you stood there with an awkward smile plastered across your face as your eyes flicked between a frantic marilla and gilbert stood, grinning like a fool, behind her. she’d been rambling on at you as you waited for the train, something about staying safe on your trip and keeping out of ditches. you tried your best to defend yourself and reassure everybody that you had, in fact, not ever fallen face down into a ditch on one of your conquests; to which gilbert couldn’t help but chuckle as marilla continued to ramble on.

eventually, the train arrived and you had managed to walk to the train without marilla stuck to your side. as you went to wave them off and enter the carriage, gilbert stood a could steps ahead of you and turned to marilla and matthew,

“i’ll do my best to keep her out of a ditch,” he couldn’t help the smug smirk on his face as he bid them farewell. you rolled your eyes at him and turned with a wry smile, waving to them and then following gilbert into the carriage.