Bella
"I used to be so frightened when it was my turn to sit in the big chair with the crown on and see you all come marching round to give the presents, with a kiss. I liked the things, and the kisses, but it was dreadful to have you sit looking at me while I opened the bundles."
Bella sidled closer to Beth as the others talked. Silently, she gave her a quick hug. She still had no memory of any of them, but Beth had seemed a bit forlorn, after her little confession, that Bella felt it would take a far hard-hearted individual than herself to not try and comfort her somehow.
She caught Jo's glance at their direction, followed by a quick nod of approval, hopefully. But neither said anything on the matter. Beth sighed and leaned slightly into the embrace.
Jo continued talking about what they were talking about before she seemed to notice anything. " Let Marmee think we are getting things for ourselves, and then surprise her. We must go shopping tomorrow afternoon. Meg! There is so much to do about the play for Christmas night!"
"I don't mean to act anymore after this time. I'm getting too old for such things." Observed Meg reflectively.
"You won't stop, I know, as long as you can trail round in a white gown with your hair down, and wear gold-paper jewelry. You are the best actress we got, and there'll be an end to everything if you quit the boards."
"No, it won't. Ella could fill in for me in a year or two." Meg said, smiling proudly at the one mentioned, who stared back with an expression of blank surprise. "She's becoming a pretty good little actress."
Yes, she does do well. For a little girl." Jo said dismissively. "But her singing is not nearly as good."
"Nobody but Marmee has as good a voice as Meg," Beth added confidingly, causing Meg to blush profusely.
: We ought to rehearse tonight. Come, Amy, and do the fainting scene, for you are as stiff as a poker in that."
"I can't help it, I never seen anyone faint and I don't choose to make myself all black and blue, tumbling flat as you do. If I can go down easily, I'll drop. If I can't, I shall fall into a chair and be graceful. I don't care if Hugo does come at me with a pistol."
"Do it this way. Clasp your hands, and stagger across the room, crying frantically, "Roderigo! Save me! Save me!" And Jo followed up her own advice by acting it out with a thrilling, melodramatic scream, before landing in a heap on the floor.
Amy tried to follow her sister's example, but her performance left a lot to be desired, in Bella's opinion. Her twin evidently felt the same way. Bella watched as Ella shook her head, and said impatiently. "You're moving like your full of sawdust! Or by machinery! try to pretend that the gun is a real thing, and act accordingly. Would you be so passive and indifferent if you were being threatened with getting shot? I don't think so! You'll be terrified."
Amy glared at the girl on the couch. "You try it then, you're so clever!"
"Can
"Can't. I'm sick, remember." Ella retorted calmly, as she continued petting the purring mama kitty.
"Then kindly refrain from interrupting," Amy said in a prim tone.
"Actually, Ella just gave you some good advice," Jo said, then sighed and shook her head. "Just do the best you can when the times come, and if the audience laughs, then don't blame me. Ella, I want you to rest and study your lines, so we will skip your parts for now. I know you have a cold, but I really need you for the Don Pedro part. Now then, com on Meg!"
Bella settled down and pulled her knitting, or she guessed it was her knitting from her basket, and watched as the others started playing their parts with more skill than she expected. Soon her knitting lay forgotten in her lap as she watched, entranced. Meg, especially, was wonderful as she acted her part with skill and ease. Jo, too, delivered her lines with a lot of ease and spirit. Beth as the little servant was sweet, even if her lines was almost too quiet to be heard. Even Amy, once she no longer had to try to faint, played a romantic lady with elegance.
"It's the best we had yet." Said Meg, with an approving nod, as they wrapped up their rehearsal, with the dramatic death of the villain, who died with a wild "Ha ha!", in agonies of remorse and arsenic. The villain sat up, as Meg spoke and rubbed her elbow.
"I don't see how you can act and write such splendid things, Jo! You're a regular Shakespeare!" Added Beth, her normally timid voice full of confident conviction and spirit, which rather surprised Bella.
"Not quite." Replied Jo, with a modest air. "I do think that The Witch's Curse and Operatic Tragedy is rather a nice thing. But I'd like to try Macbeth if we only had a trapdoor for Banquo. I always wanted to do the killing part. Is that a dagger that I see before me?" Muttered Jo, rolling her eyes and clutching at the air with one outstretched hand.
"No, it's the toasting fork, with Mother's shoe on it instead of the bread. Beth's stagestruck!" cried Meg, and the rehearsal was finished with a general laugh. Poor Beth laughed a bit, self-consciously, and hid her beet-red face with her hands.
Glad to find you so merry, my girls."
Ella
"Glad to find you so merry, my girls." Came a voice from the door, Ella turned to the door with a start, dimly comprehending how fast the others seemed to perk up at this stranger's arrival.
"Marmee!" Amy exclaimed joyously, her dignity momentarily forgotten, as she darted forward to embrace the stout, grey-haired woman, who welcomed her with a returning tender hug and a kiss.
