“It’s probably all around town by now”

RORY: They know.
LORELAI: They don’t know.
RORY: It’s probably all around town by now.
LORELAI: Honey it just happened last night, it’s like six in the morning.

Rory sounds completely paranoid – she and Dean broke up the night before in a private place, and it’s now early the next morning. Lorelai is being quite reasonable to say it’s not possible for everyone to know yet.

Yet Rory is correct. Miss Patty already knows – but how? Literally, how is it even possible? Is Miss Patty psychic, or so intuitive that Rory’s sad face suggests just one possibility to her? Kirk also knows somehow, although we never see the beginning of his conversation with Rory, and it’s possible she told him herself, if Miss Patty hasn’t already. (If so, when did Miss Patty tell him?)

Stars Hollow is a very gossipy place where everyone knows your business, but the method by which they do so is really most mysterious.