TIME FLEW BY. WINTER TURNED INTO spring and Amybella spent a lot of time with Anne, Diana, Ruby and sometimes with the other girls too.
She got on closer with her friends, whereas she distanced herself further from her mother.

Marissa was newly married to Marcus and everyone in Avonlea was talking about it. The daughter and her mother, who traveled from England to Canada, so that the mother could remarry. No one from the farming area had ever heard anything like it and of course Amybella heard whispers here and there wherever she went.

Since her wedding, her mother hardly spoke a word to her. Amybella heard her crying at night and didn't dare go to her for fear of Marcus.
One wrong move and the man would put her in the nearest orphanage. He would tell people the girl was at a boarding school and everyone would forget about her.
Anne had told the girl about her past, but of course the redhead didn't know that Bella had been threatened with this kind of future.
Amybella knew Marcus meant this threat seriously. She even wondered why she was still here, but guessed that he probably wanted to keep his reputation, so fresh after the wedding and not raise any stories.

Amybella did everything in her power to avoid him and if it did come to a conversation, I said as little as possible. Her home became just a house, her mother became just a woman and Gilbert became just a distant memory blowing in the wind.

Amybella left the house early, went to bed early. It was torture, a house that was no longer a home. Spring quickly turned into summer and Amybella also noticed how her body was changing. She began to worry about her appearance, suddenly disliked her face and only became more severe with herself.

The thought that Gilbert was on a ship in the middle of the ocean hurt her, and it wasn't as if he was going to show up or give any hope of returning.

—
Amybella was on her way to Green Gables when the mayor, Mr. Barry, rode past her.

"Hello, Amybella. Where are you heading?" He asked and she smiled kindly.

"To the Cuthberts, sir. I'm visiting my friend Anne."

"Green Gables, then. Well, that's where I'm heading too!" Amybella smiled as they rode side by side.

"How's the family?" asked Mr. Barry.

"Good so far. Yes, I hope yours is well too?" She replied firmly and he nodded.

"That's a beautiful horse you've got there. Where did you get him, if you don't mind me asking?" His eyes were glued to Abraxas.

"My father gave him to me when he was still a foal. I raised him with such promises." He nodded understandably.

"Do you think you could lend him to us as a breeding stallion? He certainly makes a good sum for himself and of course you will receive a considerable share. You really don't find a beautiful stallion like this every day. Does he jump well?" Amybella was a little surprised by his offer.

"Well, he hasn't taken part in any tournaments, but I would say yes, yes he has. I'll think about it. Thank you." Mr. Barry nodded in understanding and opened his mouth to say something again, but they heard an angry shout. They rode closer to the action and near the courtyard of Green Gables someone was throwing things around.
It was Nathanael, one of the Cuthberts' tenants.

"I say, do you need some assistance?" Shouted Mr. Barry as he and Amybella rode up.

"Sorry I uh.. Mr. Barry right?" Nathaniel's gaze flitted to the blonde girl for a moment. The two of them had hardly ever spoken to each other before and Amybella liked to keep it that way. The man was arrogant, snooty and always had a stupid smile on his face.

"Indeed.. and you are?" replied Mr. Barry.

"Nathanael. Sir!" Amybella answered his question.

"Nate." Nathanael said and looked at her for a moment.

"I've been boarding at Green Gables." He explained.

"Yes, the geologist." said Mr. Barry

"Unfortunately, yes." Nathaniel replied and Bella looked at him in surprise.

"So, what seems to be the trouble?" Mr. Barry dismounted his horse and the blonde girl did the same.

"I-.. I really shouldn't say it's.." his eyes flitted to Amybella again and the girl wondered why her presence made him nervous.

"...just so frustrating, is all." Bella led Abraxas to a jug of water and let him drink.

"Maybe you've heard I uhm.. I work for a big chemical company. And they hired me to extract iron oxide from the soil." Nathaniel said, walking towards Mr. Barry.

