Okay, so I wasn't very happy with this so I'm going back and editing and proofing and just plain fixing all the details in this. So expect this thing to be tampered with commonly, it shouldn't take too long, this was the longest chapter, seven pages when I started, nine when I finished. I hope you all enjoy!
"Hatter, there's something I want to tell you," I said to my old friend nervously.
"Well what is it, Alice?" I opened my mouth to speak but the words just wouldn't come out of my dry mouth.
"Well then if you aren't going to speak I have something to tell you," he swallowed and opened his mouth, leaning forward he whispered in my ear, "I love you, Alice." At that moment any doubt I had had about his true feelings for me disappeared instantaneously.
"I love you too," I told him meekly. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered to me softly.
"I must be mad." I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder, hugging him in return.
"My mother would think I've lost my mind," I replied as I buried my face in the cloth of his jacket. "But I honestly don't care!" We stood there, just relishing being able to stay close to each other. My thoughts about my family disappeared, the thoughts about being forced to marry Hamish, of the Chattaway sisters, of being in China, of expanding my father's company, everything that could possible exist everywhere but our own little world.
"Alice, Alice! Alice wake up!" said an urgent voice as I was roughly shook. "Alice dear you must wake up!" the voice became more urgent. "We must discuss the wedding plans today!" The shaking became rougher and more urgent.
"Go away!" I moaned tiredly attempting to swat at the person waking me up.
"Alice Kingsleigh! Wake up this moment! And stop being so rude for goodness sake!" I turned over to my side to see who it was, my vision was blurry and I couldn't see who it was for a moment, I waited for my eyes to adjust and found Lady Ascot to be the one attempting to wake me. I sat up and rubbed at my still tired eyes.
"Is the nightmare over now?" I asked groggily
"What nightmare?" she asked curiousl tilting her head to the side.
"The one about me having to marry Hamish," I told her sitting up more straight to stretch and get the kinks out of my back.
She frowned, "It won't be that bad! Now get yourself dressed and come down to breakfast, then meet me in my husband's study. We have a wedding to discuss." She got up and opened the curtains hurting my eyes badly with the sudden light and walked out of the room closing the door behind her.
I groaned and fell back onto my bed. The nightmare wasn't over, but the dreams were so much better! Ever since I had left Wonderland I had been dreaming of them. All of them, mostly Tarrant as I had learned his name was – but I didn't mind, it helped me remember him and the promise I had made to him. I wanted desperately to go back, but every time I tried Lady Ascot would block me off or corner me and begin to discuss wedding plans, even my mother began to do the same! Margaret and Lowell had left shortly after I had turned Hamish down. I soon left for China but about five months into my travel my mother had sent a letter saying that I was needed here - she didn't tell my why of course. But when I arrived I was told that even though I had refused I was still going to marry Hamish –yuck! I told them that I wanted someone else, someone who shared the same points of view with me.
They asked if I had found him yet, and so I told them, yes and no - they were very puzzled at my answer. Lady Ascot declared that if he did want to marry me and be with me then he wouldn't have let me go to China, and that he wouldn't have let me leave without telling me not to go. It seemed as if love was a foreign thing to her! My blood was boiling at this point and I just lost it, "Who are you to tell me who to love and who to marry? I'll tell you who he is! His name is Tarrant Hightopp! He's a milliner!" I found myself regretting that last statement.
"Alice Kingsleigh!" my mother shouted jumping to her feet and raising her voice to a near scream. "I forbid you to see him ever again! He's of a lower class then you! You know it is improper to marry one of lower class then yourself!" I was heartbroken. Tears had begun to well into my eyes. I tried to hold them back but I couldn't so before they overwhelmed me I ran to my room slamming the door shut behind me and falling on my bed crying until I had no more tears to cry. I missed him terribly, I missed Hatter! I missed all of them! Mallymkun the door mouse, the White Queen, the Tweedles, the March Hare, Chesure cat, the Bandersnatch, Mctwisp, all of them!
