The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees Read Free Book Online

shunned music, dancing, and parties as works of the devil they lived to thwart. Margaret often found her way across the two yards that separated the Lewis home from Hillside. She was Anna’s age and found in the Alcott girls a bit more spirit of adventure.
    Louisa carried a bundle that contained their lunch and clothes for swimming. She had been hunched over a meandering draft—a story about a vicious family feud that finally ends one New Year’s Eve because of a child called Alice—late into the previous night, and her back ached. With her free hand she slapped away a cloud of mosquitoes that seemed to be following them all the way through the damp woods.
    Anna clapped her hands. “Girls, what do you think about putting on a play? ”
    Margaret squealed with unencumbered delight. “That’s a wonderful idea! Assuming I get to play the lead, of course.”
    Louisa felt a small wave of dread. A play would take months to arrange and would interfere with her Boston plans. But she tried to cover her feelings with wary enthusiasm. “It could be fun.”
    “Do you think anyone else would be interested?” Anna asked her.
    “Oh, yes,” Margaret said. The quiver in her substantial bosom threatened to settle once and for all the ongoing battle between her flesh and the seams of her dress. “There is little to interest the young people of this town in the way of entertainment.” Margaret had an affected way of speaking that Louisa found irritating but tried to ignore.
    “Well,” Louisa said, “we will have to ask the others about it today.”
    They reached a bright clearing where the ground sloped toward the river. Anna and Margaret, uncertain how to appear dignified, slowly descended the steep path down to the bank where the rest of the group lounged in the sunlight mottled with shadows the shape of birch leaves. Louisa, who didn’t mind her manners as well as her sister, let her momentum build untempered and nearly careened into a girl with curly red hair who sat with her back to the path, eating a handful of blueberries.
    “Please excuse me,” Louisa said, embarrassed.
    The girl smiled. “It’s all right.” She offered a friendly smile. “I’m Nora. You must be one of these Alcott girls I’ve been hearing about.”
    Louisa stuck out her hand. “Louisa Alcott,” she said. After a surprised look, Nora took her hand and gave it an awkward shake. In her experience, only men shook hands. Louisa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. So many girls, especially in the small towns, were still being raised in the old way—demure bows and curtsies. But why shouldn’t they shake hands, the way men did, with dignity?
    “And this,” Louisa gestured behind her as her sister and Margaret approached, “is my sister Anna.”
    Anna tilted her head and smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nora.”
    “That’s my brother over there,” Nora said, pointing toward a pair of boys struggling to secure a tent between two trees. “Nicholas. The one with the dark hair. He’s older than I am—closer in age to you and your sister. That is, I think so—well, how old are you?” Nicholas was a full head shorter than his friend. He sported the bushy sideburns just coming into fashion and his hair was precisely combed and greased.
    “I’m twenty-two,” Louisa said.
    “Our little Nora’s but nineteen,” Margaret said, then sighed.
    “That’s Samuel next to Nicholas. Is he not the tallest young man you’ve ever seen?”
    The girls laughed and walked together toward the water. Margaret had confided in Anna earlier that morning that she was smitten with Samuel Parker and believed he returned her favor. Louisa could see now from his wistful gaze in Margaret’s direction that he was indeed a man in love. In a rare moment of courage the previous Sunday, Samuel had suggested the swimming party when Margaret told him that the Alcotts were in Walpole for the summer. As they stood on the lawn beneath the arched windows of the