PART 3
On her train somewhere, Nan removed a small picture out of her purse. It had been taken so very long ago, when they had all been so very young. She grazed her finger over Mrs. Jo and Nick, smiling. She then moved to Bess and Dan, looking so happy…and finally over to Nat. A single tear slipped down her cheek…and she couldn't quite remember, or figure out what it was for. She just knew that in her heart she'd give anything to be 13 again…
Back in the corral next to Dan's office, Nat stood, gazing at the horses, but not really seeing them. Dan stepped outside, clearly looking for him, and when he found him, he walked over. "Hey," Dan said, trying to open up a conversation, but wanting Nat to choose the direction they would take it in.
"Hey, everyone still inside?" Nat asked.
"Yeah," Dan said running a hand through his hair. He waited for a while and then said, "Nan's train should be gettin' here soon." Nat just nodded. "How…are things with you two?"
"Oh…you know," Nat said, unwilling to divulge further.
"Fair enough Nat," Dan said quietly, "Just remember, we're best friends, always have been."
As Dan began to walk away Nat said, "You have no idea."
"No idea of what?" Dan asked, walking back slowly.
"Of how much I love her," Nat said very quietly, "You have Bess…and if you want to hold her or touch her or tell her that you love her, you CAN."
"So tell her Nat," Dan urged.
"It's not that easy. Nan's one of the best friends I've ever had…and if I told her, and she didn't feel the same way…not only would I lose the love of my life, I'd lose my best friend as well. And right now Dan, I don't think she's feelin' the same way as me. She didn't even write more than once or twice the whole year. She even forgot my birthday."
"Nat," Dan said, suddenly becoming uneasy, "You don't know nothin' for sure unless ya talk to her." A train whistle sounded in the distance and they both looked for smoke.
"At the office where I intern, I have a picture of her on my desk. I have a picture of her at home as well. And sometimes when I look at that picture long enough I can almost convince myself…" Nat trailed off, "Well…we don't want everyone to miss Nan, do we?" He walked back towards the house leaving Dan to his own troubled thoughts.
The growing group waited anything but patiently as the train pulled into the station. Franz had again stayed behind with the children, as everyone else hurriedly grabbed coats and shawls to keep away the growing cold and wind. Bess stood next to Dan, yet kept on sharing looks of encouragement with Nat. Jo simply looked at the train in anticipation. Bess was a wonderful girl…but the fact was she had always been a niece to Jo; Bess had a mother whom she loved very much. And so, over the years Jo had felt her mother/daughter bond with Nan get stronger and stronger.
Finally, people began getting off the train. And again, Dan was the first one to spot her. Nat felt his mouth go dry as he looked at her…the look on his face causing Bess to squeeze Dan's hand, and then move over to Nat's side. In fact, everyone was a bit taken aback. She had on a stunning bluish-silver gown, and her hair was swept up and topped with a stylish hat. Dan grinned at her, and called out her name. She walked slowly towards them, a little unsure of herself.
When she finally arrived in their circle, she hugged Jo sweetly. She stood back, and avoiding eye contact with Nat said, "I've brought a friend from school, if that's alright with you Dan?" Dan's eyebrows crinkled, and his eyes darkened a bit…as though he knew what was coming…but he nodded his head all the same.
"Oh, a fellow woman doctor, forging her way in a man's world?" Jo laughed.
"No…" Nan hesitated, and then a man came up behind her, "This is my friend David Andrews." Again the group was stunned silent. A stylish Nan….with a BEAU? What was going on here?
"Welcome!" Jo finally said, trying to cover up her surprise by being cheerful. She shook his outstretched hand.
"Thank you," he said with a refined accent, "I'm so pleased to finally meet all of you. You're all Annie ever talks about…and I feel as though I already know you." Bess turned to Nat and mouthed, "Annie?"
Nan, a look of worry and fear underneath her calm exterior, began to look at the others. "Well…it'll be a pleasure gettin' to know you then," Nick said with a grin, stretching out his hand. Nan sighed, and looked a little less worried. As she hugged Nick he whispered, "Glad you came." She smiled at him, and turned to Dan.
"Yeah, interestin'…and maybe you'll even learn some stuff 'bout us ya didn't know before," Dan said cryptically, holding out his hand to David. Nan shot him a look as she briefly embraced him.
"Are you from Boston originally?" Bess asked sweetly as David shook her hand.
"No actually, my family lives father down south. They sent me to Boston some years ago to further my education," he replied. Nan hugged Bess as well, grinning from ear to ear, and some of that old spark in her eyes. It worried Bess that they had not seen more of it.
"You must be Nat!" David said then. Nat nodded, wondering how the man knew. "Annie talks of you very highly! It's so good of her to have such a friend like you."
Nat put up a fake smile and said, "And although she never talked about you, I'm sure it's good of her to have such a friend as you." Everyone was silent as this exchange took place.
