After being profusely thanked by the Barry's for returning their daughter safely and sheltering her for the night, Mr Tilderly rode back to his farm.

The Joe boy was nowhere to be seen, which he found very strange considering his apparent desperation to see Anne. Mr Tilderly tied his horse to a post and went to enter the kitchen. He found the door locked and knocked thrice. His wife opened it and he asked about the lock. She said that Gilbert insisted it was locked to keep Joe out.

"Joe isn't here. He's gone." Said Mr Tilderly.

"That's very peculiar." Mrs Tilderly frowned.

He agreed. They went upstairs to check on Anne and see if she was up to returning home. Gilbert surely had family to miss him too, even if his father had passed away. The Tilderlys were both entirely ready to see the back of these youths and the drama they brought with them. They knocked before opening and found the pair sitting on the bed solemnly, speaking quietly.

"Anne, how do you feel?" Mrs Tilderly asked. "It's good to see you up."

"I'm still very weak, I think I lost a lot of blood." Anne said. "I'm also starved and terribly thirsty, but I know this is a good sign that my body is in working order! I am delighted you're here, I desperately wished to thank you from the bottom of my heart for rescuing me from the brink of death and giving me a roof for the night. I doubt I'd ever be able to repay your unfathomable kindness, except if either one of you were ever struck down by some agonising injury - but I'd surely never wish that upon you, as you are truly lovely folk."

The farmers smiled. Anne was certainly a wonder with words. They could see why Gilbert was so enraptured with her if she was this exciting and expressive. Mrs Tilderly thought Anne looked bright and pretty now she was awake and had some colour to her cheeks.

"You're very welcome, lass." Said Mr Tilderly, feeling a bit confused by some of the long words she'd said. He wasn't quite sure what agonising or fathomable meant.

"Gilbert mentioned your plans to return me home? I feel well enough to ride if I have to." Said Anne enthusiastically.

"You're not ready to ride yet." Mrs Tilderly said, from a place of nursing experience. "You've been through a lot."

"I must get back to my sweet Green Gables and put my dearest Marilla and Mathew's minds at rest. I know they worry when I am not home on time and I'd despise making them stress so--"

"You'll be going home alright, but I'll take you in the cart." Mr Tilderly told her.

"Thank you, oh thank you." Anne clapped her hands together. "I am ready to leave at a moment's notice."

"First things first, you must eat and drink. You're going nowhere with an empty stomach." Mrs Tilderly said firmly. "Gilbert, lad, help Miss Anne downstairs will you?"

"Oh, but I can manage quite alright by myself." Anne insisted.

"You'll fall down, Anne you're not strong enough yet." Gilbert said. "Let me help."

Anne ignored him and walked past them all. Her legs were weak and wobbled as she made it to the door. She was eager to leave and get home so if she had to eat first she'd eat as quickly as she could. She wouldn't let Gilbert help her, despite agreeing to being friends. She wanted to prove she didn't need his help.

"She's a stubborn one." Mr Tilderly chuckled.

"You don't know the half of it." Gilbert muttered.

Anne reached the top of the stairs and began to make her way down. It took every ounce of her strength not to tumble down the stairs but she gripped the banister hard and gritted her teeth. Mrs Tilderly appeared at her side and spoke.

"Do me a favour and hold my arm will you? I hurt my ankle earlier." She said to Anne.

Anne agreed and held onto Mrs Tilderly, although she wasn't sure how this would stabilise the kind lady as Anne herself was currently as stable as a feather. It only dawned on her once they reached the kitchen and saw Mrs Tilderly walk easily across the room that she had only said that to save Anne's pride and to allow her to lean on somebody without appearing to need the help.

Gilbert joined them and they all sat down to bowls of porridge with thick cottage loaf bread with seeds and a cup of fresh milk. Anne felt better after eating, her strength returning and energy slowly seeping back into her body.

"There was a lad waiting outside to see you," Mr Tilderly told Anne. "But he's gone now."

"He's gone?" Gilbert got up and peered out the window. "When did he leave?"

Mr Tilderly shrugged. "Did you know him?" He asked Anne.

"Yes. I met him a few days ago." Anne said quietly.

She clearly didn't seem all too pleased to talk about him so Mr Tilderly thought he best leave it at that. He dropped the matter and decided to go and prepare the cart for their leave. Green Gables wasn't too far, maybe an hour and a half ride, but he wanted to leave as soon as they could.

When he got to the stables, he found the pony cart and an old family horse was missing. He ran back to the farm house and into the kitchen. He stared at his wife with worry plastered on his face.

"The cart is gone. Our only cart - and our dear Sandy has been taken too!" He panted.

...

"I'm telling you! It was that boy." Gilbert said.

"It must have been him, Diana and Gilbert were in the house their entire stay and Anne was unconscious." Mrs Tilderly said.

"Apart from when we heard you shouting," Mr Tilderly looked at Gilbert. "You were in the yard by the barn."

"I obviously didn't take it - where would I have put it? I've been here this whole time." Gilbert said incredulously. "And I saw Joe hanging around behind the barn. He clearly took your cart and horse."

"Well Anne is not up to riding, so I'll have to borrow a wagon or cart from a neighbouring farm." Sighed Mr Tilderly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. All this stress and riding about was taking its toll. "A nice man moved a few weeks ago up in Guardinia Cottage. He'll have a wagon I can borrow."

"Guardinia Cottage?" Anne sat up, eyes bright with a thought.

"Do you know it?" Mrs Tilderly asked curiously.

"I..." Anne hesitated. "No, it just reminded me of something."

...

Mr Tilderly left for Guardinia Cottage in good time and arrived to find the small farm deserted. It was an old cottage, spruced up for a new buyer a few months ago and out-of-town folks moved into it weeks ago. He'd met the new owner once. He was a private, straight-forward man named Mr Bines. Apparently he had a son named Joseph who was popular around the town and at school.

Mr Tilderly knocked on the door but nobody answered. He went around the back to knock again but found a tall, broad man in mid forties chopping wood. It was Mr Bines, and he instantly looked up at the presence of the farmer. He had good instincts.

"Mr Tilderly - how can I help you?" Asked Mr Bines, continuing his wood chopping without faltering or pausing.

"I need to borrow a wagon or cart. Mine has been stolen." Mr Tilderly got straight to the point. "It's only to run somebody home and go to town to purchase another cart and horse."

"So you'll have it for a day? I have a wagon you can borrow. A strong horse to pull it." Mr Bines said in his low voice. "But you'll owe me."

Mr Bines stared at Mr Tilderly then, for almost a second too long. Mr Tilderly shrugged it off and nodded in a good-natured manner.

"Of course."

...

It took them a while to leave for Green Gables as Anne was thanking Mrs Tilderly for her hospitality and saving her life over and over in many elaborate ways. When they finally hit the road in the wagon, the horse was fast and Mr Tilderly was lost in thought. Gilbert and Anne sat in the back, Anne wrapped in a blanket - insisted upon by Mrs Tilderly.

"Gilbert," Whispered Anne. "Joseph lives in Guardinia Cottage. He told me when we first met. His mother is ill, but his father is from Avonlea. I had forgotten."

"Joseph?" Gilbert frowned.

Anne looked at Gilbert. "The boy who was outside - the blond boy."

"He told me his name was Joe." Said Gilbert quietly.

Anne was surprised. Why had Joseph given out a different name to Gilbert and the Tilderlys? It was suspicious and would surely come back to inconvenience him if there were future disputes about his background.

And where had he gone?