That was three days ago. Since then I have not come out of my room for anything, I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't sleep, I wouldn't do anything! During those three days everyone must have thought I had gone completely mad! Reluctantly I got up and shut the curtains allowing myself to change –for I had been wearing the same dress for all three days - and went down to meet my mother and the Ascots for breakfast. I never looked any one directly in the eyes, for fear they may see the feelings I was hiding from all of them, all that day I pretended to actually have an interest in marrying Hamish. But my act didn't get past my mother, in a way she knew me all too well.
Once Lady Ascot had released me from planning the wedding I told her I was going to my room but once they believed I was really returning I ran in the opposite direction to the garden. Near the doors I heard Hamish as he wiped his nose and examined what was in his handkerchief. I looked away trying desperately not the look again both for fear of being seen and seeing the Hamish a second time. I needed to get to the rabbit hole! And fast at that! I decided that maybe acting casually might help me get to the garden. I braced myself and turned the corner pretending to have not noticed Hamish.
"Alice, what are you doing up this late?" he asked turning to me.
I tried to hide my lie using a casual sounding tone and hoping that my voice wouldn't crack, "I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight I've become very excited! So I decided to take a small walk in the garden." He seemed rather surprised by my new attitude.
"Well then, allow me to escort you." He said holding out his arm for me to take.
"I'd rather escort myself thank you." I said moving to the door and going by myself - but like a lost puppy Hamish followed me. I rolled my eyes. "Hamish, why are you following me? I said I'd escort myself." I tried to keep my voice even and control my temper.
"But still, you are my wife to be, I wouldn't want you to run off and get hurt again," he argued with a calm voice.
I silently growled under my breath. This must be pointless; he's never going to give up now. "I'll be fine on my own Hamish," I told him.
"Still I wouldn't want you to get hurt. After all, as your future husband I must keep you safe from any and all dangers imaginable!" he declared, I rolled my eyes. I had faced greater danger on my own! Without his help! "Do I amuse you by saying this?" he asked frowning.
"Yes, you do. You can't protect me no matter what happens," I told him.
"Oh?" How dare he sound so amused!
"Yes!" I pronounced confidently. "Well I'll have you know-" I didn't hear what else he was saying. I looked at the corner of the maze once again. I could have sworn I'd seen a pair of odd colored green eyes shining and reflecting the moonlight.
They couldn't be his eyes, could they? I was brought back to reality when I heard Hamish finishing, "And so as your husband-to-be I must protect you from everything." I shook my head and turned the corner with Hamish following behind me.
"And people say I'm mad, you couldn't protect her from a flock of warbling birds," came a Scottish accent behind us. We whipped around to see who it was.
"Alice stand back!" Hamish declared standing in front of me throwing his arms out to protect me from this stranger.
"And I bet you don't even remember me," The stranger in the shadows said sadly. "Especially if your un-answered questions and unfinished business was him," Hamish blocked my view of the man, but I desperately wanted to see him! I pushed my way past Hamish and found that my suspicions were true!
"Tarrant!" I shouted blissfully as I reached forward to hug him. He wrapped his arms around me and smiled his toothy grin to me.
"It's good to see you again champion!" he declared and hugged me tightly.
"I'm sorry for not fulfilling my promise! I've been a little," I tried to think of the right word, "preoccupied," I said looking up to see him in the eyes.
"I could tell," he said his Scottish accent slipping out.
"What are you doing here?" I asked trying to change the subject from my 'husband to be'.
"We couldn't wait any longer, so we came looking for you hoping you'd be ready to return to Underland with us." He explained.
"I've been ready since I left!" I declared, but then I remembered a detail in his words, "Wait 'we' 'us'?" I questioned looking around breaking free from his arms. "How many of you came?" I asked looking at him distraught. He looked a little nervous, "Tarrant, how many?" I asked more urgently.
He looked at me then said, "Mallymkin, The March Hare and I" I groaned.
"Where are they?" I asked, gripping his lapels desperately.
"We split up hoping to find you faster that way." I pressed my fingers to my temples.
"Any one I should know, Alice?" I had almost forgotten Hamish was here.
"No, not right now anyways," I said turning to him.
