Anne knew she was prone to daydreaming and at times this habit could bother others, especially when she was in the company of those who did not know her well. But today it was not the daydreaming of other worlds that left Anne apologising for lacking presence. Instead her mind was kept occupied by an incident that had occurred the evening before.

Today was the first Sunday Anne had submitted to the request of the ladies aid joining them after church to help put together food boxes for those less fortunate. Being a Doctors wife meant these tasks were expected and with Gilbert occupied to a new patient Anne hoped busying herself would distract her. While she was not unhappy to help, truthfully she was not there in heart. Being new to the community meant the collection of ladies had questions about her and the new young Doctor all of which she was failing to answer cohesively due to her clouded brain. When the boxes had been completed and loaded onto the cart for delivery Anne excused herself and began the walk home leaving the ladies to chat amongst themselves at the aloof and cool nature of the young Doctors wife.

Usually a walk would stir Anne from her troubled mind. Her movements were paced fast and anyone who saw her would have thought she was about to break into a run. Truthfully Anne's pace matched her mind and the merry trees easing into their golden hues of the turning season were not able to soften the crease on the forehead of this red headed maiden. Each time she thought back to last night Anne saw the look of confusion and worry on Gilbert's face. She had not meant it to happen. Every other time she was alert enough to maintain her vocals, never letting anything more than a soft sigh escape her lips.

Her moan must have scared Gilbert enough for him to not approach her in bed the following morning. As they were dressing for church he asked if all was well and queried if he had hurt her in any way the night previous. Anne reassured him that he had not hurt her. Truthfully the moan that warranted concern from her husband did not come from a place of pain but rather a confusing feeling of joy, but she did not tell him that.

This has not been the first time Anne had laid with her husband nor the last she hoped. Since their wedding day four blissful weeks ago they had loved each other in bed more than Anne could count. She was happy these intimate moments were becoming a more frequent habit. During their first week of marriage he moved against her only a handful of times but now, a married couple of one month, they were intertwining morning and evening. Anne counted these moments her favourite parts of the day.

That was not to say Anne did not enjoy the general company of Gilbert also. The stolen kisses, walks along the shore under the moonlight, sharing a joke or lounging in-front of the fire together were all just as precious. But all these moments could not compare to the new found exhilarating pleasure that came when she was pressed unclothed against her husband. Each thrust of his body against her's left Anne feeling feverish, her body would shake in a sea of unexplainable delight that left her wanting to yell and moan her husbands name.

Anne thought back to the night before. She had found herself above Gilbert, straddling him as he lay beneath her. Usually he would be above her, her legs wrapped around him but somehow she found herself on top. It was a new view she did not mind and neither did her husband or he surely would have changed the position. That unexplainable joyful feeling built up faster than it had previously and drew a loud moan unexpectedly from Anne's mouth. Normally when she was below him she could hide her face in his neck and bite her lip until the waves stopped rolling. But not this time. Instead Gilbert had a clear view of his wife and his face became distressed on hearing her moan. Anne tried to distract him with a kiss but she knew the noise had unnerved him as he was quick to end.

As Anne came to the last lombardy poplar on her lane she remembered the first time her body experienced this feeling. During their engagement any trip trip to Avonlea was frequented with many afternoons spent kissing when they were out of site from others. Their favourite place was a small clearing near an apple tree deep in the woods that Gilbert had taken her to many years before when they were merely chums. It had been a uncharacteristically hot day for May and Gilbert said he knew of a small brook near by. It had been there that Anne asked if she could remove her shoes and dip her feet in the water for comfort. Gilbert obliged and said he would too. "I don't know why you feel you need to ask, you have removed your shoes and socks before in my presence."

"But I was not engaged to be your wife then," she retorted as she sat down to begin the task of unlacing her boots.

"And what does that mean?" Gilbert asked as he sat down next to her on the bank of the brook.

"It means that I do not want you too think I am tempting you and being unladylike" she had replied.

Gilbert laughed "You do not think that seeing your bare ankles those times before was never tempting?" He said looking at her. Anne stopped and with cheeks a deep red she began lacing her boots back up. She felt mortified, more for her younger self than now. She did not like feeling that she had led him on in the past. There had been many instances where they dwelled by brooks in the heat of summer with shoes off but she had done it innocently. Truthfully Anne never knew his physical attraction to her back then and exposing her bare feet to him was never more scandalous to her than if it were Diana. Admittedly she knew she was prone to acting somewhat unrefined in those days of yore and now she was a betrothed woman she meant to act the part.

Gilbert placed his hand over Anne's, halting her movements.

"You will always tempt me Anne, whether your boots are on or not. Please don't feel that you must be proper and lady like when you are alone with me just because you are a fiancee. For the longest time I have desired every fibre of your being in all its personalities whether it's Anne wrapped in stiff fabric amongst a room of people or when you shed yourself unknowingly invoking a unchaste woodland nymph. You are sensual in every movement and every breath that even to fake propriety in my presence would not save you from being a tempting desire. If anything it would upset me if you felt you could not be yourself when we are alone. Do not make bad of what I said."

The rawness of his words matched his gaze and Anne's cheeks kept their pink flush for another reason now. It was not like him to speak of his desire face to face. They had both said words in correspondence but hearing it come from his lips left Anne speechless. Gilbert shifted his weight to face her and moving her hand from the laces of her boot began to undo them himself. It was the most daring moment Anne had experienced.

She remembered how quickly her heart raced as she watched Gilbert remove one boot and then the other with such care. After he placed the boots to the side he turned his attention to her stockings and began pulling at the heel with one hand and running his other hand up her leg and over her knee. His hand grasped at the top and pulled the black sock down exposing her bare leg. Recalling the memory now Anne wished she had worn more attractive stockings and not her old black pull ups covered in pils. Gilbert repeated the same movement on the other leg baring both of Anne's legs and feet.

