Welcome! I hope you enjoy this lovely little oneshot about Meg and Mr. Brooke I made up too quickly in my head. I keep finding that Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" often goes too unnoticed. Because of this I wanted to give it some love. Thank you for reading.
It was a breezy Autumn day in Concord. Lovely Concord, Massachusetts. Their little town wasn't much but it was theirs.
Meg sighed as she could feel Jo's presence further back then it had been a moment ago. She turned and stepped aside so a young couple could pass her.
The second oldest March sister had her nose in a book. Meg giggled and walked back a few paces to meet her. "You stop at this library cart in town too often." She teases her.
"Why wouldn't I?" Jo raised an eyebrow but kept her eyes on the pages. "Fiction takes away from our godforsaken reality." Jo smiles and closes the book.
"But in reality you have your sisters." Meg March's forehead creases up with worry.
"And when I write my fictional fairy-like-tales you are in them." She hands the shopkeeper a couple coins for the new book.
"And my graciousness towards you is unbroken." The sisters link arms and walk to the cart Meg has been waiting for all day.
"Finally." Meg sighs. "Ribbons. How many yards do you suppose I get?"
Jo opens her book again and shrugs. "How should I know? I'm not here on this earth to care about ribbons."
"Two yards will do. Thank you for your kindness." Meg selects a navy blue fabric and puts it into her pouch to later shove in her pocket.
"That's not to tie into your hair for Mr. Brooke, correct?" Jo watches her sister in pity. Jo hates the fact that Margaret March would find herself so smitten with a boy. Worse for wear, he's practically a man.
John Brooke is a tutor and may end up being Meg's in due time. Meg certainly does not need a tutor. Her education is just fine for being a woman, in fact. She only wants to learn Greek so she can stare into the man's eyes rather than the pages in Grecian books.
Meg watched out the window where the path had a blanket of yellowing leaves.
"Do you think we are finding her in a trance?" Amy plays with the lace along her hem as she watches her sister. "It's not a trance but rather an irritation." Jo scowls and leaves for the kitchen. She could not glance at her lovesick sister any more today. She had better things to do.
Meg smiles through the opened front door at Mr. Brooke. "Hello, Mr. Brooke." She inclines her head and steps aside for him to enter.
"Good day, Miss March. You're looking lovely today." She couldn't stop her cheeks from turning rosy.
"Where would you like to study today?" Meg gestured to the furnishings by the window. "Just in the parlor, I think."
Both of them sit and glance at each other before getting to work.
Her stomach started to feel some sort of sickness. Like anger or annoyance was burying itself deep inside of her. It grew more horrid when Meg walked into the room.
"How was your rendezvous?" Jo raised an eyebrow at her.
Her sister scoffed in reply. "We were studying Greek texts." Jo only hummed in ignorance and turned a cold shoulder on her.
"So what if I fancy him? He's never gonna feel the same way about me anyway." Meg felt teary-eyed. "Even if it did, why can't you be happy for me?"
Jo couldn't help but direct a steely glare at her. "He's not even worthy of you. He's not a protagonist but a fool's errand."
The eldest March sister gasped. "How could you say such a thing?" Jo had never heard her sister be so upset. Meg was so wise and good at being calm even when a situation could become too upsetting. "Just because he's not a protagonist to you doesn't mean he's not important in the pages of my book!" She stormed away and that was the last Jo saw of her for the evening.
Meg and Jo's relationship grew strained. They never had time to talk of their little bout when Beth fell ill. Meg would sit by Beth's side and stopped seeing Brooke. Jo thought she would be happy with this but Meg seemed so sorrowful. Everything that made Meg so happy seemed to be coming to an end. Her dear Beth was getting worse as winter seemed to be getting longer. Brooke stayed out of the house to avoid infection and Meg stayed by little Beth's side- getting her tea and other treats to put a smile on the girl's face.
Meg kissed the girl's hand and let her sleep. "In time, you will see little Beth. You aren't undone from this world." She said more to herself than to her sister.
Deciding on some fresh air was good for her. When she stepped outside, John Brooke was waiting for her. "Mr. Brooke!" Meg was taken aback and wrapped her cloak tighter around her bosom.
"It's been a long while, Miss March. I wanted to see how you were getting on."
Meg could only shrug. "I really don't know how I'm getting on. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere." John Brooke nodded solemnly. "I know I can't understand your pain or what you're going through but I will listen if you'll allow it." Meg gave a grateful nod.
"Perhaps a walk?" He offered his arm and Meg took it with care.
During their walk Meg explained her feelings of Beth being sick and sad that she hasn't made company with him in a long while.
"You missed me tutoring you?" Brooke couldn't hold in his smile. "I really didn't need tutoring." She admitted to him in hesitation.
"I'm praying that's because you feel something towards me." Mr. Brooke said quietly. Meg felt like her heartbeat was as loud as fireworks.
"It is, Mr. Brooke. It is." He stopped walking and turned to her. "Please, Miss March. Call me John."
Meg faced him and they were inches away from each other. "Then I must insist you call me Meg in return." They could feel each other's breath on their faces. In a swift move before he thought too hard about it, he gave her a tender kiss.
After everyone was asleep was when they got back from their walk. Both were shivering but happy. John made a fire and they sat in front of it for all hours of the night.
Everything seemed to get better in a matter of months. Meg and John were to be married that evening and Beth was better than ever.
"I can't believe today is my wedding day." Meg said happily to herself. Jo turned from the window to face her. "It doesn't have to be."
"Pardon me?" Meg looked up from her daze to her sister. The younger March sister kneeled in front of her sister and took her hands. "Come now, you know you'd be so much happier on your own, with me. We can travel, run away together."
"Jo…" Meg shook her head. "Just because my dreams are different than yours doesn't mean they're unimportant."
"You may kiss the bride." As John and Meg embraced for their kiss Jo realized she was more than happy for Meg. It's what she wanted and that was the most important thing of all.