Just then as if planned that way scream erupted from the house, "Mouse! Mouse!" It cried "Theirs a mouse in the kitchen!" it screamed.
"Sounds as if Lady Ascot has found Mallymkin," I commented.
"Indeed." Tarrant said. "Stay here lad," Tarrant instructed Hamish, "Let us take care of it." Hamish tried to argue but Hatter and I had left before he had a chance.
"Lady Ascot what is the matter?" I asked in order to distract her as I came in. "There's a mouse in here!" she declared scaring several of the servants that stood on chairs, steps, and various other places in the large kitchen. Most of the servants down there were maids but some were butlers some cooks and several others, that I'll not tell at the moment.
"Mally! Mally, over here!" I briefly heard Hatter whisper to her.
"Did you hear something?" Lady Ascot questioned looking about from the chair she stood on.
I shook my head, "No, most certainly not!"
"Hatter?" came the small voice of Mallymkin. I spotted her down underneath lady Ascot's chair. Oh dear! I thought to myself.
"Well I suppose the mouse is gone so it's safe to get down," I lied.
"Thank goodness!" Lady Ascot declared.
"Wait just one moment!" I stopped her, "Let me pick up my glove from under your, I've been looking for it for quite a while now and I have finally found it!" I discovered just how much I'd been lying lately, in truth my gloves were in my pocket. She believed me and kept on top of the chair. I bent down and quickly pulled out one of my gloves hoping that Lady Ascot wouldn't notice. "Mally, get in!" I whispered just loud enough for her to hear. She jumped in and I pretended to pick it off the floor and put the glove with Mallymkin in it into my pocket.
I heard Hatter give out a small sigh of relief. And hid it by pretending it was my own and walked out the kitchen into the back of the estate yard. Once the door was shut behind me I sighed in relief and began to breath easier before shooting a death glare at hatter. "Thanks for almost blowing it," I said with a small amount of sarcasm. He covered his mouth to keep his mad laugh as quiet as possible, and I couldn't help but laugh as well. "Alright Mally, time to come out." I said pulling out my glove and emptying her out into Hatter's awaiting hands.
"Are you alright Mally?" Hatter asked her looking her over to make sure she was safe.
"I'm fine Hatter," she assured him, "Just a little disorientated is all." I smiled.
"You're lucky we heard Lady Ascot! I have a feeling she was ready to call out the cat or maybe even the dogs!"
Mally quickly drew her sword as if expecting a fight, "Bring it on! I'm ready!" The Hatter and I smiled at her courage.
"Alice Kingsleigh! What are you doing with this man?" I whirled around to see my mother looking angrily at us. I heard Tarrant quickly put the protesting Mallymkin in his jacket pocket - the same one he put me in when I was the same size as her over ten months ago.
"Mother, this is Tarrant, the-" I said choking on my breath.
She cut me off, "The milliner!" She breathed out angrily.
"Yes." I confirmed.
"How did you come to know this low class man?" She questioned angrily.
"We met in South Africa," I lied. Hatter nodded slowly. Before I could react my mother grabbed my arm and was pulling me to the house with her.
"I'll not allow a daughter of mine to associate with common people!"
"But Mother! Please listen to me?" I begged. She dragged me inside the house and locked the door, and I briefly noticed that Hamish was inside as well. "Mother!" I yelled breaking free and stopping right in the large living room. She stopped and turned around to me furry in her eyes. "Tarrant once worked for a very important ruler!" I blurted out only to realize what I'd done.
"And witch ruler is this?" she said even more set off than before and tapping her foot expectantly.
I swallowed once. "It's a long and complicated story but please! You have to believe, me!" I could see it in her eyes: there was no way she'd ever believe me, not unless I could show her. And how I wished I could show her my Wonderland!
Tears sprang to my eyes, "Its times like this that I wish you had died instead of Father!" I ignored the shock on her face and ran up to my room falling on the pillow and crying till I had no more tears to shed.
It felt like hours later when there was a knock on my window. I got up and opened the curtains, "Tarrant," I whispered as he came in. He wrapped his arms around me.
