Chapter Eleven:

A week had passed, and Elouise was finally going to see one of those famous Jo March play's everyone always spoke of.

They were all scattered around the attic, which was Jo's bedroom. They all wore men's clothing, trousers pulled up to their stomachs and suspenders holding them up. Some girls wore glasses while others held pipes. Elouise couldn't deny the fun she was having, especially reading her lines in a terribly horrendous deep voice.

Meg leaned back, a large newspaper concealing her face, coughing for their attention. "A new play, written by Miss Jo March, will appear at the Barnville Theatre, in the course of the next few weeks, which will surpass anything ever seen before on the American stage."

Jo sat up, face lighting up. "Starring the greatest actress from here to Mississippi River, Miss Meg March."

"Weekly report. Meg- Good. Jo- Bad. Beth- Very Good. Amy- Middling. Elouise- you're new."

Beth grinned, "Excellent."

Amy nodded, "Well done, sirs."

"Mr President and gentlemen, I wish to propose the admission of a new member." Jo began.

Amy frowned, "But Elouise has already been introduced. You'll need to fix your play and fit Elouise in."

"I know." Jo broke character, glaring at her sister. "Let me finish."

"One who highly deserves the honour, would be deeply grateful, and would add immensely to the spirit of the club. I propose Mr Theodore Laurence!"

Her proposal was immediately attacked with boos.

"No!" Meg declared, while Amy shouted, "Absolutely not!"

Jo frowned, "Come now, lets have him."

"He's a real boy!" Amy huffed.

"I would hope so." Elouise poked, "Would be a shame if we were all imagining him."

Meg frowned, "We don't want any boys. This is a club for ladies."

"I think we should do it." Beth said quietly, everyone gave her a shocked look. She was scared of boys, what changed her mind? "Even if we are afraid. I say we do it, it's Laurie!"

Jo smiled, "Now then, everybody vote, and remember that it's our Laurie and say 'aye.'"

Elouise raised her hand, "Aye."

"Of course she agrees." Amy crossed her arms, "She's practically in love with him!"

"Amy! I've hardly spoken to him, besides." Elouise laughed, shaking her head. "I'm only trying to be a good spirit. I wouldn't want to disagree with Jo, she fights."

Meg sighed, slowly raising her hand. "Aye."

Amy frowned, mumbling her own agreement.

Jo grinned, standing up and swinging her arms out. "And, as there is no time like the present!"

She walked over to the wardrobe and swung open the doors, a body flying out. Laurie tumbled out, already dressed in the correct attire. The girls shrieked, not believing what they saw.

"You traitor!" Amy declared.

"You rogue!" Meg quipped.

"Ladies— please!" Laurie cried out, falling onto a knee. "This is my stratagem, I deserve the blame: Jo only have into me after lots of teasing."

"Hear hear!" Jo agreed.

"I merely wish to say, that as a slight token of my gratitude and as means as promoting friendly relations between adjoining nations, I propose this set of keys for a little post office I've made in the forest by the pond." He exclaimed, "Allow me to present to you five copies of the key, and with many thanks for your favour, take my seat as part of the club."

He pulled himself up, pulling a handful of gold keys from his pocket, he then stood in front of each girl and carefully placed a key in their palm. When he paused in front of Elouise, he grabbed her clenched hand and opened it, carefully placing a baby blue ribboned key onto her palm.

"Welcome to our club!" Amy cheered, causing everyone to laugh and cheer along with her.

He bowed deeply, then jumped with a smile before dancing around the room. Elouise watched as he hollered and cheered, face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"When will the first production ensure?" Elouise laughed, "I cannot wait to see Jo's work!"

"She's incredibly talented." Beth smiled.

Jo couldn't help from smiling as well, adjusting her trousers. "Why, thank you, Queen Bess."

There was a faint knock on wood and everyone fell to a hush, they turned to see Hannah in the attic doorway. She held a thick envelope, walking into the room.

"Is that a letter from father?" Meg jumped up, "Another so soon?"

"No, dear. This is addressed to an Elouise Myer, from Charlotte Town."

Elouise made face, walking over to her. She carefully plucked the letter from Hannah's hand and found her seat again within their little circle.

"Who is it from?" Amy questioned.

Elouise recognized her fathers handwriting immediately, but how did he know where she was staying?

"My father."

The room seemed to fall even more quiet, as she pried open the envelope. She pulled the thin piece of paper out, a ridiculous amount of money falling out.

"What?" She picked up the stash, "I don't understand."

Jo leaped over and took it, running a finger along the papers. "Read the letter!"

Elouise coughed, staring at her name scrolled in ink.

"My darling Elouise,

It has come to my attention that Mabel has passed, which means unfortunately you have been left without a place to sleep."

"He seems very nice." Meg said sarcastically.

"Enclosed is the rest of your traveling fund, it should get you where ever you'd like to go. When it runs dry, there will be no more. A parting gift, perhaps.

Until further notice, goodbye."

Elouise frowned, "I never liked that man."

"This is a small fortune!" Jo exclaimed, "Is this even allowed to go through post?"

"You can travel now, Elouise!" Amy smiled.

She shook her head, "No. Not with his money. I told myself when he disowned me that I would only travel because I worked hard to earn the funds."

"What do you mean 'disowned?'" Laurie mumbled watching her.

"You take it." Elouise looked at Jo, "Your family. You deserve it much more than I, and it can be a thank you gift for letting me stay with you all this time."

"We cannot!" Jo handed her the money with a terrified expression, "We do not take handouts, Elouise."

"This is not a handout. I do not want it, so you either take it or it will go to someone else."

