AMYBELLA WALKED DOWN THE
stairs with one of the many dresses she tried on.

"What do you think?" She asked, coming down the stairs and standing in front of Sebastian, who was sitting on the couch trying to knit something.

"It looks like the other 10 dresses you tried on." Sebastian answered bored. Bella rolled her eyes.

"It's the fair. I want to wear something special. You're here to be my advisor Bash, not to insult my beautiful clothes." She said and then laughed indignantly, being glad that Bash was slowly becoming his old self again.

"I could have knit you a beautiful dress, in the time you need to find a dress!" he turned to Delphine, who was lying in a stroller.

"Can you tell the difference?" He asked his daughter. Bella gave him an annoyed look.

"So you want it to be something fancy?" She asked and he shrugged.

"Something special, for the special day. For the special Mr. Blythe!" The man grinned mischievously. Amybella reached for a cushion on the armchair next to her and threw it at the man. Then she walked up the stairs.

"She's moody as a bride," Bash said towards Delphine.

"I heard that!" She shouted, about to go to my room when she paused. She turned to the door opposite.
Her mother's and Marcus's bedroom.

She entered, not wanting to look around at all, and ran straight to the wardrobe. She opened it and a grin sizzled across my face.
Amybella slowly walked down the stairs and Bash looked up with a grin. His grin disappeared as he looked at the girl astonished.

"Okay.. NOW.. it's something special."

—
Amybella knocked on the door and shortly after that Gilbert and Bash came out. Gilbert was rambling something when his eyes met hers.

The blonde was wearing one of her mother's yellow dresses and had to force herself into a corset, which really wasn't comfortable. But she had to admit it gave her a great figure. She had her hair pinned up and an elegant hat on.

Most people would probably say it was inappropriate of her to wear her hair up and to walk around with this kind of dress but considering that Bella should normally already be in college and she was 18, she gave herself the permission. And even Rachel approved of it, when she saw how beautiful Bella looked in that dress.

"Ready?" She grinned as Gilbert came down the steps of the porch.

"You look.. amazing!" he smiled and took her hands in his. He gave her a kiss on the knuckles and smiled.

"You don't look bad yourself Blythe." She commented and then hooked her arm in his when they climbed onto the carriage.

"Amybella. This is Mrs. Rose. Winnifred, Amybella.. my.." he looked at her.

"Pleased to meet you." Bella interrupted the uncomfortable silence between them and smiled kindly at Winnifred. She shook her hand and after that quickly disappeared into the crowd.

The fair was a rare event. The highlight was when Jerry won house high against Billy in the Hammer Punkers. Billy's face was hilarious. Bella spend a lot of time with Anne and Diana and noticed how Diana and Jerry shared a view looks towards each other. She left it uncommented.

In the evening, there was the big dance they had been practicing for. Amy laughed a lot as Gilbert spun her around once on purpose.
She stood next to Josie, clapping, and saw Billy whisper something to the blonde.
Bella rolled her eyes.

"Amybella, since when is there something going on between you and Gilbert?!" Tillie giggled excitedly. The girls had gathered around her like a cult. Bella shrugged and looked at Ruby worriedly.

"Don't look at me like that. I don't love Gilbert anymore." Ruby said and Bella raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"What honestly? What are you saying Ruby?" Jane said, startled, and they broke out laughing.

"I need a breath of fresh air." It was only a short murmur from Josie as she ran outside.
Amybella looked after her critically.

They talked for a while and Ruby was now raving about Moody. Amybella kept glancing at the gate until Josie came in and joined them again.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she spat towards Bella, which caused the girl to raise her eyebrow.

"Where have you been? Moody was looking over at me and you missed it!" Ruby complained.

"I was talking to a friend from Wideplan. You don't know her," she said and bella took a sip of her drink.

"Was it windy outside or why did your bow slip like that?" She asked. There was no mistaking in her undertone and Josie knew that Bella noticed something. She immediately grabbed her hair nervously.

"Wait, I'll help you." Amybella stepped behind her and fixed her hair. Anne suddenly wiped over Josie's shoulder and Bella recognized a splinter stuck in Josie's dress.
Josie tensed up at Anne's touch, Bella could clearly feel it. Now she didn't find the situation amusing at all.
Josie didn't look much like someone who was out walking in the moonlight with the racist boy who was perfectly made for her.
She saw the look on Gilbert's face and went over to him.