"Actually," David replied, "Annie and I are…well…dear, shall we tell them? The cat's already out of the bag!" Nan looked a bit uncomfortable as David went on, "Charming darling…but I'll let you tell them then."
Nan took a breath and looked up…right into Nat's eyes and said, "David and I are courtin'…courting." She said it twice, berating herself for becoming so nervous that she reverted back to the way she spoke as a child. There was silence. Something inside Nat broke, and he looked away from Nan. Around them people laughed, talked, children ran about…but inside their little circle there was complete silence.
"Well congratulations!" Jo said, summoning up the proper enthusiasm.
"Yeah, good luck," Nick offered. 'Good luck?!' Jo mouthed to him, and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Well…uh…it's gettin' kinda cold…so let's go…," he paused, realizing the meaning of this next word, "home." Jo smiled and nodded in agreement. As the men stayed behind to collect all the luggage into Dan's waiting wagon, Jo and Bess lead Nan to see Franz.
"Nan," Jo said, stopping her from going inside, "There's one thing we have to tell you. Isabel…passed away about a week ago during childbirth." Nan's face hardly changed, but something behind it certainly had. Jo squeezed her arm as Nan walked inside.
"Nan!" Franz greeted her, standing up, "Come see your little nieces." Nan walked over to where Franz was unsuccessfully trying to get the girls to eat something. "The one on the right is Belle, and the one on the left is Jo Anna," he smiled down at them.
"Jo….Anna?" Nan said softly, "Anna…as in…?"
"There's no one else I admire with that name, is there?"
"They're beautiful Franz," she said meaningfully.
"So are you Nan!" Franz said, stepping back to take a look at her, "What ever happened to that small little girl I used to know? The one who would sooner choose to wear Nat's pants to go fishing than a ball gown to go to a dance?"
Nan blushed and said, "Well you've changed too."
"Is that so?"
And for the first time…really coming out of that temporary shell Nan had seemingly created around her spirit she said, "Yeah, you're less boring." Franz and she both laughed as she gave him a hug.
"Ready to go?" Dan asked, poking his head through the door.
"In a minute, can you give us some help?" Franz asked. Dan came inside and helped get the babies' things together.
"Wait a minute…" Nan began, showing even more of that old spark, "You call this your office? You're office is a jail cell Dan."
"That's only when there's prisoners in it Nan," he said with a grin.
"Locked anyone up lately?" Nan said, ringing the keys on the wall. All three of them chuckled as they walked outside.
"Well," Dan went on as Jo and Nick joined them, "There has been someone I've been wantin' to lock up…but that's a story for later, come on, let's go. Franz, you and Bess can ride in the wagon. I got horses for ya guys though." Dan had an amused look in his eye. "Mrs. Jo, Nick, Nat….even you Nan.."
Nan's eyes sparkled as she recalled the races she, Dan, and Nat used to have while Bess and the other children used to watch. "Annie darling, I secured a carriage for us," David said, walking up behind her.
"Oh, well David, Dan just told me that he's got a horse I can ride…so maybe you could drive the carriage…"
"Really Annie? Don't you think it's a tad too cold outside to be riding? Why don't you come ride with me where it'll be warmer hmm?" David said.
Nan looked as though she gave it some thought and then said, " You're probably right. It is cold…you don't mind, do you Dan?"
"Uh….no," he said, sharing a look of worry with Bess and Nat. Something passed over Jo's face as well. Still, they all piled into their wagons and carriages, and got on their horses, and started out for Dan's house.
"I spent a while buildin' it…" Dan said, relaying the story of the construction of the house to everyone as they rode on slowly. The horse-riders rode in a clump next to the wagon while the carriage pulled back, and rode behind them all. As they rode on, a small hill appeared in the distance. "Just over that hill!" Dan called out.
As they finally reached the top of the hill, a silence fell over them. "Oh Dan," was all Jo could get out in a shaky voice. Nick gave a low whistle. As the sun was low in the sky, ready to begin setting, the house seemed to float on the horizon. Two floors to the main house, a huge barn, and two other small buildings next to it, it looked large from where they stood. But that wasn't the best part….the best part was the small grove of trees behind the house.
"Apple trees," Dan said with a grin.
"Dan," Nan called, "It's better than you described!" Nat and Bess shared another look…when did Dan describe the house? They all made their way to the house…quickly it seemed, and were still in awe when they got there.
"You built this yourself?" Jo asked. Dan simply nodded.