"Why don't we talk to Mother?" Amy chimed in.

"No." Jo huffed.

Elouise closed her eyes, "Take half at least. We can give the other half to Mrs Hummel."

Meg stood up, linking arms with Jo. "We must talk with Mother, Jo. I'm sure she would want to hear the offer before discarding it."

"You don't have to be the one to do everything for us, Jo." Beth looked at her, "Take a break, breathe."

Elouise nodded slowly, "I'll be back." She mumbled, turning and rushing down the stairs. A knot tied in her stomach as she hurtled towards the door, she heard Hannah's surprise as she barrelled past.

It was a sunny but cold day, like every other it seemed. Elouise ran past the fence, not quite sure where she was going. She ran across the field, past Laurie's house and into the woods beyond.

She found the wooden post box he had mentioned, and collapsed underneath it.

"What a spoiled little girl you are." She mumbled, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Ms Mabel—"

"Call me grandmother!" The elder beamed, ushering her forward. She placed a kiss on Elouise's cheek and dragged her inside. Her home was small, and more like a shed. Built from wooden planks, it had no windows and only a hole in the ceiling covering with clear plastic sheets the woman had found discarded in a trash bin. No wonder the roof caved in.

"You've been gone an awful long time." Mabel said, helping Elouise carry in a bag of food. "I thought you gotten yourself lost."

"I did." Elouise said plainly.

"Your father sent a letter."

She paused, looking over at Mabel who held it tightly. "He did?"

The woman handed it over, and Elouise took no time tearing it open. When she was finished reading it, she frowned.

"What does it say?"

"If I stay here I will not be allowed home." Elouise whispered, "I will not be able to travel and will be left with nothing."

Mabel stopped what she was doing, straightened her short figure before marching up to her granddaughter. She snatched the letter and ripped it in two, crumbling them up and tossing them into the fire.

"A terrible man, your father is." Mabel said loudly, "Good thing this is your home now. I'm very glad you're here, Elouise."

But Elouise only watched the letter burn, eyes wide. She was thinking about her options, and to be quite honest she wanted to go home. If it was to stay here in a shack or be home with her mother in a lovely house— she would choose her mother. But the letter was gone, and so was her options.

"Elouise?"

She looked up to see Laurie approaching, "Yes."

Her mind was fuzzy, fixing her attention back to the space it had been locked on for minutes.

"Is everything alright?"

She huffed, "Everything is lovely."

Laurie flopped down next to her, wiping snow from his palms onto his trousers.

"The girls said you are like me."

Elouise shot him a look, "How so?"

"You come from money."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "That's past tense now, it has been for the last year. I'm quite glad to be rid of it, if I'm honest."

"That's a very nice thing, for you to give that money away."

Elouise opened her eyes, staring up through the tree branches at the blue sky. "I want nothing to do with it."

"Why not?"

"Because money doesn't make the man." Elouise huffed, "Or woman, as my grandmother would say."

Laurie crossed his legs, "They also said your father was, as Jo put it, 'an idiot.'''

She chuckled, "He's not a very good person, no."

He looked at her, watching as her eyes danced across the scenery surrounding them. "How did you end up in this little town, Elouise?"

Elouise frowned again, picking at her boots. "I was traveling, the plan was to go around the world. Of course, my father was funding it. I got word that a grandmother of mine was ill and she lived not to far from where I was staying. I found her, and stayed by her side to take care of her." She explained, "My father got wind and sent a message, saying if I stayed with her I would not be welcomed home and the funds would cease to exist. My grandmother ripped up the letter and burned it, saying I was home."

"The worst of it all, at first, I wanted to leave. I didn't know what I would do without the comfort of knowing I could always get what was needed. I was left with my two bags, nothing really important in them and the clothes on my back. Now, though, I wouldn't change it for the world."

"What changed your mind?" Laurie questioned, not really sure what he would do if he was left with nothing. He had never thought about that.

"My grandmother. She taught me that this was a good thing, I could do what I pleased without having him hovering over me. He cannot tell me what to do, in fact, nobody can. I am my own person who has dreams and wishes and I will strive to meet them. I am stronger because of this, and more caring and loving because now I know money means nothing if you don't have people who love you very much." She mumbled, "The March family have each other, and no amount of poverty would rip them apart. They love and carry each other through it, because that's what family does. Yes, you could have all the money in the world, but you would be alone. You would never know if someone was befriending you just to take some of it or if it was genuine. I was sick of being alone, it just took me some time to figure it out."

They were quiet, staring off into space. Elouise leaned against the tree, "I want to help people. Or be of help, I want to do something meaningful. I'm not sure what yet, but it will be worth it."

He scouted closer, "Why do you love to travel so much?"

"I love meeting new people, learning about them and all. New places bring new things and cultures and amazing opportunities. I like to help if I can in certain areas, without revealing who I am, then when the help is no longer needed, move on to the next. I like the different architecture and history, the sights and scenes." Elouise smiled, "It's all wonderful."

"I've been to Europe." He stated.

"And how was it?"

"The sights were beautiful, but I failed to get out much." Laurie sighed, "But your story is making me want to go back and do everything you've just mentioned."

Elouise gave a small smile, "I've always wanted to go there."

"I thought you wanted to go everywhere?"

She snorted, pulling herself up, grabbing a clump of snow on the way. Laurie followed, offering her his hand. She only smiled sheepishly, "Thank you."

He grinned, just as she revealed the ball of snow from behind her back and tossed it at him. It smashed against his face, he jumped back with a shocked expression. "How dare you!" He laughed.

Elouise took off in a run, letting their conversation about her past wash away, hoping that perhaps he would catch her.