"There you go," he whispered, "now you can cool off." Rather than make a move towards the inviting waters Anne had leant over and pulled Gilbert into a kiss. She did not know why she kissed him, as she had never been so forward. It was not like other kisses they had shared. It came from somewhere deep inside her. It was not chaste or proper, instead rough and desperate. A tap had been turned on that Anne did not want to stop and she fell back onto the banks of the brook bringing Gilbert's body with hers.

In retrospect Anne acknowledged that drawing Gilbert down onto the bank was far less ladylike than her bare ankles seeking refuge in cool waters. With each kiss Gilbert's body relaxed into hers and for the first time she felt his weight on top of her. Instinctively her legs opened to counter his weight bringing him to lay between her thighs while his lips kissed and sucked at her neck.

Anne's skirts had rode up around her thighs, the filtered sun and light breeze that came through the trees a rare feeling on her bare legs. As their kisses became deeper Anne felt Gilbert rock against her, pushing a firmness of his body into her resulting in a tingling sensation that made her hungry to rock with him. That was when Anne felt a warmth building in her most intimate area. The way Gilbert moved against her rendered the most pleasurable feeling it was hard to stop even though she knew they should.

Then it came, an explosive feeling of heat and pleasure pulsated through her body. It came from the place where Gilbert was pushing against her womanhood, spreading through every part of her body until it made her toes curl and back arch seeking more. Then it stopped as quickly as it came leaving Anne in a dreamy haze. Before she could understand what had happened Gilbert jumped up and hurried himself down the brook where he stood for some time with his back to her.

The walk back to Green Gables was done in silence and when they got to the gate Gilbert left Anne with a kiss on her cheek vanishing into the twilight.

Anne often thought about that afternoon in the woods wondering if she had a preview of married life. She had wanted to ask Gilbert to make some sense of the experience. Did he equally feel pulsating joy? Was she normal? If he had similar queries surely he would bring them up with her? But there was no word and Anne decided to keep it to herself deciding to never mention it to Gilbert or anyone else. Anne had not expected to experience a repeat of that feeling all those years ago in her present marriage bed. And now it was happening on a regular occurrence! She never saw Gilbert reacting in any way that would make her believe that he too suffered from this, leading her to believe she had to be ill.

Her learnings of intimate moments between men and women were scattered strings of advice from various sources. She was taught to say little and let the husband take lead in all matters of the bedroom. Yet she had a yearning to do the opposite for there used to be a time when theirs was a open friendship, neither afraid to be honest with each other. And that time at the brook had he not indicated that he did not want her be proper and ladylike when they were alone together to suit an institution.

Anne walked into her House of Dreams and called out Gilbert's name. With no response and the sun moving closer to the horizon Anne decided to change form her church clothes and into a simpler dress so she could start on preparing an evening meal.

On the stairs leading to the landing she could see the ghosts of herself and Gil on their bridal night. Walking together step by step making observations about the house while stealing glances from one another. She giggled at the memory and how much had changed. They had sat on the bed talking for some time both knowing what was to come but unsure how to start it. Then Gilbert with his chivalrous manner suggested Anne should sleep on the side of the bed closest to the window and he near to the door as it would function better for late night work calls. Anne not aware his statement was fuelled by a sudden nervous silence between them instead took this as a hint he wished to retire to bed. She went to her chest fetching her nightgown using all her might to look calm and natural. She moved briskly to her side of the bed and dived under the covers, waiting for her new husband.

Now standing in the same spot four weeks later her body facing a mirror rather than her bridegrooms Anne undressed down to her corset. She loved nothing more than walking her room naked in the dawn light or by the lantern that would fill the space in a tantalising glow in the evenings. Growing up Anne had longed for a fuller bosom and hip that many of her friends possessed. But as time went on she was rather glad her body was what it was. Her long and slender frame made wearing a corset almost redundant that she frequently went without it unless it was for a formal occasion or the dress desperately called for one. Phil caught her out once at college when she poked Anne in the ribs while they were having a jest and admitted that you would not know either way. She told Gilbert it was easier to move about when she was at home working not that he seemed to care. Before having a home of her own she had never studied her naked body. She knew some viewed her as willowy and too tall but Anne loved her body and loved it more when Gilbert gazed upon it with so much adoration he sometimes looked hungry.

Last week Anne took her weekly bath in the kitchen near the stove to keep warm. Gilbert had been home and sat at the kitchen table reading a book. Anne could easily see it was a rouse as he never did turn a page of his book. She wanted to tell him that he can look and would happily admit she too enjoyed gazing at his naked body too. But she was never sure if that was appropriate for a wife to admit. It felt like there were many confusing lines in marriage and she did not know where was safe to cross or not cross. Even standing in her room reminiscing on scandalous thoughts had Anne confused. It can't be natural to continuously think of Gilbert naked or could it?

She finished dressing in a simple skirt of dark blue cotton and a pale blue blouse then made her way down the stairs to the kitchen passing Gilbert's study. The door was ajar showing a hint of his medical books that were stacked on the bookshelf. If she were ill, perhaps the answer lay between the pages of her husbands books. Gilbert would not be home for another hour at least she thought. She crossed the room and began pulling down books, flicking through pages to find a hint of words that might lead her to an answer.

There had never been a time Anne was drawn to look at his books. Gilbert once wrote to her about the never ending long words and unflattering illustrations that he would pour himself over each night while at school and he was not wrong. Anne sat on the floor with three tomes around her feet and one in her lap. The language was foreign and the images even more so.

"Enjoying some light reading, are we?"

-To be continued.