PART 5
"I really missed you," Jo said quietly as she hugged Meg one last time.
"Oh, me too Jo," Meg replied with a smile. Her face changed then, and she looked preoccupied, "Jo, I really need to talk to you about something…it's important…"
"Are you ready to go darling?" Edward said, joining the ladies.
Meg looked unsure, then said, "Well, I'll come by tomorrow Jo. We can talk about it then. It's nothing really." She smiled as if to reassure Jo further, but Jo had begun to worry already.
"Alright then, see you!" Jo called as Meg and Edward got into their carriage. Just as they were leaving, another carriage raced down the lane. Nick walked over to see what the 'commotion was.' The carriage came to a quick halt, and Laurie got out and helped Amy out as well.
"Jo! Did we miss her?" Amy asked, looking around.
"I'm afraid you did Amy," Jo said with a small smile, "They just left."
"I told you that was their carriage," Amy almost snapped at Laurie. He simply rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh. "Well, where's Bess?" Amy asked.
"She went on a picnic with the others….they should be back soon," Jo said.
Nick squinted off into the distance and said, "I think that's them, over there." Sure enough, four figures were slowly making their way to the house.
"Well, I want to talk to her," Amy said abruptly, going into the house, "I'm going to wait in the parlor, Laurie! Are you coming?" He grinned at Jo and followed Amy into the house.
Jo gave Nick a look and said, "I think I'm going to go see where Rob ran off to." Nick nodded, and they went their separate ways. Jo stopped in the kitchen, where Asia told her that Rob had retreated to his room after they had eaten.
"I don't know what Jo, but somethin's botherin' that boy," Asia said in a sure tone. Jo's brows furrowed, yet she only nodded and headed upstairs.
Meanwhile, the foursome had finally reached the house. Nat and Nan went around to the kitchen to dispose of the remains from the picnic, but Bess and Dan slowly began to walk to the front of the house.
"Their carriage is here," Bess said, taking another deep breath.
"Yeah," was all Dan could say.
"It's probably best if we tell them now," Bess said, looking to Dan for confirmation. Dan only gave her an unsure look and nodded his head.
Bess then made up her mind for good, took Dan's hand, and started to 'lead' him into the house.
"May I come in?" Jo asked, knocking on Rob's door. He quickly looked up and smiled….but it wasn't his usual smile. "Sweetheart, is anything wrong?" Jo asked gently, sitting on the bed next to him.
Rob seemed to think about it for a second, then shrugged his shoulders and said, "Nope."
Jo paused for a few moments, then said, "Because, you know you can tell me anything, right?"
This caused Rob to think for several minutes, before he finally said, "Well, Aunt Meg was supposed to talk to you about something…..but I don't think she did."
"What was it?" Jo asked, "How about you tell me?"
Rob again thought for a moment, and then said, "It's about school for Daisy, Demi, and me…."
Jo grinned, "I thought she might!" Rob looked at Jo with an expression of relief. "Well, I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about," Jo said with a smile, "And I think it's a great idea if you all want to go to school together here!" Rob's face fell.
"That's not it," he said softly. Jo looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to go on. "Daisy and Demi are going to a school in Boston," he blurted out.
Jo tried to conceal her surprise, but there were still traces of shock on her face. "Oh, I see. Well, Meg never said anything about this to me," she muttered. She then patted Rob's back and said, "Well, I know you must be worried about being the only one left at the school, but I'm sure we can find some other kids that want to go during the day. I was thinking that I could teach during the day, but the kids would have to-"
"Mother, I want to go with them," Rob interrupted. This time, the shock on Jo's face was obvious. She couldn't say anything for a while, so Rob went on, "It's a really good school, and Uncle Edward and Aunt Meg will be living in Boston the whole time we go to school there. And we can sometimes come for visits on the weekends."
"Visits," Jo said wistfully, "I don't know Rob, you just got back, and I don't think it's such a-"
"But mother, it's a really good school, and I'd be living with Aunt Meg and Uncle Edward, and I'd still come home to visit!" Rob pleaded.
Jo shook her head and said, "I don't know, you'll have to let me think about it."
"Talk to Aunt Meg, she'll tell you," Rob added.
There was silence for a while, and then Jo said softly, "You really want to go here?" Rob only nodded. "Come here," she said, pulling him closer to her, "I promise that I'll think about it." Rob beamed and hugged Jo tightly.
"Thanks mother! I knew you would!" he whispered. Jo only gave him a desperate look that he couldn't see, a slight trace of tears forming in her eyes.
"WHAT?" Amy's voice boomed. Dan tried not to wince….or to let on that he wanted to run out of the room. Bess had just informed her parents of her plans to marry Dan…and needless to say, Amy was not taking it well.
"I said, I'm going to marry Dan," Bess said smoothly - of course, she was only calm on the outside.
"When? Where? How?" Amy exclaimed.
"As soon as possible," Bess replied.
"What about school?"
"I won't go."
"Not go!! Do you know what a chance-what an opportunity this is? Bess, this opportunity may never present itself again. You can always marry Dan!"
"Mother!" Bess exclaimed, her face beginning to flush.
"Laurie!" Amy exclaimed, "Please help me!"
"Father will tell you!" Bess said, sure of herself, "He'll tell you that it's a good idea! Right father?"
Laurie stepped forward and said, "I'm sorry Bess….I agree with your Mother."
"WHAT?" it was Bess' turn to become agitated, "How can you?"
"Listen honey, I know that you and Dan care about each other very much-"
"We love each other!"
"Yes, but sweetheart, if you marry each other now, you'll regret it later," Laurie said, "You've always wanted to learn how to paint better…and Dan, what about your dreams of going out west?"
"I don't care about that," Dan said truthfully.
"Dan, you may say that, and indeed you may think that, but there is a simple truth. If you two don't discover who you are, before you decide to spend the rest of your lives together….if you never live your dreams, then you'll ultimately regret it."
"Hear me out," Dan began, "Mr. 'n Mrs. Lawrence, I love your daughter. I don't just think I do, I know it. I'd do anything for her. I'd give up all my dreams of the west for her. I'm willin' to do anything for her."
"Then you'll be willing to forget about all this foolish "marriage" nonsense," Amy said briskly.
Bess turned to Amy with an enraged look and said, "It's not 'foolish' and it's not 'nonsense' mother!!"
"Bess, please-" Laurie tried to intercede.
"And you are not going to stop me!" Bess went on.
"Well we'll just see about that young lady. I did not raise you and give you all the best opportunities just so that you could grow up to marry someone like….like…that!" Amy said, her voice rising.
"Amy, please….Bess, why don't we all just-" Laurie's attempt fell on deaf ears as mother and daughter continued to fight.
"How dare you?" Bess exclaimed, "Mother, haven't I always done as you asked? Always acting adult, always doing what you wanted me to do? Well not this time mother. I love Dan, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." With that, Bess stormed out of the room, leaving Dan behind with a blank look on his face.
Amy gave an enraged look towards the direction that Bess had set off in, and rushed out of the room in the opposite direction. Laurie just glanced at Dan, and then looked in both directions, wondering who to follow.
"I'll go talk to Mrs. Lawrence," Dan finally said, sounding a lot braver than he actually was.
Laurie just looked at him skeptically and said, "Are you sure Dan?" Dan paused for a moment before shaking his head. Laurie too paused, but finally shook his own head in agreement, "Alright…I'll go after Bess."
Dan took a deep breath and went in the direction that Amy had gone…..it was now…or never…
PART 6
