Chapter Text
We stay around Father and Beth for the next few days. Father had pneumonia. The hospital in Washington did not know how he would fare in November which is why Marmee had to go.
But he’s home now. We don’t have anything to worry about, but the house is still awake. I’ve always been a light sleeper, and the slightest scuffle from Beth’s room throws me out of bed. I crack open the door in the middle of the night to reassure myself that the little figure is sleeping soundly which she always is now.
I just can’t shake the fact that something bad is coming. I can’t imagine what though.
I’m sitting in the garret working. I’ve had more time to write again which pleases me and pleases the others because it means I’m quiet. Meg climbs up. She’s humming some waltz or other. She looks quite pretty in her poplin. Why is she so dressed up! It’s just a Tuesday. Christopher Columbus, I know what’s going to happen.
She is about to descend the stairs when I catch her arm, “Meg, don’t do it!”
“Do what? I don’t know what you mean,” she dismisses and takes up her skirts to start down. I trail after.
“Meg, Meg, don’t. Please can’t things stay as they are. We’re finally together again. Let’s stay this way for a while. Do you have to go and fall in love and spoil all our peace, fun, and happy times? You aren’t like yourself at all anymore. You’ve gotten so far away from me. I don’t know how or when, but it’s like you aren’t even there,” my voice falters. “Meg, don’t go and marry that man.”
She stands on the stairs, “I do not intend on going and marrying anyone. If you are referring to Mr. Brooke, I have been kind to him to repay him for how he has been to Father. Anyways, even if he does ask me, I will simply say “I’m sorry, Mr. Brooke, but I have discussed it with my parents and we agree that I am too young to accept any proposal.”
“That’s good, but you won’t do it. You’ll cry, blush, freeze, do anything but say that.” I follow her into the front room.
“Then what do you think? Never mind, I don’t want to know what you think about love.”
There is a sharp knock at the front door. Meg blushes and goes the rest of the way downstairs to answer it. We already know who it is.
I pass Beth’s room where she and Amy are playing. I think Father and Marmee are in the kitchen. I quickly go down, and I catch the start of a very alarming scene. I don’t wish to be seen and berated, so I duck into the study which is out of eyeshot but not earshot.
Mr. Brooke comes in and says, “Good afternoon, Miss Meg. It would appear I left my umbrella here last.”
Meg talks hastily, “Do you know where it is or would you like me to find it?”
“Oh, Meg, don’t speak as if you are afraid of me.”
“How could I be afraid of you when you’ve been so good to Father. How can I ever repay you for that?”
“Do I need to tell you how?”
“No, please don’t, I’d rather not, it’s not right now.”
“I won’t trouble you more, but I must tell you that I love you.”
I clasp my hands over my mouth to keep from shouting out. All this speculation. It’s really true. I wait for Meg’s return, but it doesn’t come. She quietly says, “I think I’m still too young.”
Mr. Brooke counters by saying, “We would wait. Mr. Laurence says I may work for him when Laurie goes to college. I would build a home for us. Just say you love me.”
“I don’t know if I love you. I love my family, but I’ve never truly thought about whether or not I love you or anyone.”
“Could you learn to love me? I’m a good teacher. I’ve taught you German and could teach you how to love.”
The door bangs open. “What’s this?” Crows a voice.
“Aunt March!” Meg yelps.
“What is going on here Miss?”
“Mr. Brooke came by to fetch his umbrella.”
“Brooke? That’s that Laurence Boy’s tutor. I made Josephine tell me about him.”
Ooh, I’ll be in trouble with Meg later. What a rotten day this is becoming for her. Maybe she’ll forget to be mad, and I’ll comfort her instead. I resign myself to that.
“I’ll go to Mr. March then be on my way,” says Mr. Brooke. He passes through the room I’m in and looks startled at me.
“How long have you been there?” He asks in a whisper.
I tug his arm and we go to the dining room. No one is in, and I have my first conversation with Mr. Brooke.
“What did you hear?” He asks.
“Every bit of it,” I feel guilty. How can Mr. Brooke make me feel guilty? He’s the one trying to break up my family!
“What does your Aunt mean?”
“She wants Meg, well all of us for that matter, to marry rich. I didn’t talk about you willingly. I was writing to Father one day when she’d fallen asleep, and I wrote about you, and she woke up and made me read it aloud. Then I had to tell her all about you. I tried not to say anything bad exactly. But she knows you’re poor, a worker, and going to fight. Not much more than that.”
“What did she think of that?”
“My word, you ask a lot of questions. Anyways, she didn’t like it. She’s threatened to disinherit Meg if she marries you.
As if she’s listening to our conversation, we hear Aunt March say, “You’ll be sorry for it by and by when you’ve tried love in a cottage.”
Meg retorts, “It can’t be worse than what some people find in big houses.”
We go back over to the doorway to listen in.
“Margaret, be reasonable and take my advice. I mean to be kind and look out for you. You should marry well and help your family.”
“That’s not what Father and Mother think. They like John even though he is poor. Mr. Laurence has offered to help him. He’s a hard worker, and I know my John loves me.”
“He doesn’t love you. He knows you have rich relations, that’s all.”
“Don’t say that!” Meg yells. “My John wouldn’t marry for money so much as I would.”
“Well,” Aunt March huffs. “I wash my hands of the whole affair. Marry that man and you won’t see a penny all your life from me. Good day you impertinent girl.” The door slammed shut.
Mr. Brooke left his post by me, and took up Meg’s hands again.
“Did you mean all that? Really, truly?”
“I did mean it! Every word of it, but I didn’t realize until I heard her abuse you so.”
“So I needn’t go away.”
“No, stay, forever, please. I love you, John. Yes.”
Oh God. It happened. I witnessed it. I poke my head around the corner, and Mr. Brooke says to me, “Dear, Jo, congratulate us!” His hands are intertwined with Meg’s, and I want to thrash him.
I say nothing but run upstairs. I throw open Beth’s door where the others all are.
“Oh, do somebody go downstairs quickly! John Brooke is acting dreadfully, and Meg likes it!”
Beth and Amy exclaim.
“What happened? What happened?” Amy bounces on the bed.
“Meg’s engaged. That’s what!” I throw up my hands and pace.
“How wonderful! May I go down and see her?” Beth asks tenderly.
I begrudgingly take her up in my arms and carry her downstairs with Amy trailing. Marmee and Father are already sitting with them quietly listening to Mr. Brooke and his proposal to the life he means to give Meg.
“Meg! Meg! Is it true?” Amy cries.
“It is little one!” Amy hugs her. I set Beth down and put my back against the wall.
Marmee whispers, “Be happy for her, Jo. She wants everyone’s assurance. Go over and get the Laurence’s. Talk to your boy for a minute then you’ll be right.”
I obey. The men are having tea, and I quickly tell them what has happened. Both are dreadfully elated.
Teddy teases me on the short walk over talking of love.
“I am so happy for you Brooke!” Teddy shakes his hand when we’re back in. Marmee ushers people into the living room, and we hear the story from the quick words of Meg and John Brooke.
I sit in my easy chair away from the fire with my face deep in a book. I try to drown out the noise and merriment. The way they sat and looked at each other at dinner made me want to chuck my plate in his face. I can’t believe Meg is leaving me.
I lean all the way back in the chair, setting the book down on my lap. Laurie places his head on mine and tilts my gaze to the looking glass ahead. He smiles warmly at us both and nods slowly.