"What's wrong with Josie?" he asked, scrutinizing her.
Bella looked over at Josie, who glanced nervously at Billy. The blonde boy came strolling through the gate and realization hit Bella.

"No." She breathed. Gilbert probably didn't hear that.

"Come on, let's dance. Unless you're already out of breath." he grinned and Bella let him pull her along in a trance. As they danced, she saw Josie sitting on the sidelines. She kept looking around and seemed visibly stressed.

"Billy and Josie had a thing outside." She heard Charlie say.
Bella looked at Gilbert, who had heard it too. He raised his eyebrows.
She then looked around and noticed people starting to whisper.

'Aren't you into it?'

She heard Nate's voice in her ear. Bella stopped in her tracks with a jerk.

'You're my wife! 'You listen to me!

She heard her mother's sobs.
Marcus had grabbed her by the waist and pressed her against him. Her cheek was red and her whole body was trembling.

"Amy?" She then looked at Gilbert. He seemed to be talking to her, but she couldn't hear him.
His voice seemed far away.

„Girls shouldn't drink." Nathanael leaned down to her ear.

"Come sit down, you're shaking." She heard Gilbert say and hey sat down. The dance was over and Bella looked at Billy's moves.
He let go of a little girl's hand, bowed and looked at her. Bella stood up with a jerk and walked towards him. Ignoring Gilbert behind her.

"Billy Andrews you disgust me." She stood in front of him and he looked at her, confused.

"Do you have a problem?" he asked laughing.

"How dare you!" Anne joined them, apparently she had heard the rumors too.

"Are you going to come and beg for a kiss too?" he laughed spitefully, looking to the boys around him.

"Begging? It wasn't like that and you know it. How dare you spread disgusting rumors about my friend?" Anne glared at him.

"You weren't there. You don't know what you're talking about," Billy defended himself.

"I have eyes. I can she that she's devastated, you shouldn't have touched her, Billy" Anne looked at him with glittering eyes. Silence fell around them.

"I guess you're sorry she's got loose morals." Bella pushed Anne aside, shoved Billy backwards a little so that he lost his balance, then raised her fist and punched him in the face.
A murmur went through the crowd and Billy landed on the floor.

'Don't be too stupid to keep your legs closed like my mother'

Bella may not have understood what Elijah had said then, but they were all packing the same thing. Marcus, Nate and Elijah.
Bella was pulled away by Gilbert and Josie ran out of the room.

"Josie!"

"Josie's reputation is ruined." Jane laughed.

"Why is not Billy's? He was heatless and disrespectful! Josie has every right to be upset!" said Anne.

"He's a boy. 'Boys can do whatever they want," Bella answered, rolling her eyes.

„You shouldn't have hit him. He's got a black eye now!" Jane sneered at her.

"Oh. I'm terribly sorry his eye is causing him pain. I will beat and bring to their knees any man who doesn't appreciate the value of a woman. And I'm going to EXECUTE anyone who mistreats them." She leaned over the table and looked Jane dangerously in the eye. The girl looked at her almost terrified, like the others and fell silent.

"So. I suppose we head back to work!" Gilbert came running up.

"Is it more important to talk about the biggest cabbage than to discuss issues, which concern an entire gender?" Anne had turned to him.

„Why the rush? Need a new train to charlotte town?!" she then said and Bella wondered what Anne meant.

"We don't know what really happened, but it's Josie's and Billy's business. Let's take care of our newspaper." Gilbert said placatingly, in his usual calm voice. Bella groaned in annoyance, grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into the next room.

"You don't understand anything, do you?"
She hissed.

"Wha-..."

"Josie Pye was touched by Billy, I saw it in her face and now her reputation is ruined? How can you pretend it's nothing?"
He shook his head.

"Okay.. yeah. I get that-..."

"No you don't get anything!" She crossed her arms. Gilbert shook his head in confusion.

"Nate... the Cuthbert tenant who ran off with the money. He made disgusting comments about women."

"I know Amy, you don't have to-.."

"And the dear Minister came to the bakery. He said instead of working I should rather find myself a husband and called me a spinster." She looked at the boy seriously and crossed her arms. She waited impatiently for his reaction.

