It was the dawn of a new day. The fresh winter sun shone brightly from behind a feathering of clouds, and the songs of winter sparrows rang out above the crisp silence of the snow.
It was the dawn of a new day. The fresh winter sun shone brightly from behind a feathering of clouds, and the songs of winter sparrows rang out above the crisp silence of the snow.
Josephine Bhaer awoke with a sense of expectation, but it was a day just like any other... if the calendar was to be believed.
Outside, the students at Plumfield were already busy with their morning chores, and Jo chided herself for not waking up ahead of them. But she had been up late the night before, seeing Rob through the worst of a fever which had thankfully broken sometime during the wee hours. It was understandable that she would be running a bit behind schedule, and she was sure a bit of extra fresh air before classes would do the children a world of good.
There was a light knock on the door and Asia popped her head inside to check on Mrs. Jo.
"Asia, please come in," said Jo, reaching for her robe to wrap herself against the chill.
"I've just come to give you a bite to eat, Mrs. Jo, and stoke the fire," Asia apologized as she set a tray of toast, eggs and juice atop the dresser. "It gets mighty chilly when the fire dies down."
"Thank you, Asia. You're a doll," Jo said happily. "How's Rob this morning?"
"He's fine, Mrs. Jo. He's already askin' to go outside, but Nan said she'd take good care of him."
"Have you seen Nick this morning?"
Asia shook her head. "He said he was headin' into town early to see if your sister Meg needed anythin' done."
Jo smiled. Nick had generously offered to do repairs around Meg's house since she was alone with the children and had no man about the house to do the regular maintenance. Meg and Harrison Bridger had begun courting just a month before, but he wasn't much of a handyman and had more recently been called to Boston to participate in a week long conference.
"You know," Asia ventured tentatively, "Nick's been spendin' an awful lot of time at your sister's place. You don't suppose he's up to somethin', do ya?"
"Not at all," replied Jo as she dressed warmly in anticipation of a day in the schoolroom. "I'd only be concerned if Harrison were, and he and Meg are as happy as I've seen any couple."
Asia shrugged. She knew how faithful Jo and Nick were to each other, but they had been courting for nearly two years and Nick still hadn't spoken to Jo of marriage. It just seemed awfully suspicious that he should be spending so much time with Meg, especially while Harrison was away.
"Well, Nick said he'd be back for supper. Said he's got somethin' big planned," concluded Asia before she left the room.
Jo looked after Asia and quizzically raised an eyebrow. What could Nick possibly be planning that he wouldn't have told her about?
After school had been dismissed for the day, Jo breathed a sigh of relief. The children had been well behaved until the snow had begun to fall. As the sky outside filled with white, the children became increasingly agitated, and it had taken all of Jo's patience and control not to yell at them. She remembered her own restless days as a student when she longed to take advantage of the snowfall to have some winter fun with Laurie and her sisters.
Not a few seconds after they had closed their books, the children raced from the schoolroom and disappeared.
Jo wandered back to the house and could already smell Asia's cooking even if only in her mind, but when she entered the kitchen, Asia was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, Dan came running in the door, out of breath and red in the face.
"Dan!"
"Mrs. Jo, you gotta come quick!"
Jo looked at Dan in alarm, but followed him outside where two of the horses were already saddled and ready to go.
"Dan, what's going on?" Jo asked as she mounted her own horse.
"It's somethin' ya gotta see."
The snow had finally stopped, but dusk was already upon Plumfield and Jo only hoped they would be back before dark. If they weren't, she was sure Asia would fret.
As Dan led his teacher along the route she recognized as the one to Walden Pond, Jo became increasingly curious. What was so important at the Pond that he would lead her here in the late afternoon hours?
Then, just ahead, she noticed firelight glistening through the snow laden trees, and as they approached it, she could smell Asia's cooking not just in anticipation of dinner, but for real this time.
Jo urged her horse forward to ride neck and neck with Dan's. "Dan, what aren't you telling me?"
The young man turned and smiled in that sweet crooked way she knew she could always trust. "It's a surprise, Mrs. Jo. You'll see."
As they entered the clearing, Jo saw just how special a surprise it was. With the sun almost completely gone now and the moon high in the sky, Jo looked out upon Walden Pond and took in the breathtaking sight. Off to one side, safely on the frozen shore, a huge fire had been built upon which Asia and several of the children did their best preparing a winter feast. Nearby, Nat played on his fiddle and the strains of his music filled the air.
Finally, Jo looked towards the pond. Amid the piles of snow left by the usual winter storms, a heart-shaped area had been cleared on the ice, surrounded by the light of a dozen lanterns. At the centre of the heart, Nick stood handsomely dressed, staring back at her, drawing her towards him with his gaze.
As Jo dismounted her horse, Meg approached and handed her sister a pair of skates. "Nick's been planning this moment for months, Jo..." Meg whispered, her eyes sparkling from the nearby firelight and a warmth within.
Jo tempered her curiosity as she strapped on her skates and then approached the bottom tip of the heart. She now knew why the children had rushed to leave the schoolroom. The day's snow had had to be cleared to allow for this perfect moment.
As her blades settled on the ice, Nick glided towards her with practices ease. Jo knew that Nick was not a skater, and now she truly understood the reason behind all his visits to see Meg. She was glad for her sister's intervention in teaching Nick to find his "sea legs" on the frozen water.
The sound of Nat's music enveloped the couple on the ice as Nick pulled Jo into a waltz. "I'm still not so good," he explained, "but I hope ya don't mind."
Jo found herself crying as she looked lovingly at Nick, and she wiped away the tears before they froze upon her cheeks. "Nick, I can't believe you did all this... and the children. It's perfect."
With the music still playing, Nick suddenly stopped. "It's not quite perfect yet," he said, and before Jo could say a word in reply, he dropped to his knee, holding fast to Jo's hand. Jo's heart skipped a beat even before Nick continued. The music stopped, and she knew everyone was watching them in sudden anticipation.
Nick's eyes met Jo's and then he spoke the words she had so longed to hear.
"Jo, I been waitin' all my life for the right woman and I know I've finally found her right here." Nick paused, and the silence about them was almost overwhelming. "Jo, will you marry me?"
Jo smiled wordlessly and Nick stood again. "Yes," she whispered finally, tears falling anew against her cheeks. Nick whooped with joy and their audience applauded and cheered with glee. Taking Jo in his arms, Nick twirled her around, forgetting about the blades under their feet. In an instant, the two of them were in a heap, and Nick's face blushed in embarrassment.
"Jo, I'm so sorry," he began.
Jo turned to Nick and fell against him, laughing joyously. "Nick, I couldn't care less about a little fall. I could never ask for a more perfect outing," she said as she kissed him tenderly.
"Well!" came Asia's voice, breaking through the moment. "If you're just about done freezin' out there on the ice, dinner's ready!"
And with those words, Nick and Jo gathered themselves up and, arm in arm, they joined the rest of their family in a perfect winter outing.