Meg. When she saw what a fine home Ned Moffat made for Sallie Gardiner after their wedding, she was a trifle jealous. But then she remembered how much John loves her and how hard he worked to make this charming little home for her, and then everything was all right again.”
Ned and Sallie had gotten married? Had I been at the wedding? If I had, I hoped I hadn’t made a fool of myself!
“And what about Jo?” I said, my attention turning to my old nemesis. “What’s she been up to?”
“She never went back to Aunt March after my … illness. Aunt March decided she preferred Amy. She even hired a special art teacher to give Amy drawing lessons so that Amy might be persuaded to stay. So Jo continues in her reading and her writing for The Eagle—did you know they pay her a dollar a column now? Of course you did, silly Emily—and she is also working on a book. In between all that, she takes care of me. As you can see, I am the same as I have always been.”
I did see that.
“I’ve got another question for the game,” I said. “I haven’t seen Laurie. What’s he been doing?”
“Oh, good—another question I know the answer to! Why, Laurie has been at college, but he still comes to visit us every week and sometimes he even brings his college friends. Meg doesn’t pay attention to them, of course—she is too busy with planning her life with John—and of course I am too shy to even talk to them. But they like Jo, whom they seem to regard as another young man. Oh, and they really like Amy. In fact, some have grown quite besotted with her. Amy, as you know, has a way with young men.”
Yes, I did know.
“Amy says that Meg should have servants for her house, like Sallie Moffat does, but Meg says she will be quite content with Lotty to run errands for her.”
Who was Lotty?
“Amy also teases Laurie when he visits about one Miss Randal.”
Who was Miss Randal? I didn’t remember any Miss Randal from the original book!
“I think you are up to date now,” Beth said, “except to tell you that Aunt March, after vowing not to give Meg a penny if she married John, developed a ruse whereby a friend of hers appeared to give Meg elaborate linens for her new home. But of course we all know who was behind it. Oh, and Aunt March is also giving Meg the pearls she promised to the first March bride.”
“How generous.”
“Yes, everyone is generous to a bride. That is why each of us has done so much to make this a home for Meg and John.”
“Each of us?” I echoed. “And what have I contributed?”
Beth’s face clouded over with puzzlement, but then it brightened at the sight of a tall guy, at least six feet, vaulting over the fence.
“Laurie!” she cried.
Wow. He looked even hotter than he had three years ago. “Beth.” He raised his hat at her, turned to me. “Emily. My, you’re looking even prettier than last time I saw you.”
I was? Involuntarily, I raised a hand to my hair. It was pinned up, but it felt thicker somehow, like it must be a lot longer.
“Everyone else in the house?” he asked. “Good, right,” he answered his own question. “I’ve got another present for Meg, so I’ll just head on in.”
“He’s still wonderful.” Beth sighed when he was gone. “Of course he always teases Jo. He says he predicts she’ll be the next to marry. And of course Jo always says that’s absurd, that she will never marry.”
She would say that.
Beth sighed again. “Are we finished with the game?” She rose with difficulty from the grass—she was still so frail. “I would like to rejoin the others now.”
“Just one more question,” I said, “and then the game is over. What have I been doing the past three years?”
Beth’s face clouded again, even worse than before.
“Oh no,” she said. “Finally, a question in the game I can’t answer. You know, it’s funny, but for some reason, right now I just don’t know.”
Twenty-Five
“Why don’t you do Meg’s hair, Emily?” Amy suggested. “I remember when you did mine years ago in le ponytail. If I hadn’t gotten into trouble that day in school, I am sure it would have turned into quite the rage.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “You’re all doing fine with those, um, braids.”
I didn’t want them to realize that le ponytail