Shirley ma'am,

That it's real mean not to tell me when we've all been such chums.

Oh Charlotta dear I'd have told you all about it if it were my secret,

But it's Miss Lavender's you see.

However I'll tell you this much and if nothing comes of it you must never breathe a word about it to a living soul.

You see Prince Charming's coming tonight.

He came long ago but in a foolish moment he went away and he wandered far away,

Forgot the secret of the magic pathway to the enchanted castle where the princess was weeping her faithful heart out for him.

But at last he remembered it again and the princess is waiting still because nobody but her own dear prince could carry her off.

Oh Miss Shirley ma'am,

Was that in prose?

Gasped the mystified Charlotta.

Anne laughed.

In prose an old friend of Miss Lavender's is coming to see her tonight.

Do you mean an old beau of hers?

Demanded the literal Charlotta.

That is probably what I do mean in prose,

Answered Anne gravely.

It's Paul's father,

Stephen Irving and goodness knows what will come of it but let us hope for the best Charlotta.

I hope he'll marry Miss Lavender,

Was Charlotta's unequivocal response.

Some women's intended from the start to be old maids and I'm afraid I'm one of them Miss Shirley ma'am because I've awful little patience with the men but Miss Lavender never was and I've been awful worried thinking what on earth she'd do when I got so big I'd have to go to Boston.

There ain't any more girls in our family and dear knows what she'd do if she got some stranger that might laugh at her pretendings and leave things lying around out of their place and not be willing to be called Charlotta the fifth.

She might get someone who wouldn't be as unlucky as me in breaking dishes but she'd never get anyone who'd love her better and the faithful little handmaiden dashed to the oven door with a sniff.

They went through the form of having tea as usual that night at Echo Lodge but no one really ate anything.

After tea Miss Lavender went to her room and put on her new forget-me-not organdy while Anne did her hair for her.

Both were dreadfully excited but Miss Lavender pretended to be very calm and indifferent.

I really must mend that rent in the curtain tomorrow she said anxiously inspecting it as if it were the only thing of any importance just then.

Those curtains have not worn as well as they should considering the price I paid.

Dear me Charlotta's forgotten to dust the stair railing again I really must speak to her about it.

Anne was sitting on the porch steps when Stephen Irving came down the lane and across the garden.

This is the one place where time stands still he said looking around him with delighted eyes.

There is nothing changed about this garden or house since I was here 25 years ago.

It makes me feel young again.

You know time always does stand still in an enchanted place said Anne seriously.

It's only when the prince comes that things begin to happen.

Mr Irving smiled a little sadly into her uplifted face all a star with its youth and promise.

Sometimes the prince comes too late he said.

He did not ask Anne to translate her remark into prose.

Like all kindred spirits he understood.

Oh no not if he's the real prince coming to the true princess said Anne shaking her red head decidedly as she opened the parlour door.

When he had gone in she shut it tightly behind him and turned to confront Charlotte the fourth who was in the hall all nods and becks and wreaths smiles.

Oh Miss Shirley ma'am she breathed.

I peeked from the kitchen window and he's awful handsome and just the right age for Miss Lavender.

Then oh Miss Shirley ma'am do you think it would be much harm to listen at the door?

It would be dreadful Charlotte said Anne firmly.

So just you come away with me out of the reach of temptation.

I can't do anything and it's awful to hang around just waiting sighed Charlotte.

What if you don't propose after all Miss Shirley ma'am?

You can never be sure of them men.

My older sister Charlotte the first thought she was engaged to one once but it turned out he had a different opinion.

She says she'll never trust one of them again and I heard of another case where a man thought he wanted one girl awful bad when it was really her sister he wanted all the time.

When a man don't know his own mind Miss Shirley ma'am how's a poor woman going to be sure of it?

Go to the kitchen and clean the silver spoons said Anne.

That's a task which won't require much thinking fortunately for I couldn't think tonight and it will pass the time.

It passed an hour then just as Anne laid down the last shining spoon they heard the front door shut.

Both sought comfort fearfully in each other's eyes.

Oh Miss Shirley ma'am gasped Charlotte.

If he's going away this early there's nothing into it and it never will be.

They flew to the window.

Mr Irving had no intention of going away.

He and Miss Lavender were strolling slowly down the middle path to the stone bench.

Oh Miss Shirley ma'am he's got his arm around her waist whispered Charlotte of the fourth delightedly.

He must have proposed to her or she'd never allow it.

Anne caught Charlotte of the fourth by her own plump waist and danced her round the kitchen until they were both out of breath.

Oh Charlotte she cried gaily.

I'm neither a prophetess nor the daughter of a prophet.

But I'm going to make a prediction.

There'll be a wedding in this old stone house before the maple leaves are red.

Do you want that translated into prose Charlotte?

No I can understand that said Charlotte.

A wedding ain't poetry.

Why Miss Shirley ma'am you're crying what for?

Oh because it's all so beautiful and story bookish and romantic and sad said Anne winking the tears out of her eyes.

It's all perfectly lovely but there's a little sadness mixed up in it too somehow.

Oh of course there's a risk in marrying anybody conceded Charlotte of the fourth.

But when all's said and done Miss Shirley ma'am there's many a worse thing than a husband.