Chapter 34

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Barking Up The Wrong Tree

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Avonlea had reached the height of Spring, with bright sunshine and pleasant temperatures replacing all signs of cooler weather. The snow on the ground had all melted, and there were flowers all over the place. Sunflowers, dandelions, violets, and any other flower imaginable were among them.

It was a Sunday and Florence was spending her only day off from school with her best friend, Prissy Andrews. It had been several weeks since the events of the wedding reception (with Mr Phillips long fled to Toronto alone), and the girls had decided to spend some much needed time with each other before Prissy were to leave for Charlottetown and begin her college education at Queens.

Prissy wore a relieved smile as she laid back comfortably against Florence's bed. "I'm so glad that those exams are over with. They were nothing but a bane to my existence for the longest time."

The brunette laughed while sitting on the desk chair across from her. "Now you're worrying me. I have to take those next year, too."

"Oh, you should definitely be worried," Prissy admitted truthfully, only chuckling at the very anxious look that she received. "I'm just kidding, Flo, they're not all that bad as they make it to be. You just have to pay extra attention in class next year, as you'll be tested on everything you've learned throughout the year."

"With a teacher like Mr Phillips, I'm sure I would certainly not pass the exams," she muttered from under her breath. Only at the 'sorry, what did you say?' from the blonde, she started again, "Oh, I said that I'm so curious to know who the replacement teacher will be."

"I heard it's a female."

"Really?" Florence didn't bother hiding her proud smile. Shifting in her seat comfortably, she murmured, "That'll do us some good. It'll make a difference from the norm."

Prissy nodded when she noticed a few books neatly arranged on top of each other on Florence's study desk. Recognizing one particular book, the girl sat straighter on the bed and reached for it. "Oh, I absolutely adore Daisy Miller. I didn't know you had this one."

Florence remarked, beaming down at her fingers, "It's actually a fairly recent present. It was given to me for Christmas by Gilbert Blythe. That, plus two others. 'A bouquet of books,' he called it."

This had piqued the blonde's interest, and she instantly raised her eyes from the pages of the book to face her closest friend. She smiled deftly, making it appear to be more of a smirk than anything else. She appeared to know something Florence didn't, making the situation much more awkward than it had suddenly become.

"Gilbert . . . Gilbert Blythe gave it to you. And more?" Prissy repeated with the same smirk and Florence was at a loss for words. When the girl simply nodded in return, not sure where her friend was headed with this conversation, Prissy added, "You are one lucky girl, I must say. I suspected something when you told me about my brother some time ago, but I didn't think . . .You're not trailed by just one lad; you're trailed by two."

"I, um, well . . ." Florence stuttered, feeling a deep blush rise up her neck. Huffing indecently, she crossed her arms with her nose pointed upwards. "I have absolutely no idea what you mean. You should . . . You should really get your facts right."

"Could there be a third that I haven't discovered yet?" With a strange gaze of amazement behind her hazel eyes, Prissy wondered loudly to herself.

"Prissy⸺"

"Oh, my, what if the young girl already likes one over the other?"

"Prissy . . ."

"I honestly don't care if it's my brother or Gilbert, as long as it's one of them⸺"

A pillow roughly smacked the side of Prissy's face, interrupting her. She looked perplexed as she stared open-mouthed at Florence, who had just puffed angrily. Until now, the blonde had been completely unaware that she was speaking aloud. "What in the world was that for?"

Florence smiled sarcastically. "My bad. Just slipped out of my hand."

Prissy rolled her eyes as she returned her focus to the books, but only for a moment before she began to speak her thoughts aloud once more. "Am I right at all with my assumptions?"

"Which ones?"

"Do you feel anything for any of them?"

The blush had returned to Florence's cheeks, and she leapt to her feet, snatching the novel from her friend's grip. She walked up to her desk, opened the drawer and pushed it inside. "You really should take a break from romance novels. They're messing with your head."

"And they're not ruining yours?" Prissy questioned back, earning a confident nod.

"I know what my limits are," she answered firmly, leaving no room for further argument. Sighing, she decided that it was time for the two girls to eat something. "I'm going to head down to the kitchen and fetch us something to eat. Keep yourself occupied until then."

Florence left the room after receiving a nod, leaving Prissy alone in her bedroom. For a brief while, the blonde girl considered picking up the novel and reading it only to spite her closest friend but thought better of the idea. She rose from the bed with a purpose and took a glance around the room. It was a little room with only a bed, a closet, a small vanity, and the study table's furnishings. She understood, though, that it was sufficient for Florence.

Prissy observed the desk and the several books and pens that lined the space with interest. The drawer was slightly ajar, displaying a part of the inside, and what drew her attention was the letter inside, addressed 'To Prissy' in clear bold lettering.

Is this a goodbye letter to me? she thought excitedly.

Prissy wasn't the type to pry; far from it. However, her enthusiasm got the better of her at this moment, and she opened the drawer a little wider, pulling the letter out.

She pulled the letter out of the envelope but was surprised to see that it had been ripped in half along the middle. Puzzled, she tossed the pieces on the desk and then patched them back together, reading very carefully what Florence had written to her.

