Mireille-chan: Thanks to Shiva the Sarcastic, fair une souhaiter and rockpunk92 for reviewing. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Alice in Wonderland nor any of it's characters. Those right belong to Lewis Carroll.
Part 3: A Preposition
"Alice dear girl, get up!" said Nanny, the long time servant of the Stilles family.
Alice's eyes fluttered and she glimpsed sunlight.
"Alice, really, it's already getting late enough as it is. Don't be such a disgrace," Nanny continued while opening the blinds wide to reveal a glorious and bright new day.
"I'm awake Nanny; I'm just… just resting my eyes for a moment…" Alice replied sleepily.
What seemed like hours later Alice was downstairs and fully dressed to hear what her father had to say. Alice's sisters were there as well, staying the night after her mother's funeral.
"Good morning," Alice said to the group who had assembled in the sitting room.
Alice saw the face of her sister Alexandra who had already wed and left the house, her husband William being a kind and wealthy man. Alexandra looked tired from crying, and William looked slightly off beat as well. Alice glanced over to her other sister, Loretta; her eyes were red and puffy as well. Lastly, Alice glanced at her father, the most well-to-do looking of them all. His face was stone and showed no sign of emotion.
"Alice, you are sixteen now. The time for games and toys and daydreams has long past. Now, with your mother gone and your sisters no longer home you are the lady representing this house. I will not be here to look after things as I have much work to do," said her father stumbling over the word work.
"Yes Father, I know. And I will do my best to take care of the house and the garden, and make sure the staff is all well behaved," said Alice in her most grown-up voice.
"I do not think you truly understand, Alice. It is very good of you to offer these things, as I will indeed be expecting them of you. But it is also not proper for a women to be running the a household by herself,"
"Father, what are you asking of me?" Alice said in a puzzled voice. She still had Nanny and the other servants; it was not as if she would be entirely alone. Whom else could she possibly need?
"Alice," this time Loretta spoke, "What father is suggesting is perhaps you should consider…" her voice trailed off. She knew very well of Alice's reply, but she had to continue, "Marriage."
"Marriage!" Alice said loudly, as if it was the most ludicrous thing in the world. The thought of marriage had never even crossed her mind, why she was to you to be married her sister hadn't been married until she was, until she was, well she was… sixteen. "Why how old am I?" Alice thought, "Already sixteen, but time passes so fast, I feel I was only ten a few short days ago." And at that thought Alice let out a low inaudible groan.
Then Alexandra began to talk, "Now Alice were only asking you to consider. Maybe not right away but within a year or two at the most. I know it might sound frightening but I am sure you will find a lovely young man. And once your married he can take care of you, it's for your own good."
"I can… I am not even… Please don't," Alice said exasperated. She wasn't sure which was more overwhelming, the fact that she was being expected to marry or the fact that she was of marrying age.
Alice's father cut in to her rant. "We'll be holding a party in a week's time. It is a thank you to all the people who attended your mothers wake as well as a coming out party for you," he said in a cold voice which let her know there was no way around it, " There will be many young gentlemen there for you. Talk, dance, laugh, that is all I ask. You don't have to decide just yet, but remember Alice, time waits for no one." Those last words fell ominously on Alice's shoulders.
Mireille-chan: That's all for chapter three please review!
please note that in the time period in which this story takes place in people married at the age of 16
