Chapter Twenty Eight:

"Do you think he will propose?" Amy gushed staring at Meg, "I cannot wait until I'm in love!"

Meg blushed, "I hope so! He's so wonderful—"

"Wonderful doesn't mean he is not boring." Jo cut in, "Why can't you stay with us forever?"

Elouise opened the living room window, smiling as the fresh summer breeze filtered through. It was summer yet again, and she still could not believe she was staying here.

"You'll go off and get married one day, Jo." Beth entered, heading towards the door. "And you will never be alone."

"I will never be alone now, I have all of you."

Beth smiled, swinging open the door. "Mr Laurence would like to discuss my piano playing! I shall be back soon."

Jo watched the door close, a sigh escaped her lips. "Why must we grow old?"

Elouise chuckled, "We are not even twenty."

"We should all be married by now, shouldn't we?" Amy questioned.

"No." Jo said plainly.

"Plenty of girls your age have married." Amy nodded, "If am I not married by twenty then I will have to assume I've failed as a woman."

Jo huffed, "This is exactly what I do not what. You do not need a man, Amy, to have success. You are perfectly fine on your own!"

"I want to get married." Meg chimed in, "And I do hope it's to John."

"John." Jo mumbled, "His name is even boring!"

"Jo!" Elouise laughed.

Meg shook her head, "He mentioned it at Christmas— well, I believe he did. I'm not sure if perhaps I over thought it."

"At Christmas!" Amy gasped, "It's taken you that long to mention it to us?"

The girl stood up, walking to the door. "I'm going over to see John. Elouise, care to join me?"

Elouise's brows furrowed, "Is it because I'm the nicest to him?"

"I am nice!" Amy huffed.

Elouise pulled herself off the sofa and followed Meg out the door, waving to Jo and Amy before it closed. They walked their path towards the Laurence's, Meg broke the silence first.

"I think I'm love."

Elouise chuckled, "We all know this."

"No, no. Before when you all teased me about it, I wasn't so sure so I laughed along." Meg explained, glancing at the mansion they approached. "Whenever I'm around John, I don't know— I just feel so happy! I can't stop smiling, and we like all the same things—"

"Meg, it's okay to fall in love. It sounds wonderful, to be honest."

Meg gave her an odd look, "I thought you didn't care."

"I don't but, when I was little I did." Elouise shrugged, "Opinions also change when you've taken a liking to someone—"

"Oh heavens!" Meg stopped, grabbing her hands. "You and Laurie?"

"No- well, maybe. I'm not so sure he likes me, Meg. Not in that way, at least."

She shook her head, "You are a fool, Elouise."

A cough sounded and they both stared in the direction of the manor, where Laurie and Mr Brooke approached them.

"You don't suppose they heard that?" Elouise whispered worriedly.

They both smiled at the girls, "How are you both doing?"

Meg dropped Elouise's hands, landing at her sides. Mr Brooke watched Meg with a look Elouise couldn't decipher, it was so filled with love and warmth— Meg was a lucky woman.

"Excellent." Meg smiled.

Elouise stared at Laurie, her stomach forming a knot. Never has she felt nervous around this boy, no matter how she felt, so why was it different now?

"I-erm... g-good." She mumbled, adverting her gaze to the ground, then to Meg who looked entertained. "Oh my lord, what is happening?"

Meg broke out in a swift laughter, looking to Laurie. "She's well, Laurie."

"That's good." He chuckled, "We we're just on our way to see if you were home."

"Oh." Meg looked to Mr Brooke again.

"Yes, we were." He nodded, "Laurie decided focusing on summer studies wasn't going to work today."

Laurie shrugged, smiling. "I did decide that, yes."

A breeze blew by, Elouise looked to the side at the trees swaying a distance away. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out shining down on them all. It reminded her of the day she met Mrs March, standing over her grandmothers grave.

"We would like to propose the idea of a day out to the town." Mr Brooke began, "Perhaps we could call... perhaps we—"

"A double date." Laurie finished the sentence for Mr Brooke, sending a smile to both girls. "Of course, you may decline. Or... accept."

Meg practically beamed, "Of course! We accept," She looked Elouise, her smile widening as she nodded in agreement. "We will be happy to join both of you."

Mr Brooke offered Meg his arm, "Then we shall get the carriage ready."

They lead, walking in front of Elouise and Laurie. Elouise couldn't help but smile as she watched Meg, if only Jo could see how happy he made her sister, perhaps then she'd ease her marriage beliefs towards the oldest March sister.

"Where would you like to go first?" Laurie glanced at her, "Perhaps a late lunch? A walk to a park?"

Elouise pursed her lips, "May I visit my grandmother? It's just, I haven't made it out since Mrs March found me and I feel awful. We do not have to go if you do not want—"

"I would love to meet her." He smiled, he seemed to really mean it. "It will be the first thing we do."