"That's some work," Nick added. Dan helped Bess down from the wagon, as Nat watched. He then glanced over to the 'carriage' where David was doing the same for Nan. Nat paused, trying to remember clearly the independent Nan he used to know when suddenly everyone began to go inside. Jo praised nearly everything, and Bess listened with interest as Dan pointed out a bunch of little things that one wouldn't notice off hand. Luggage was brought in, people settled. The house had five rooms that Dan had prepared for sleeping arrangements. Franz and the girls would have the room downstairs, while Bess and Nan would take a room upstairs. Later, Amy and Meg would join Jo in her room upstairs, and Laurie would join Nick. Finally, and much to the dismay of Nat, that left one room…to be shared by Dan, Nat….and David.
They all decided to freshen up a bit before dinner. "I got some food from the diner in town, so ya'll don't have to worry," Dan had said with a grin. Nan and Bess made their way up to their room where they promptly seemed to collapse onto the beds.
"What a day," Bess said.
"You're tellin' me," Nan replied.
"That's a beautiful dress Nan!"
"You really think so?" she asked in surprise, "I picked it out actually." At Bess' surprised look she said with a laugh, "Come on Bess…even tomboys have to grow up a little. And I think Boston was just the place to do that."
Bess smiled and said slyly, "And it seems like the perfect place to meet people…" Nan blushed a bit and Bess said, "So…are you going to tell me? Or am I going to have to pull it out of you??"
"We met at a lecture…he's studying to be a doctor too…just not at my school of course," Nan said, "And well…I don't know…we just decided to start courtin'… Speakin' of which, how are things between you and Dan?"
"You know," Bess said, suddenly toying with the bedspread, "Right on schedule. Mother's coming out here tomorrow with Father, Aunt Meg, and Asia…they're going to prepare for the wedding. I guess we'll have it after Christmas or something…though I have no idea where we'd have it." Nan chuckled and began unpacking. Bess, on the verge of unpacking herself suddenly leaned over and said, "Where do you get all these clothes??"
"My father," was Nan's dry reply, "He's always pressing for me to go out and do things with David…which means the 'proper attire.' How about you though? I mean, don't they need you to dress nice at the paper?"
"You know about my job?" Bess asked in surprise.
"Yeah…" Nan said, suddenly apprehensive, "I guess I must have heard it from Mrs. Jo or something…"
"Yes well…they only need me to take pictures…and sometimes that's hard with a fancy dress on," Bess smiled.
"I get what you mean," Nan laughed, "Say, wanna go see the girls again?" Bess nodded, and Nan added, "Just let me take down this hair - it's driving me insane!" She pulled out a bunch of pins and her hair fell in bunches of free golden curls. Bess smiled, thinking to herself that some things never changed. The two girls set off down the hall, giggling as they walked past the boys' room.
"Hey Dan," Nan said, leaning against the door frame, "Where's the third floor? I mean, how can you possibly manage to live by yourself in this 'small' space?" Dan gave her a playfully sarcastic look, which she returned as she left to run off after Bess.
"Why does she have to be so beautiful Dan?" Nat asked in a tired voice as he pushed more clothes into a dresser, not caring whether they got crushed or not.
"Look Nat…I don't like this whole thing either. This David fellow…there's something about him I never liked. I mean, even before they started courtin'…" Dan said thoughtfully.
"Wait a minute," Nat said, stopping what he was doing and looking at Dan, "What do you mean before they started courtin'?"
Dan froze for a moment, and then said quickly, "Naw, I meant I didn't like him before I knew they were courtin'. Ya know, like when she first introduced him?" Nat seemed to accept that and nodded, going back to what he had been doing.
"Where is he anyway?" Nat asked.
"I dunno, good question… he just seemed to disappear…" Dan replied.
"So how are things with you and Bess?" he asked tactfully.
"You should know," joked Dan, "You see her more than I do."
"Oh, well, we don't really talk about stuff like that," Nat said, smiling a bit.
"Oh, well…it's right on schedule," Dan said quickly and with a sure voice…though the way he toyed with the bedspread said something a little different…
"Nick," Jo said as she knocked softly on his door, pushing it open a bit. He smiled as she came in. "Isn't the house wonderful?! I'm so proud of Dan, he's really made a home for himself out here. Although I am a bit worried…when he and Bess get married, where will they live? There are just so many things we have to tell the kids. Like about Meg and Edward…and I'm sure they've got stories to share with us. Another thing! I don't know about this David character…he seems a little…I don't know. There's just something about him…"
"Jo," Nick said, "You don't gotta be worrin' about all this. Just relax for a while okay?"
"You're right," Jo said, "I'm being silly…say…" She got a mischievous look in her eyes as she looked at Nick.
"What?" he said in a suspicious tone.
"We've got some time before dinner…and there's these two empty rooms of ours…," she took his hand in her's.
Nick gave an apprehensive grin and said, "Is that the kids I hear cryin'?"
Jo looked a tad hurt and distracted as she said, "I don't hear anything."
"We better check it out," he said, leading her out of the room and downstairs. She followed…lost in confusion and deeper thoughts.
PART 4