"Ah. So that's what all is about eh? Looks like you're headed to China." Mr. Barry looked at the big hole in the ground with a laugh.

"It feels like it sometimes. This is um.. un-owned land correct?" Nate asked, pointing to the land stretching out in front of them.

"Yeah, that's right. I own the 100 acres going across other-.." Amybella looked towards Anne's house. On the one hand, she wanted to go to her friend, but on the other, she wanted to continue listening to the conversation and find out why Nathaniel was throwing this tantrum. She could join the red-haired girl later.

"And they're gonna take it!!" Nathaniel shouted angrily, interrupting the girl's thoughts. She looked at him and found his behavior very strange.
Mr. Barry also looked at him with irritation.

"Not yours! This. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep.. popping my cork!" The geologist breathed in and out deeply to calm himself down.

"No-no not to worry." said Mr. Barry.

"The thing is-is uhm.." The brunette looked nervously at Amybella, as if it bothered him that she was listening to their conversation, then he took a step closer to Mr. Barry.

"I've found gold." Both Bella and Mr. Barry looked at him in shock.

Gold?

"There I said it. I'm pretty sure it's a big find too. I've sent a soil sample out to New York for independent testing and I'm waiting to hear. I did it without my.. dear company's knowledge about it." He looked back at Bella, who had crossed her arms skeptically.

"Because once they know.. they'll grab all the land rights. It could be worth millions." Amybella finally joined in the conversation.

"You should wait for the results first. In the end, it's not gold at all." She said and Mr. Barry smiled at the girl.

"Clever girl." He spoke as if she were a small child who could be given a cookie.
She scoffed quietly as she took Abraxas and walked to the Cuthbert house, feeling Nate's burning gaze on her.

Amybella knocked on the front door and Mrs. Cuthbert opened it for her.

"Hello Mrs. Cuthbert! Can I see Anne?" she said politely.

"Of course, she's expecting you!" Marilla replied, smiling happily as the girl ran up the stairs to Anne. Arriving at her bedroom, she knocked quickly and then just walked in.

"Oh, Bella. I'd totally forgotten you were coming. You save me from my torment of boredom," the red-haired girl beamed and pulled Amybella into a hug.

"I have to tell you what just happened."

"Alright! ALRIGHT!" Rachel shouted across the noisy hall.

"He's trying to answer!" Now the little woman was running through the crowd. Diana, Anne, Ruby and Amybella were at the top of the stairs, watching the goings-on in the town hall.

"How long are we supposed to wait?" shouted a man from the audience.

"Give the man a chance!" now Rachel ran to a piano and strummed weird dissonances on it. The crowd of citizens fell silent.

"Now then! One at a time. Everybody please sit! This community will be polite and respectful of what this man is trying to tell us!" Nathanael turned from the desk he had been leaning against and Amybella eyed him.

He had always been arrogant and know-it-all the last few days, but now he seemed almost humble and intimidated. The more Amybella had to do with him, the more she had the feeling that something was wrong with him.

"Sir?" Nate called out to a man.

"Yes, you sir! Thank you." The man stood up.

"My name is Thomas Lynde and my wife and I wanted to know where you sent the gold sample." Asked Mr. Lynde.

"Yes indeed!" Rachel confirmed his statement. Murmurs went around the crowd again.

"I had the sample tested and confirmed by an independent company in New York. Like I said! I didn't want my employer to know." Nate replied.

"Where's the proof?" asked Mr. Lynde.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" the pastor stood up.

"How do we know what's real and what's fool's gold?" asked another woman Bella didn't know.
Nate walked a few steps backward.

"I'm glad you asked." he pulled out a piece of paper.

"I have here a certificate, I received in the mail from New York." Some in the room stood up excitedly to look at it.

"This Soils Report certifies that there is indeed gold in Avonlea." Nate shouted and walked around with the certificate.

"I mentioned I've taken this action earlier to William Barry." Mr. Barry stood up as well.

"Nathanael told me in the strictest confidence. he was in a moral quandary and it all came out!" he confirmed.