"I didn't know that.." he said hesitantly. Bella took a deep breath.

"The world is unfair. You must not silence us. If we let this happen.. then we give these freeloaders the feeling that they have us in their hands. More than they do already." Gilbert remained silent.

"I won't allow that. So if you're only interested in your articles, then do us a favor and stay out of our way." Her tone was harsh. It was injustice that made Amybella's mind stubborn the moment someone tried to excuse it undermine it. The girl walked past Gilbert, who looked after her, thinking about her words.

"What's going on, what's wrong with everyone?" Bella asked, confused, as loud whispering went around the church. Gilbert silently handed her the paper.

-WHAT IS FAIR? By Anne Sherly Cuthbert-

Bella heard foot stomping and saw Josie running out of the room.

"Josie." She got up quickly and ran after the girl.

"Josie wait." She grabbed her by the arm. Josie stopped and stared at her. Her cheeks were red and wet with tears.

"Keep your hands off my daughter!" her mother came running.

"Did you go along with that? To bully her? Orphans." She hissed and pulled Josie with her. Her father also gave Bella a venomous look before running after them. Bella stopped and couldn't believe what they had accused her of. But most shocking was, them calling her an orphan. She had never been called an orphan.

"Amy!" Gilbert ran towards her. She looked at him as he came to a halt. The girl had to process what had just happened.

"Can we please go home?" She asked and Gilbert nodded in response. They set off and Bella was silent the whole time.

'Orphans!

She didn't want to admit it, but it hit her deeply.

"Anne. There was nothing wrong with your text at all, but in a small town with country folk, right after the rumor mill let loose, it just dragged everything into chaos." Bella took the girls hand

"But my goal was justice. I wasn't even thinking about Josie!" She groaned, annoyed. They were once again laying in the hayloft, just like the old days.

"Then tell her that." Bella said and picked a flower from the meadow we were in. Abraxas grazed happily and we lay relaxed in the tall grass.

"I already did."

"How did it turn out?"

"Hm. She slapped me in the face!" moaned Anne. Bella raised her brows in surprise.

"And what are you going to do now?" She asked and Anne looked at her in confusion.

"Anne Sherly Cuthbert. You got kicked out of the Newspaper, don't tell me you don't want to do anything about that?!" The red haired girl started to grin and shot off with her plan.

"Amybella McCurthy." Mr. Andrews stood at the girl's door.

"Mr. Andrews. What can I do for you?" Bella walked past him, closed the door and headed over to the stables.

"My son. Billy. You gave him a black eye and ruined his planned marriage to Mr. Pye's daughter." Bella stopped in her steps.

"I had nothing to do with that article. And that marriage was ruined by Billy and Billy himself when he couldn't control his behavior." Her tone became sharp and Mr. Andrews looked at her with a mixture of surprise and disgust.

"Still!.. you owe us something. Compensation." Bella laughed.

"I owe you nothing." Her tone became dangerously low.

"Billy needs a new wife. You're young and pretty. We could make ways for you that are certainly better than this life you lead." He continued. Amybella breathed in and out shakily.

"I'm happy with my life as it is. Take your dirty business elsewhere." She responded, seemingly upset. He grinned provocatively.

"Think about it. You seem to be clever. You won't be able to afford any education. An unmarried spinster, is what the Minister called you."
Mr. Andrew knew exactly which bottoms he had to push for Bella to get upset.

„You have nothing to offer anyone with your detached house and a horse." Bella choose to ignore him.

If her reputation was ruined, then why would he even want her has his son's wife?

„Or is it the young Blythe boy? People are already talking about you, I hope you can at least make him happy." Bella stopped as if struck by lightning. How dare was he do bring Gilbert into this?

„What would your father say?" She could feel the man's provoking eyes burning into her back. His grin almost visibly as he knew that he had pushed her into a corner by mentioning her dead father.

"How dare you bring my father into this? To allow yourself such a remark?" She turned to him.

"Take your babar of son and leave me alone." She hissed. He turned around and actually left. Bella ran into the barn.
He was right. She had nothing to offer anyone.
Bist she didn't need to either.

She was strong and she didn't need a man who thinks he can reveal her ways to her.

Author's Note:
Billy Andrew's is the most disgusting boy I ever saw.
Also GO AMY GO!

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