I walked through the woods looking around at all the different colored trees and plants. I ducked down as a rocking-horse-fly flew over my head, neighing as it did. I giggled as some roses to the left of me started singing.

"My my, there you are, Kitty." I looked up at the big tree in front of me to see Chessur grinning down at me as he lounged across a thick branch.

"Chessur!" I smiled. He disappeared and then reappeared next to me.

"Hmmm, shall we get you back to the Hatter, little one?" He asked, grinning as he rolled over whilst still floating in the air. He disappeared and then reappeared again up ahead. He looked back at me from over his shoulder. "Come along now. Let's get back to Tarrant."

I felt myself being shaken. I opened my eyes to find myself back in the carriage with mother and Alice. "Kitty, wake up! You mustn't sleep at a time like this! Come on! Sit up straight like a proper lady!" Mother said, shaking her head and frowning at me as I slowly sat up straight in the carriage seat next to Alice.

I rubbed my eyes only for mother to quickly push them back down in my lap. "Stop that, Kitty."

I sighed, playing with my skirts as Alice stared out the carriage window looking as though she would simple fall asleep at any given time. Neither of us got much sleep the night before because of dreams again.

I glanced up at mother to see her frowning still. "I'm sorry, mother, it's just I didn't get much sleep again." Alice and I shared a look.

Mother ignored me and simply leaned forward, fixing Alice's blonde curls and brushing her dress down. Alice shook her head, making mother lean back in her seat.

Mother then leaned over and fixed my straight light brown hair back as some of the strands had fallen out of the pins holding my hair back like Alice's. She brushed my dress down, fixing my skirts.

"Must we go?" Alice asked frowning as mother gave her a stern look. "Doubt they'll notice if we never arrive."

Mother sighed. "They will notice," she replied, leaning forward to fix the sash on Alice's dress. She paused, feeling Alice's sides. "Where's your corset?" Mother asked looking up at Alice. Alice was quiet and looked down. Mother sighed again, before reaching down and pulling up the bottom of Alice's dress some to see she wasn't wearing any stockings. "And no stockings," mother scolded.

"I'm against them," Alice said.

"But you're not properly dressed," mother hissed, frowning. She looked at me then. "And I'm to assume that you are not either, right?" I looked away making her even madder.

"Who's to say what's proper? What if it was agreed that "proper" was wearing a codfish on your head? Would you wear it?"

Mother leaned back some, closing her eyes. "Alice."

"To us a corset is like a codfish," Alice said, looking out the window.

"Please. Not today," mother said.

"Father would have laughed," I muttered making mother glare at me.

I saw the hurt on her face and felt regret. I sighed. "I'm sorry, mother. I'm tired. I didn't sleep well last night." She patted my hand, smiling sadly.

"Did you both have bad dreams again?" Alice and I nodded.

We shared a look before looking over at mother. "Only one. It's always the same ever since we can remember. Do you think that's normal? Don't most people have different dreams?" Alice asked looking at mother with worry.

Mother shook her head. "I don't know." She was silent for a moment before reaching up and taking her necklace off. She leaned over and put it on Alice then she took her ring off and slid it onto my right index finger. "There. You're both beautiful. Those were your grandmothers," she said, leaning back in her seat. "Now, can you both manage a smile?" She asked, smiling at us.

Alice and I looked at each other then at mother, both of us smiling.