PART 1
"We better head back now," announced Nick, lifting his fishing rod from the water. Dan and Nat left their lines in the creek for a moment more, just to be sure, then followed Nick's example.
"We did pretty good, didn't we, Nick?" demanded Dan proudly, lifting the several small trout they had caught.
"Sure did," agreed Nick. "Mrs. Jo said nobody's caught fish in this part of the creek for quite awhile, but we didn't do too bad. We'll have Asia cook 'em up to go with dinner."
"When will everyone be back from the wedding?" asked Nat, picking up the last rod and following Dan and Nick into the woods.
"Pretty soon, I guess," responded Nick. "They've been gone all morning."
"Thanks for taking us fishing, Nick," said Dan gratefully.
"Yeah, thanks," added Nat.
"No problem." Nick smiled back at them. "No reason we shouldn't have as much fun as everyone else just 'cause we don't have parents in town and didn't get invited to the wedding."
"Well, I'm glad we didn't," proclaimed Dan. "Fishing's lots more fun than gettin' all dressed up and sittin' through a long boring service."
"I don't know," began Nat thoughtfully. "They're having a big celebration afterwards with music and dancing. That would be fun."
"And a lot of good food," put in Nick.
Dan shrugged as though he didn't care that he and Nat were the only Plumfield students not to be invited. As it was a marriage uniting the children of two of Concord's premier families, everyone of some standing in the area had been invited, and thus most of the Plumfield students were attending with their parents. No one had given a thought, however, to two orphans or the hired help, so Nat, Dan, Nick, and Asia had been left behind.
Finally leaving the woods and in sight of Plumfield, they stopped suddenly at the sound of a bird chirping wildly somewhere behind them. All three followed the noise until they spotted its source: a small bird that had somehow trapped itself in a thorny bush. A fishing pole and several small trout thumped to the ground as Dan hurried to free the animal, with Nick and Nat following closely behind him. After breaking a few branches and feeling the sting of a few thorns, Dan had the tiny bird cupped gently in his hands.
"Careful, Dan," warned Nick. "Looks like he's still got some thorns stuck in him."
"Maybe I ought to take him back with us," suggested Dan, looking at Nick for his approval. "I could get the thorns out and make sure he's okay."
"Yeah!" Nat jumped in. "I'll help Dan. We shouldn't leave him if he's hurt. He'll be easy prey for other animals."
"Alright," conceded Nick, "but he doesn't go in the house. He can stay in the barn with the other animals."
Dan grinned, and, carrying the bird carefully, he and Nat walked as quickly as the could back to the barn, leaving Nick to carry the poles and the fish.
The sound of the carriage coming through the gate sent Nick and Nat hurrying up to the house, leaving Dan to tend to his patient.
"How was it?" Nick asked Jo as he helped her out of the carriage.
"Wonderful. It was a lovely wedding."
All the boys and girls piled out of the carriages, talking and laughing about the good time they had. Jo did a mental inventory as the children filed up the steps and into the house. "Tommy, where's your hat?" she asked.
He put his hands on top of his head, surprised not to find it where it belonged. "I think I left it with my dad," he admitted. Then his face suddenly shone. "Hey! Maybe he'll send Tim to bring it to me." He turned to Nick. "Tim's my cousin," he explained. "He was a groomsman in the wedding. He goes to college and is really big and strong. I'm going to be just like him!"
"You've got a long way to go," laughed Emil, looking down at Tommy and patting him on the head. "Tim's even taller than Nick!"
"Well, I'm gonna be just as tall. You wait and see! I can feel myself growing already!" declared Tommy.
Nat followed Nan into the house. "Was it fun?"
"It was great! You should have been there, Nat. There were games and dancing and food and lots of nice people. Plus there were these musicians playing at the reception who were really good-I wish you could have heard them!"
"Everyone needs to go and change clothes," announced Jo, following the children into the house. "We've had a fun day, but there are chores to be done before supper."
"Wasn't the wedding wonderful?" asked Bess dreamily as she and Nan put their best dresses away.
"It was a lot of fun," agreed Nan, who hadn't really expected to enjoy herself so much. "I only wish everyone could have come."
"What would be really perfect," began Bess thoughtfully, "is a wedding here at Plumfield. One that everyone could come to and be a part of."
"Everyone talks as though your Aunt Meg will probably get remarried," Nan pointed out. "Maybe she'll have her wedding here."
"Maybe. Except that Mr. Trenton is from Boston. If they held the ceremony there I doubt everyone would get to go." They both sat meditatively for a moment. "But what would be perfect," Bess stated suddenly, "would be if Aunt Jo married again!"
"Yeah!" Nan agreed. "Mrs. Jo wouldn't leave anybody out. Asia could do all the cooking, and Nat could play the violin--"
"We could be bridesmaids!"
"You think?" asked Nan with wide eyes.
"Of course!" insisted Bess. "I'm her niece, and you're--well, almost like a daughter to her."
The surprised grin on Nan's face told Bess how pleased Nan was to hear that. But suddenly Nan frowned and furrowed her brow as though some new complication had arisen. "Bess, who is Mrs. Jo going to marry?"
"Why, Nick, of course!"
"Nick…" Nan repeated slowly, as if trying the idea on for size.
"I heard Mother and Aunt Meg talking about them. Apparently they're just crazy about each other, but neither of them will admit it," Bess informed her. "Isn't it perfect? Rob would have a father, Nick wouldn't ever leave us to go back to sea, Captain Hoffman and the other parents wouldn't worry so much about the school, Aunt Jo wouldn't be alone anymore--"
"And Dan and Nat could be groomsmen in the wedding!" finished Nan excitedly.
"I figure," confided Bess, lowering her voice, "that they're already deeply in love, they just don't really know it yet. Mother said that when Nick first came Aunt Jo thought it was too soon after Uncle Fritz's death, but surely now it's been long enough. If we just gave them little push…"
Nan looked doubtful. "Bess, you've seen my matchmaking attempts firsthand."
"That was different," promised Bess. "This time I'm in charge."
PART 2