Dearest Prissy,

I'll be honest with you. Mr Phillips is an unsuitable match. You have to listen closely, and you have to promise me that you won't be upset. The next thing I'm about to tell you is very important and whatever decision that you make upon reading this letter ⸺ continuing with the marriage or not ⸺ I'll understand and support you.

I didn't want to notice it during the first semester of school last year, but uneasiness surfaced. Mr Phillips had requested me to stay behind after school one evening. I'm not sure if you remember, but it was on the day that he had assigned us all a long essay for the afternoon. Well, me being me and not making much of it, I agreed with no particular hesitation. However, it was only then that I realized his true intentions.

The man had openly confessed his romantic feelings for me and asked me if I was interested in pursuing a relationship with him. 'Something quiet . . . Just between us' is how he worded it. Apart from the fact that he professed to be smitten with me, what made the issue worse was the fact that I felt uneasy around him. I instantly declined his request, but he was clearly dissatisfied with my answer. He warned me that he would treat me the same way he treated everyone else, which is to say, like filth, but I didn't care. I still don't care.

What keeps me up at night is the fact that you two are seeing each other. You are my best friend and I know that you know what's best for you. However, I don't regard Mr Phillips in the same light, and I'm concerned he won't treat you with the respect you deserve.

Please do not be upset with me. I chose to hide this truth from you for so long simply because I didn't want you to think I felt ill intentions towards you. You love him; I can clearly read it in your eyes every time you speak of him. So, I hid it. I kept everything hidden . . . Until now.

As I said above, after reading this letter, whatever decision you make regarding your future with him, I'll understand and support you. I just want you to be happy. I always have and will continue to have your best interests at heart.

Love Always,

Florence "Flo" Robinson.

"Prissy?"

Looking up from the letter with a blank expression, Prissy met the shocked gaze of Florence. The girl stood by the bedroom door, holding a tray of snacks. She noticed the letter in Prissy's hand, instantly recognizing it as the letter by the clear cut through the middle of the page which was secured loosely by a piece of tape. She almost dropped the tray but managed to place it on her bed before then.

"I . . . have to go." Prissy made up an excuse after a moment. Dropping the letter onto the desk, she haphazardly grabbed her purse from the side of the bed and moved to get leave. However, a call of her name had made her momentarily stop in her tracks.

"I'm sorry," is all that Florence could manage. "I didn't mean to keep this hidden from you."

Turning to face the younger girl, Prissy scoffed. "And yet you did nothing to prevent the marriage from taking place; from stopping me from marrying him. Instead, you wrote me a letter which you never sent and carried on with your life, assuming that I would be happy without knowing anything."

"Because you were happy," Florence argued, "You read the letter, you know what I mean. You loved him and there's no denying that. How can you expect me to reveal such a thing to you about a man you love?"

"You were still allowing me to marry him despite knowing what kind of a person he was. At this point, Florence, I'm not the one at fault here. You are. I mean, we're best friends, for crying out loud. If you had even a smidgeon of faith in me, you would have told me the truth without considering the consequences. Do you honestly think that I would still continue my relationship with him despite knowing how he'd treated you, someone who I deeply care about?"

The brunette opened and closed her mouth as she contemplated what to say that could possibly make this situation more bearable. She had no doubt in her mind that Prissy was correct. She was completely correct in what she had said, but it didn't make the truth any less painful.

Prissy took Florence's silence for an answer, and the revelation had made her feel a little disheartened. "You . . . You do think so."

Florence was quick to shake her head. "No, no, I don't think so. I do trust you, Prissy. Believe me when I say that I trust you more than I trust myself. I'm just all over the place right now."

"Doesn't seem like it." The response was murmured, but it was still heard.

With a sigh, the Robinson girl attempted to mask the tension in the room with a joke. "Well, at the very least, you figured out what was best for you before you were married."

This attempt at dissolving the tension had completely backfired on her, however, as Prissy's once serious face had quickly turned into anger. "Don't even try."

"Prissy, look⸺"

"What?"

"Just . . . Don't tell anyone. About the letter and its contents, I mean. I've kept it hidden from the world for a reason; even my grandparents are unaware. As a woman yourself, you should already know what those reasons are."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Unlike you . . . I am trustworthy."

The blonde girl walked out of the room without so much as a second glance.

Florence squeezed her eyes shut, irritated and a little sad. She sat down on her bed and begrudgingly picked up a cracker from the tray, raising it to her mouth to eat it, then frowned and tossed it across the room.













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Author's Note:

A lot of drama in this one, huh? Scratch that: a lot of necessary, important to the storyline drama.

I would have never introduced Mr Phillips' romantic (albeit predatory) feelings towards Florence in the first part of this story if I didn't have the intention of bringing it up again in the future. After all, her very best friend had begun an affair with the man shortly afterwards . . . And the way Florence took the news, well, the outcome is right in front of you. 

As always, let me know what you thought of this chapter?

Who do you believe is more at fault in this situation? Florence or Prissy?

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net