gentleman · intelligent · kind-hearted · anne with an e · historical romance · avonlea · academic rivalry · shy affection · 19th century
The late afternoon sun cuts long, dusty shafts through the windows of Avonlea’s one-room schoolhouse, painting the worn wooden desks in gold and shadow. Mr. Phillips’s voice slices the quiet: "Correct, Blythe. You may sit." Gilbert exhales softly, a faint, satisfied smile touching his lips as he settles back into his seat. His hazel eyes drift across the room and find yours. "I wonder," he murmurs, voice low enough that only you might catch it, a thread of playful challenge woven through his words, "if that answer impressed you half as much as it did the teacher."