*Mellissa Merritt (Charlotte & Bess)
*Jennifer Warner (Jo)
*Mike Huskey (Dan)
*Amy Jo (Ashley)
*lucy.silvia (Asia)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Charlotte tied the bright, silk ribbons under her chin and admired herself in the mirror. "I may be snobby, but I'm not ugly," she murmured with a smile. "Nathan certainly doesn't think so."
She exited the house, climbed into her buggy, and flicked the reins and was off, the wind tangling her perfectly coifed hair. She smiled in an unusual and new carefree spirit.
The big yellow and white house at the end of the lane stood out proudly but humbly at the same time, somehow, and she saw a girl stooping down in the yard, apparently engrossed in something.
Charlotte jumped out of the buggy, and hesitantly walked up to the girl.
She cleared her throat. The girl spun around, with something clutched in her hands.
"What do you want?" The girl asked with a frown.
"Are you Nan?" Charlotte recognized her, now. "I have come to apologize to Jo and Nick. . ."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jo was standing at the sink helping Asia wash dishes when she heard the sound of a carriage pulling up. Her jaw almost dropped to the floor. It was Charlotte. She grimaced, and picked up towel to dry her hands.
She walked to the door, wishing every step of the way that she could just stay inside and not speak to the woman. She planned what she would say to her, but when she walked up behind Nan-who was standing in front of Charlotte, she forget everything and stumbled over her words.
"Hello...Chi-charlotte. How are you today?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dan was bringing in a pail of fresh water from the outside well - Asia needed more for doing the dishes. He had seen a buggy drop somebody off in front of the house but couldn't make out who it was from the distance. Probably one of Miss Jo's sisters, they were always coming around at all times of the day.
He entered the house, trying to be careful with the full pail so as not to spill water on the floor. Last thing he wanted to do was end up having to clean up the hall.
He stopped short of entering the kitchen when he got a closer look at the girl standing next to Miss Jo. They seemed to be talking about something but he didn't know who she was. She looked very prim and proper from his view, probably some rich girl.
He put the pail down and straightened his hair a bit with a quick shake and run of his hands through it. Have to look proper to make a good impression.
Then he picked up the pail and waltzed into the kitchen pretending like he never even knew anyone else was in there.
"Asia, you wanted some water...oh, hello..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Charlotte smiled in Dan's direction. "Hello." She turned back to Mrs. Jo and Asia, clearing her throat nervously. "Jo, I--I'm sorry about what happened. I shouldn't have been so awful to you.” She looked down at the bonnet she held in her hands. “Please forgive me for being so foreword with Nick, and so rude to you. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jo was shocked by Charlotte's words. She instantly felt guilty for the way she had been feeling. For a moment she just stood there speechless, but Asia nudged her back hard. "Well...of- of course I forgive you!"
The moment was very awkward, and Jo, not knowing what else to say, just looked at Charlotte and waited for whatever would happen next...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dan put the water bucket down by the sink and could tell that both Jo and this new person were pretty emotional about something. And apparently Nick was involved too somehow.
Anyway, probably not the best time for introductions so he decided to leave the two to their conversation.
"Excuse me, Miss Jo, I'll be outside if you need me, I better go groom the horse. So Nick don't have to tell me."
He gave a quick smile and stepped out into the hall but decided to stoop down and tie his shoe. That way he could listen in a bit more to what was going on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Charlotte looked at Jo and commented, "I met a wonderful man named Nathan. He's so sweet and forgiving, that I knew I should be, too. We're getting married in two weeks, and I'd like you all to come to my wedding!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jo eyebrows went up in surprise. Again she felt guilty for how she'd felt when she'd seen Charlotte pull up.
"Oh, wonderful! Charlotte I'm so happy for you!"
She walked over and hugged the woman. "And how kind of you to invite us to the wedding!" Just then someone walked in the door....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ashley had now entered the room where the ladies were having their conversation and no doubt spotted him in the hallway, given her stern look his way.
He hastily finished tying his shoelace and got back up. So this lady was getting married. Oh well, since Dan couldn't ever recall a Nathan nor did he know this Charlotte, he decided he better really go outside to the horse corral.