"Hush, it's all right. I'm here now, Alice. You don't need to cry, hush." He gently rocked me from side to side keeping me calm as I cried into fabric of his jacket.
I pulled away from him for a moment "Hatter, there's something I want to tell you," I said to my old friend nervously.
"Well what is it, Alice?" I opened my mouth to speak but the words just wouldn't come out of my dry mouth.
"Well then if you aren't going to speak I have something to tell you," he swallowed and opened his mouth, leaning forward he whispered in my ear, "I love you, Alice." At that moment any doubt I had had about his true feelings for me disappeared instantaneously.
"I love you too," I told him meekly. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered to me softly.
"I must be mad." I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder, hugging him in return.
"My mother would think I've lost my mind," I replied as I buried my face in the cloth of his jacket. "But I honestly don't care!" We stood there, just relishing being able to stay close to each other. My thoughts about my family disappeared, the thoughts about being forced to marry Hamish, of the Chattaway sisters, of being in China, of expanding my father's company, everything that could possible exist everywhere but our own little world.
"Hatter, you need to go, now!" I said reluctantly leaving his embrace.
"Why, what is wrong?"
"If my mother catches you in here she'll be furious!" He nodded.
"I'll leave in a moment, come it's very late you should go to sleep now." I nodded my head and allowed him to help me into my bed. He stayed until I had fallen asleep. Then left and returned to Underland.
When I awoke the next morning I had forgotten almost everything that had happened that night. All but one thing, he'd been here last night! He'd told me he loved me too! Or was that just another dream? I looked at the grandfather clock opposite my bed. It was still very early and I doubted any one would be up at this hour. I quickly dressed in my favorite blue dress –ironically it was the same I'd been wearing when I turned down Hamish and returned for the third time to Underland. I made my way down the hall with a feeling that I had to apologies to my mother for the harsh things I had said the night before. I had in truth felt terrible for what I said to her and wanted to make it right again.
"Get that blasted thing! Get it!" I heard Hamish yelling as the dogs barked and chased after something. I came to the door to the gardens and realized it was the March Hare!
Thackery must have been left here last night!
With panic welling up inside of me I screamed at the top of my lungs, "Don't you dare touch him Hamish Ascot!" I ran down the steps barefoot and holding up my skirts.
"You dare?" He roared at me. "I am the Lord of this Estate, it is my right!"
"Leave that rabbit alone!" I said more forcefully and ran over distracting the dogs making them think I wanted to play. They followed me much to Hamish and Lady Ascot's anger. Finally I stopped running and walked over to Hamish, the dogs lost interest and walked away. "Hamish! Are you such a low life that you must pick on small helpless animal?" I was in a blind rage as I ran in front of him and unexpectedly punched him in the jaw. I ran back inside just as he gained his composure and got ready to strike me back. I ran to my room and hid inside closing the door behind me and standing behind it to block Hamish from getting in and harming me for what I just did in my state of blind anger.
"I must be going mad," I whispered to myself. Just then I felt a hard pounding on the door behind me.
Hamish began to yell, "Alice Kingsleigh! You are going to regret that! You'll pay for that! I swear it!" He stormed off in a huff. I sighed in relief and turned to open the door to find it was locked. I pulled on the handle as hard as I possibly could but it wouldn't budge! Tears began to fill my eyes as I banged my fists against the door.
"Now that must really hurt." I spun around to find no one there at all. I frowned. "Chess if you're there don't hide, it's not that funny at the moment." Chess appeared floating lazily above the canopy of my bed. "What are you doing here Chess?" I asked him after wiping away the tears.
"I heard that you were in some trouble. How's the arm love?" He answered me and changed the subject before I could ask any more questions.
"It's perfectly healed now. All I have that remains from the wound are the scars." I answered him. He vanished and re-appeared next to my head with only his showing. I smiled at him, it was good to see a friendly face for once, instead of those drab elders and that terrible Hamish. I told him this and if it was possible his grin widened. There was a knock on the door.
"Alice?" I heard my mother asking from the other side. I gasped and turned to Chess who had already vanished.