Amy was only the first, but not the last, as the other girls followed soon after to surround and greet the woman with various degrees of affection. Only Bella was as reluctant as she was. Ella was the last to make her way to her. She used the cat as a good excuse, having to put the mildly protesting feline to the floor before rising from the couch.
She watched this Marmee, as she crept near, feeling shy, and knowing somehow without understanding how she knew it, that being shy was not a normal reaction for her. The others were very busy. Bella took her coat and cloak and vanished to...somewhere else. Meg led her to the easy chair, Beth hurried to get the warm slippers on as soon as Jo had the muddy boots off and dripping by the fire. And Amy slid into Marmee's lap, while Marmee started talking at each of them, with such a warm, friendly tone of voice, that Ella felt her heart yearn for more such friendly affection without being sure why. But she found herself drawing close instinctively.
"Well, dearies, how have you got on today? There was so much to do, getting the boxes ready to go tomorrow that I didn't come home to dinner. Has anyone called, Beth?" With a glance at the rosy-faced girl, as she settled at her feet. She mutely shook her head, as Ella wondered what The Marmee lady meant by calling.
"How is your cold, Meg?"
"Much better, thank you," Meg answered as she gathered up the bundles that Marmee was carrying.
"Bella, I think I got that letter that you been so eagerly waiting for, I fancy." Marmee continued, as Bella reappeared, minus cloak, and hood now. She silently hurried over and took the slightly damp, and thick-looking envelope with a puzzled frown. "Thank you." She murmured, as she returned to her seat at the piano bench.
"Jo, you look tired to death."
"Well,"Laughed Jo, as she piled some wood on the fire. "You know what Aunt March is like. She was a regular Scrooge today, but she relented near the end of the day when she gave me the pleasant duty of bringing her Christmas gifts round. So I won't croak anymore if I can help it!"
"Ella, you look flushed, dearest. Is your fever back?"
"I'm afraid so," Meg answered for her., as Ella wordlessly submitted to a tender hug and kiss of her own. "Ella and I seem quite intent on keeping this cold going between the two of us."
"I think I better take a closer look at this, then." Marmee mused. Then she smiled warmly at Amy and drew the blond closer to her. "Give me a kiss, baby."
Everyone continued to bustle about, with the exception of Amy, who stayed on Marmee's lap and ordered everyone else about with an air of importance, and herself, who was ordered back to the couch.
Ella settled back down, well covered, and watched as the others flew about. Meg busied herself with the table, putting the tea things in order, while Beth ran back and forth between the kitchen and table with full hands, trotting feet, and her quiet manner. Jo got the chairs for the table, firewood set up for the night and somehow managing to overturn, clatter, or drop everything she touched. Bella, she watched with amusement, was soon following in Jo's shadow, picking up the dropped things, stacking the firewood neatly, and putting the chairs about more tidily.
Finally, all was ready, and everyone drew to the table. As they sat down, Marmee, with a beaming smile, announced. "I have a treat for you after supper."
Bella and Ella glanced at each other, in confused silence, but the others smiled happily. It was clear that they knew what Marmee meant. Beth clapped her hands. Ella giggled because Beth had clearly forgotten that she was holding a biscuit. Jo tossed up a napkin and yelled. "A letter! A letter! Three cheers for Father!"
"A nice long letter, yes." Confirmed Marmee, as she patted a pocket as though a treasure was hiding inside. "He is well and thinks he shall get through the cold season better than we fear. He sent all sorts of loving wishes for Christmas, and an especial message for you girls."
Ella frowned in thought, but there was no picture in her mind of this father person. She had no idea what he would look like, or sounded like, or acted like. Nothing at all. It was depressing.
"Hurry up and get done. Don't stop to quirk your little finger and prink over your plate, Amy!" Cried Jo, drawing Ella's attention back to the here and now by her abrupt, eager tone. "And don't get all moony, Ella." She added in a scolding tone, right before she choked on her tea, and managed to drop her bread, butter side down, on the carpet.
"I was thinking." Ella retorted, wrapping as much dignity around herself as she could, as she picked up the cooling tea and tried to look like she liked it.
Beth ate the now heavily crumbled biscuit. Then ate no more, but crept to the corner she was at by the fire before. Settling down, she stared at the fire with a daydreamy expression on her face, and her hands, for the first time Ella had ever seen, lying idle in her lap.
"I think it is so splendid of Father to go as a chaplain when he was too old to be drafted and not strong enough to be a soldier," Meg said, with a warm, proud smile.
"Don't I wish I can go," Jo added with a groan. "Maybe as a drummer, or a vivan-what's its name?"
"A vivandiere." Bella supplied quickly, then seemed to pause, with a quick expression of surprise crossing momentarily over her face.
"Right. That." Or a nurse, so I can be near him and help him."
"It must be so disagreeable to sleep in a tent and eat all sorts of bad-tasting things and drink out of a tin mug," Amy added with a sigh and a little shiver.
"That won't matter so much if you are willing to go through all those hardships for people you love. Or a cause you believe in." Bella said, frowning thoughtfully, and causing Ella to glance at her in surprise. Where did that come from?