"There really is gold in Avonlea," Anne said almost dreamily.

"Father is quite preoccupied at the prospect." said Diana

"Do you think we'll all be rich like you Diana?" asked Ruby.

"I don't know.." Amybella said quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Diana.

"Isn't it strange? He comes here and suddenly finds gold? Besides, how long did the analysis take - two weeks? Isn't that a bit short?"

"First of all, Nathanael has been in Avonlea for a very long time now. Secondly, look, he has a certificate." Amybella didn't like Anne's tone.
The red-haired girl was usually always one step ahead of everyone. But now she didn't seem to be thinking about the situation at all.
Amybella opened her mouth to say something, but was then interrupted by Rachel.

"There! Mr. Andrews." Billy's father stood up.

"And just how do we proceed?" he asked.

"Each landowner would send in a sample of their soil to New York for testing. Now, I warn you, it's expensive, it's.. $150 per test." The commotion started immediately.

"Money! I knew there was a catch," yelled some guy.

"It's an investment fair enough! But an investment in the future. The reward for mining this land.. your land! Is incalculable." Nathaniel shouted over the excited murmur.

"I have to write to Gilbert! I- I have to let him know about the gold!" Anne said now and Bella looked at her in confusion.

"Gilbert?" asked Diana.

"He's not coming back either way." the blonde girl grumbled, her spirits dropping considerably.

"But you don't even know where he is," said Diana.

"But I think I know how to find out." Anne stood up.

"Anne!" Diana hissed. Amybella wanted to say something too, but then turned her attention to Mr. Barry, who began to speak again.

"$150 is a substantial amount of money. Perhaps I could offer some assistance for in need." he said and sat down again.

"If it seems like an overwhelming proposition, you could consolidate everyone's payment and send it all together. As a community! I'd be happy to do that for you." Nate said. People broke out in excited conversation.

Amybella looked at Nathaniel, who was now looking up at her at that very moment.
The girl held his gaze and scanned him with her eyes distrustfully. Nate returned her unfriendly gaze on him with a kind smile.
Amybella couldn't help but feel her cheeks burning. Nathanael then looked back to the people talking. He shook his head and walked back to his bag.

"Look, I don't have a horse in this race! I don't want to push here. Really, I'm not from this place and I don't mean to poke my nose into your business. That's your decision! Individually. I just want-... it-it was just an offer it seemed like the right thing to do."
He grabbed his bag and ran for the exit.

"Put your money, where your mouth is!" the other borderer of the Cuthberts had stood up.

"I beg your pardon?" Nate asked, confused.

"You heard me plain. I'm not from here either, but I'll say it out loud, here and now I love this town!" Amybella grinned. He had always been the more likeable of the two.

"I love Avonlea and I intend to set down roots. I want to be here! Gold or no gold. And what about you, Nathanael?" Now everyone looked at Nate. Which stood confused at one point.

"What? Uh-... I-." he stuttered.

"What? You're just gonna walk away? Stick with that company you work for? A company with no morals that would steal the profit from the mouths of good people!" Amybella thought of her mother and Marcus.
She wondered if they would invest and take this risk.

"It's my job, It's all I have!" Nate wanted to go further and leave the room.

"So quit!" Nate turned around.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Make your fortune here. Bet on Avonlea! Why not be in charge of this- this mining operation? you seem to know the business."
Now Mr. Barrys was standing up.

"You've proven that we can count on you, Nathanael. You're a moral man. I'd feel a lot better about this endeavour if you undertook to oversee it!" he said

"What say you? Will you do it?" asked Mr. Linde

"If there really is a fortune here. What have you got to lose?" Rachel now approached Nate. He was silent for a while.

"I'm not a betting man." he said.

"But I'll bet on Avonlea! I'll quit my job!" A big cheer broke out. And the crowd clapped.

Nate's ice-blue eyes met Amybella's. He stared up at her and literally bored his eyes into her soul. The girl quickly stood up and ran down so that she disappeared from his field of vision.

—

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