"It's locked. You can't get in." I said through the door.
"Why did you lock it?" My mother asked flatly.
"I didn't!" I defended. "It was Hamish!" My mother sighed and began to tell me that it was time to get my dress fitted.
I told her I refused to go but she told me that if I did she wouldn't bother me about it later. I agreed - reluctantly might I add - and she let me out. I stood in that room as the seamstress fixed my dress and made adjustments, as Lady Ascot rambled on about wedding details. In truth I didn't pay attention to any of the things she was saying. Instead I focused on trying not to cry. For a few brief moments Lady Ascot left the room to check on things, I looked down at the seamstress for the first time.
She had bright red hair, but I couldn't see her eyes. But I could see her lips, a soft magenta, in the shape of a frown, needles stuck between her lips. For the first time I could feel the mix of emotions radiating from her: pain, fear, frustration.
I couldn't tell why, "Is something the matter?" she asked in a beautiful sing song voice as she continued putting details on the dress.
I sighed, "I just don't want this to happen, that's all." Why was I telling her this? She was an outsider after all! My eyes drifted to the other side of the room, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes.
"He'll keep waiting for you, you ken that right?" She suddenly asked, her voice shifted from the sing song to a Highlander's brogue.
"Who, who will keep waiting for me," She looked up at me and gave me a crooked smile, and for the first time I could see her bright green eyes.
"The Man you really love," she whispered so quietly I could have only imagined it. Then I realized she knew of Tarrant, of Mally, of McTwisp, Thackery, Bayard, everyone.
"You know?" I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice as I whispered the question which sounded more like a statement. "H-how?" was all I could stutter.
She held up a finger to her lips to silence me. My mother came in the second the dressmaker lowered her head and returned to her work, "Tell me young lady, what's your name?" My mother asked when she came over and saw the details of the flower pressed white silk.
"My name's Greer, Mrs. Kingsleigh." Now that she was speaking with my mother her voice had returned to the sing song tone. My mother seemed satisfied and left the room again. Greer looked up at me then winked; she stood and began to get the kinks out of her back.
"Oi! It's been so long since I made a dress." I smiled, and noticed for the first time that she was very pale, not pale as a sheet but just pale. "And a wedding dress for that matter." she mumbled. "You can walk around if you like, we need to discuss some things." She walked over to one of the tables with material on and sat on a seat close by, she motioned for me to have one as well.
I sat reluctantly, "Now let me see." She placed a hand on her chin and thought for a long moment. "We have only fifteen minutes so I shall have to request permission to complete the dress one hour before the wedding. While I'm there, I shall slip some of this" She held up a small vile filled with purple liquid, "into your cup. Then when I have left, request a moment alone and drink from your cup then wish yourself to be at Marmoreal with the White Queen. She'll explain from there." She smiled at me crookedly.
"That is if you accept." she winked and I nodded dumbly at her, she giggled madly. "I was sent to send you a message and to only put this plan into action if you accepted. Tarrant asked me to give you this," she pulled a ring out of the front pocket of her apron and handed it to me.
The stones were simple yet elegant, one brown sapphire, then a green emerald, then a lapis lazuli, the pattern repeated around the outside of the silver banded ring. But upon observation of the inside I found the words, 'Mo Bhilis Gradh'.
"It means, 'My Sweet Love'," came the voice of Greer as she watched me with careful eyes. "It's from my brother. He's asked me to ask you to marry him for him. And he is very sorry that he couldn't be here to ask you himself."
I smiled, "Either way, I'd still say yes." If possible her smile grew larger, almost as big as the Cheshire cat's! She handed me a long chain, I took it and put the ring on it. I handed it to her and she put the necklace around my neck. The chain was long enough that no one would see the ring which I was grateful for. "Come; let's get you out of this thing so we can start putting the plan into action!" She gave me the widest grin of all and winked at me.
When Lady Ascot came in I went behind the changing screen and allowed Greer to tell her that she would be coming in two days to complete the dress. She was not happy, and it took everything I had to keep from smiling.