No doubt Ashley would fill him and everybody else in later about the details. Never any secrets with her around! He left the house and headed for the corral.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"I don't see how anyone can actually ENJOY marriage," Ashley said. "I know my parents didn't end up that good. Mrs. Jo's and Mrs. Meg's husbands died. And Mrs. Amy's marriage just hit a bad spot according to Bess."
She walked over to Charlotte and gave her a big hug, even though she can tell just by looking at her that she's a snob. And she didn't appreciate the way Dan was acting.
"Anytime you need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Charlotte broke the hug and looked at Ashley with a puzzled frown. "Thank you. But I know my marriage will be lovely." Charlotte inspected Ashley. "By the way, do I know you?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A few minutes later, Ashley walked into the corral.
"She's making a MAJOR mistake. Forget her. She's actually COMITTING to someone."
After seeing the confused look on his face, she said "Why do people do something as STUPID as getting married? What's the point?"
Right after saying her questions, she realized that Dan and her weren't alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bess peered around the corner of the door, watching Dan and Ashley as they sat and talked together. She listened quietly; her breath coming out in short puffs. "They're talking about marriage!" Bess thought. Angry, Bess stomped into the corral and impulsively shouted, "Dan, what are you DOING?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dan was startled from his grooming the horse when Ashley suddenly spoke up behind him. She was back soon from that conversation with Miss Jo and the other lady.
"Major mistake? You know that lady?"
Ashley then commented on "what was the point of getting married anyway."
Dan laughed and replied, "I thought that's all you girls ever thought about!"
He stopped laughing real quick when he saw Bess coming up.
"Mornin' Bess. What do you mean what am I doing? What does it look like? I'm trying to groom this horse."
By the look on Bess' face that obviously wasn't what she was talking about.
"Oh, Ashley just came a minute ago. She is telling me all about what she thinks of marriage. How stupid it all is. I'm sure you WOULDN'T agree." Dan thought - let them fight it out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After Ashley had left, Jo apologized to Charlotte for the girl’s audacious behavior.
"I'm sorry Charlotte. I have no idea what got into Ashley. She's usually not so...rude. I'll have to speak with her later." She patted the woman on the shoulder, and asked, "Would you like some tea?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"We aren't doing anything wrong," she looked at Dan for courage. He had a determined look on his face signifying what she should feel.
"I don't think marriage is a good idea, but since you, Jo, Nan, and Asia seem to already be on that path, I won't mention it. Oops, Oh no! I messed up again! I wasn't supposed to mention Asia's purposal."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“Dan where did your get the idea that I was courting Jake and I are just friends. I'm too busy helping Mrs. Jo run Plumfield while she is teaching the kids right now. I don't have time to go courting,” Asia said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dan was facing Bess, wondering what she seemed to upset about (as if she usually wasn't upset about some thing) when he heard Asia's voice.
"No Asia, you heard Ashley not me!" he defended himself, pointing to the girl standing next to him.
"Ashley was talking about marriage with me. NO! That didn't come out right! Just talking about marriage while I was standing here!"
He turned toward Ashley as he got more flustered. "Go ahead, Ashley, tell Asia what you were saying!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Um....alright....you see....well, you'll find this SO funny. Thank-you, Dan." After seeing a smile on Dan that she couldn't read, she continued. "I saw Mr. Thomas from that school on the outskirts of Boston. He was in the kitchen on bended knee holing a ring up to Asia. If that wasn't a proposal, I don't know what is."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Charlotte looked at Jo and hesitantly said, "Do you know where Nick is? I'd like to apologize to him..."
Charlotte excused herself from the kitchen. Jo looked after her with a wide-eyed expression, no doubt unsure if Charlotte's desire to apologize to Nick was sincere.
Charlotte smiled and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. People had a hard time believing someone could change, sometimes. "I haven't changed altogether, that's sure, but I really do want to be good. For Nathan, if not for anyone else."
She stepped into the barn, and saw Nick hefting a fork-full of hay. He was handsome, wasn't he? But he was not the man for her, she knew that now.
"Nick?"
