Hello all, Xajemm again. I checked my emails and what did I see but Reviews. I still feel giggly about it (And I try to avoid getting giggly, you all know how hard it is to stop). I decided that it would be cruel to keep you guys waiting for too long, that is if any of you guys are waiting, so I decided to update with Chapter 2 (*Cue Dramatic Music*). I thought I ought to explain something about the story to ya. It will be HatterxAlice eventually and it may take a while to get there but c'est la vie. I have to apologize in advance, updating will be sporadic as I have exams coming up yadda yadda.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. I really don't wanna remind myself of what's not mine.
Warnings:
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. Albert Einstein.
Chapter 2
The dinner with Margaret and Lowell was tense. Since Alice's mother was in the kitchen with Dinah (the families' maid) Alice was the one who answered the door to welcome her sister and brother-in-law. She made sure to give Lowell a withering look as he walked in the door, Margaret, as usual, remained oblivious to the hostilities between her sister and spouse and announced cheerily "I see that the two of you have redecorated, the place looks lovely." as she bounced around the hallway ahead of her silent and sour faced companions.
Alice turned to glare at Lowell before asking him snidely "How is your friend Hattie."
Lowell frowned before replying haughtily "She's doing perfectly well, thank you." and then, much to Alice's fury, "I'll be sure to tell her you were asking." With Alice watching him with stormy eyes, he walked towards his wife and placed an arm around her waist.
It had been this way for an entire year, ever since Alice had seen them at the party. Lowell, trusting that Alice would not be able to hurt her sister by telling her of the affair, had continued on seeing Hattie (and possibly not just Hattie at that) and had acted as though he was in the right. Alice would have loved for her sister to get rid of the man, if he could be called that, but knew that she would, like Lowell suspected, be unable to tell her sister such awful bad news. Alice often found herself positively livid just thinking about it.
Once the group had made themselves comfortable in the dining room and Helen had joined them greeting Margaret and Lowell with a delighted smile on her face, to see her family together around the cherry wood table that her dear husband Charles had loved so much made her extremely happy, they began their meal. Margaret chatting animatedly with the others with the childish excitement she had never quite grown out of. Alice decided to give up, for now, on her silence and join in the comfortable chatter.
"Oh Alice, did you hear? Mr Partrow just down the road from the butchers is planning a birthday treat for his Mina; I hear he's going to take her to the opera." Margaret gibbered "I'd love to see her face when they get there. Got seats in the front row I hear."
Alice and Helen played their parts by adding in an "Oh yes?" or a "How exciting!" when needed and throughout the dinner they were all feeling quite jolly. This feeling of joviality lasted until Dinah came to clear the plates and Alice caught Lowell sending a furtive glance towards her rear end.
As the group made their way to the drawing room to further converse Alice put her hand on Lowell's shoulder and said "Lowell, a word." before she curtly added "Please." for good measure. However, when Lowell stepped out into the hallway the incensed young blonde promptly turned to slap him soundly across his left cheek.
"I can't believe the nerve of you!" she fumed as he put a hand to his cheek and sputtered uselessly "You have a wife who loves you dearly and you dare to look at our staff like that while she is still in the room. Don't interrupt." She snapped as Lowell opened his mouth to protest, he immediately snapped it shut as, in his honest opinion, Alice was positively terrifying at the moment, "Not only that either! No, I spoke to Hattie just a week ago; she very proudly informed me that you 'Love' her, Yes Lowell Love meaning that you've been messing with her head as well. Now I may not have told Margaret yet, but don't think that I never will. You only have to push me so far before I snap!" by now Alice was quite out of breath and Lowell appeared to be more than a little shocked, with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, Alice tried to compose herself, patting out invisible creases in her dress and combing her fingers through her long blonde hair, before puffing out her chest and moving into the room where her mother and sister were sitting chattering happily, a complete contrast to the mood in the hallway. Helen glanced up and raised her eyebrows at Alice's flushed face and her eyebrows rose even further, almost comically high on her head, at the sight of Lowell's reddening cheeks but she said nothing on the subject, clearly trying not to notify Margaret and ruin the mood.
Alice cringed as her presence in the room invited the topic to change to that of marriage; it was going to be a long visit...
***
As it turns out, Alice's worries were unnecessary as Margaret and Lowell did not stay for long as Margaret, finally picking up on the stony silence from her husband assumed that he wished to head home and said her goodbyes.
"We'll have to invite you round to our home more often," Margaret gushed "and perhaps invite a few more people to make an evening of it." She added with a pointed look at Alice earning an uncomfortable smile from the younger woman.
When they had finally collected their effects and left the house, Margaret waving animatedly until they were out of sight, Alice plopped herself heavily onto the drawing rooms comfortable two seater and heaved a sigh.
"I do wish she would stop trying to marry me off to every man she meets." Alice moaned (although she would never use that word herself as moaning made her seem impudent and childish).
"Oh hush." Her mother chided "You know she's only trying to look after you. Which by the way does not excuse you from telling me what exactly all that was about earlier." Alice looked up, Helen did not look happy, this bode badly for her.
She decided to play innocent "All what?" she said in her best, not guilty voice "Lowell and I were just talking." She thought about fluttering her lashes but decided against it, she didn't want to seem as though she was mocking her mother.
"Don't try that with me young lady, you and I both know perfectly well that your sister is very happy with Lowell, and whether we like him or not she needs something to keep herself happy. She's not like you, Alice, she needs people to survive, and she can't just sit contently with her nose in a book or scratching out accounts while the world passes her by." Helen's tone softened "You know," she started slowly "I worry too, I don't trust that man but it's not my place to interfere, nor is it yours."
Alice looked up at her mother standing over her and marvelled at how much older the woman looked, the worry lines much more apparent on her forehead and the crows feet and wrinkles around her lips deepened by her frowns, she wondered why everyone seemed so much sadder now, it felt as though there should be bright colours everywhere and smiles on every face. But life isn't bright colours or smiles she thought morosely that's the stuff of dreams.
"I know mother, believe me I know. But I also know she can do better. She deserves better than being stuck in a one-sided marriage. If only she would realize." The last part was whispered and Helen moved to sit next to her daughter, hand on her shoulder comfortably. Together they sat and let the exhaustion of the day, the worry for Margaret and the joint loss they felt after the death of Helen's husband, Alice and Margaret's father, wash over them and each swore to herself that they would not let this family be torn apart by others.
AN.
I know this one isn't at all Wonderland centred but I feel that not enough importance is given to Alice's family. I think that they would matter a lot to her despite their nagging and despite the views of quite a few people I feel she loves them dearly, which is why I felt this chapter was important to show the family together and how I feel they interact. I feel that I have done okay with their personalities but if you think that there is room for improvement please be as harsh as necessary. Sorry for the wait by the way, I had an important NAB today which I revised for all week (NABs are test which tell us whether we're allowed to sit the big tests so basically tests for tests.) Please Review, criticisms welcome.
