Room 203: Tea Party

[avonlea_girl]

The plates are set, the tea is steeping, and after a flurry of clearing and rearranging this morning, there is a pleasant little table set in the room, with four white chairs around it.

The pies are on the windowsill, mouthwaterly fragrant.

All in all, it looks to be a lovely tea.

Comments

[kitchen_maid]

At 3:30, Amy rushes in, a few bits of hay still clinging to her skirt. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I just lost track of time."

[avonlea_girl]

Anne looks up from where she's neatening the beds with a cheerful smile.

"Please, don't apologize! Did you have a nice day with Caspian?"

[kitchen_maid]

"I did," says Amy. A bright grin. "He ate."

She straightens the papers on Anne's desk absently.

[avonlea_girl]

"Oh, I'm so glad," she says, and comes over to the desk as well, carefully placing a circlet of (still fresh) white flowers next to the bunch of dried, bright blue flowers in a neat vase.

"I spoke to Gil, and he'll be along in a half hour or so."

[kitchen_maid]

"Marvelous," says Amy, taking off her apron and hanging it neatly in the wardrobe. It doesn't do to wear an apron to a tea party. She also moves Simon Perryvall away from Anne's carefully set table.

[avonlea_girl]

Anne looks proudly at their neat, cheerful room.

"Well, there's that done with, for now. Is there anything else that we need, do you think?"

[kitchen_maid]

"Just our guests," says Amy cheerfully. "Everything looks lovely."

They settle into chairs, chatting lightly and waiting for Gilbert and Caspian.

[avonlea_girl]

The knock, when it comes, is firm and quick, and Anne gets up to answer it, automatically.

Although if she stopped to think about it, she might well wonder how it is she knows Gilbert's knock from anyone elses.

All the same, she does, and so she is not surprised to see Gil at the door, with Caspian smiling behind him.

"Hello, boys," she says, cheerfully. "Come in, come in!"

[kindred_spirit]

"Hello, Anne, hello Amy," Gil says, coming into the room. It's far less awkward to be in her room than her being in his was this morning. Perhaps it's the presense of chaperones.

"Everything looks delightful."

[the_seafarer]

"It certainly does," Caspian agrees, giving Anne a cheerful smile, and giving Amy a fond one.

"You girls made quite a change, here. It wasn't much trouble, I hope?"

[kitchen_maid]

Amy laughs. "Anne did most of the work, really. Hello, Gilbert."

A bright smile that takes in everyone. "Shall we sit?"

[avonlea_girl]

Anne shakes her head, laughing along with Amy.

"You had other things to do, and I don't mind. It brings me back to Green Gables, in a way."

She waits for the others to sit, and begins pouring the tea.

[kindred_spirit]

Gil sits between Amy and Anne, across from Caspian, and accepts his tea with a smile.

"Thank you."

He's not good at introducing topics of conversation. But with Anne and Amy here, surely they'll get properly started soon.

[the_seafarer]

Anne hands him his cup, and Caspian smiles at her.

"Thank you, Anne."

Like Gilbert, he is not very skilled at small talk, and so adds cream to his tea in silence before giving Anne an apologetic sort of look.

"I'm sorry for stealing Amy away from you this morning, Anne. She was keeping me company in the stables."

[kitchen_maid]

"Sugar, Gilbert?" Amy asks, offering it to him. She knows Caspian doesn't take it.

"And someone has to keep you company, Caspian, even if just to keep an eye on Kiseki when your back it turned."

She turns to Gilbert. "Kiseki is a horse of friend of ours. He likes to try to eat Caspian's hair."

[avonlea_girl]

Anne laughs, looking at Caspian's admittedly somewhat shaggy golden hair.

"I suppose he thinks it's hay, does he?"