Playing off of Jo’s assumptions of Beth being in love with Laurie (I know she was wrong but hear me out) Do you think Beth and Laurie would’ve made a good couple? Do you think Amy would’ve married Fred?
I have answered something similar before, which I can link here.
To sum up, I think that they would have an incredibly platonic marriage, and I don't think they would been as happy as Amy and Laurie would have been.
As for Amy and Fred, I suppose it depends on whether Laurie would have still talked to Amy about him, just as they had in the chapter "Lazy Laurence".
“You are not engaged, I hope?” and Laurie looked very elder-brotherly and grave all of a sudden.
“No.”
“But you will be, if he comes back and goes properly down on his knees, won’t you?”
“Very likely.”
“Then you are fond of old Fred?”
“I could be, if I tried.”
“But you don’t intend to try till the proper moment? Bless my soul, what unearthly prudence! He’s a good fellow, Amy, but not the man I fancied you’d like.”
“He is rich, a gentleman, and has delightful manners,” began Amy, trying to be quite cool and dignified, but feeling a little ashamed of herself, in spite of the sincerity of her intentions.
“I understand. Queens of society can’t get on without money, so you mean to make a good match, and start in that way? Quite right and proper, as the world goes, but it sounds odd from the lips of one of your mother’s girls.”
“True, nevertheless.”
Amy changed her mind about being engaged to Fred because Laurie reminds her that she isn't the type of girl to marry for money. Whether or not he was married, I don't think would have changed the outcome of that conversation.
But, let's say that this conversation didn't have it, Amy probably would have married Fred. Marmee would have asked if she loved him, and Amy would have been like, "Sure, why wouldn't I?", which Marmee would find suspicious, but she would let it be since it is Amy's life.
I feel Amy and Fred would have been similar to what I think Elizabeth and William from GDT's Frankenstein, where they would have been happy, maybe have some understanding, but I don't know i they would ever truly be in love, certainly not the way that Amy and Laurie would have.
We know Beth dies, which would have allowed Laurie to marry again, but we don't know what would happen with Fred. I could see three things happening; one, Amy and Fred stay married and nothing happens between Amy and Laurie. Two, Fred realizes that something is going on between the two and decides to step away (either divorce or annulment) which would allow them to marry. Three, Fred dies from something (illness or something else) which would also allow Amy and Laurie to get together.
Either way, I couldn't say that either marriage would have been totally unhappy, but it wouldn't be quite the marriage either of them would have wanted truly.
