Sea of Insanity
By Steerpike Sister
Disclaimer: i own nothing.
Author's Note: this story takes place in the burtonverse, directly after the end of the film. in my mind there is about a year and a half between the garden party and seeing Alice on the ship. i hope to make this story ten chapters and an epilogue.
Chapter one: the Voyage begins
As soon as the Wonder was firmly out of Southampton docks and her crowd of well-wishers dispersed, Alice threw the hated corset overboard into the deep blue water. let the whales reclaim it, she thought. she could well do without and as it would probably be more than a year until she saw her mother again, no one would even know. she tugged her pale blue travelling coat more tightly against her, the wind that tangled through her long yellow hair chillier than she had expected.
"Did I just see an item of feminine apparel drift by?" said Lord Ascot, heading towards Alice. he was a tall, dour looking man with a melancholy yet quizzical aspect that belied the amiability beneath.
"You may have, I was not watching." replied Alice archly.
"Is that how it's going to be? You are indeed your father's daughter, as I am constantly reminded, these days. Come, lets get you settled in your cabin. We have a long trip ahead."
Alice's cabin was small but cosy, room enough for Alice and her maid on the top bunk. she liked the blue curtains and the pattern of roses on the carpet. there were several such cabins for it was a large ship, containing a few other passengers besides herself and lord Ascot. there was even a small study containing many books not far from the dining room where that evening she was introduced to Captain Spikenard and his crew. though Alice was scarce used to such introductions, she braced herself lest she lose her muchness and greeted each pleasantly, despite the quiet muttering about it being bad luck to have a woman on board from one grizzled looking deckhand.
the first few days aboard ship began the routine, as she arose attended by her maid Flossy, had breakfast with Lord Ascot, took the air on deck if it was a mild day, read, and played checkers with anyone who cared to play until evening. then it was time to change for dinner with the Captain who told outrageous stories of his time at sea, most of which Alice found she could not believe despite having a mind so broad she could pull it out of her ears and tie it under her chin! he was a pleasant fellow, however, and Alice found him excessively diverting and an accomplished checkers player.
Lord Ascot kept to his cabin for most of the journey so far, working on their plans for building an exclusive dock in Hong Kong for their fleet of trading ships. his assistant and several other company members had been sent on ahead some six months earlier with the intention of finding the perfect place for their new offices. As the days turned into weeks Alice would spend a few hours a day with him, poring over schematics and architectural plans, learning as much as she could about the business she was apprenticed in.
off the coast of Spain the weather began to grow hotter, so her sunbonnet and parasol became her constant companions, despite her determination to lose her unhealthy pallor, natural as it was. however, peeking out from behind her parasol to let the sun on her face earned her a scolding from Flossy whenever she was caught, which was often. a few freckles was all she wanted, mused Alice, and her whoop of delight when three such manifested on each of her cheeks was heard by the men climbing the rigging.
and so the days passed with the tedious monotony that had settled upon her life like winter snow since her return to Overland. yes it was more eventful, but she missed the spontaneity of that Wonderland. here, she created her own excitement and yes it was indubitably better than just going to parties and waiting to be married, but she could not help but wish she was not so in control of her life, that something would happen to her, rather than she happen to something as it had been for the past year. sometimes as she drank her tea, she had to physically restrain herself from flinging her teacup at the Captain! she doubted he had ever danced across the table in his life, and as such would not appreciate the gesture. She kept such thoughts to herself though, her maid being new and not yet used to her foibles. Flossy already seemed to think her new mistress quite addled in the head without the confidence that she harboured a wish to fling porcelain!