Chapter 4
Alice smiled against the Hatter's shoulder. "Remember that. It'll likely be the last time it'll happen. Being late is something I'm known for, you see." She nuzzled her face against his shirt, idly running her fingers through the ringlets of orange hair at the nape of his neck. "I've been trying to come back for so long. But just like every time before, I've only been able to come back whenever I'd desperately needed to." She pressed a soft kiss to the skin along his collar. "I'm so tired, Tarrant. Nearly the entire time I have been gone, I've been racing to get back."
Tarrant concentrated on breathing, tracing intricate patterns along her back with his stained fingers. "We really should get you to the palace. Everyone will be abuzz with news of your return."
Alice shook her head. "Can it be tomorrow, Tarrant? Please, can it be tomorrow?"
He smiled. "Of course, Alice." He pulled back, eyes bright and a dazzling green. "I have some things to show you!" He sat up, spinning her expertly to her feet. "You can't run around in my shirt tail forever, you know!"
Alice smiled her own Chessur smile, letting him tug her down the stairs while he chattered about this and that, on who'd had kittens, how he traveled to the palace once a month to turn in all the orders he'd made for the White Queen and her court, how he'd heard someone had seen the Bloody Red Queen and how her head was even bigger now.
The Hatter forced a cup of sweet, floral tea down her throat along with some sort of teacake, then whisked her into his work room, proudly presenting all the dresses he'd made for her. She hadn't the heart to tell him she had peeked the night before.
"You always arrive in such a late mess, Alice. I thought I would have something for you to change into for once."
Alice almost cried, then, but decided she shouldn't. "Tarrant, they are the most perfect, most wonderful, beautiful dresses I have ever seen." As she spoke, she tried to let all of her feelings at that moment shine into her eyes.
The Hatter's smile faltered for a moment and his eyes flared a strange, lovely, lavender, before they returned to normal. "I'll leave you to pick your dress, then. I shall draw you a bath!" he announced, trying to sweep out of the room.
Alice caught him by his sleeve. "Tarrant, pick out which gown I am to wear today. Please." For some mad reason, she knew it would please him, and for the moment, that was her ultimate goal.
The Mad Hatter hesitated, then moved to one dress without even glancing over them. He handed it to her, along with a dainty confection of a hat, and soft kid boots dyed to match the dress' trim, then strode from the room without another word. There were no corsets, no dress hoops, no stockings to be found.
Alice stroked the dress wordlessly, marveling at it. It was a pale, delicate blue, trimmed in the barest hint of ivory lace. It had a lovely round neckline and a wide satin ivory sash and fell at a graceful fold to just above her ankles. The hat was the same powder blue, trimmed in more pale satin with a dainty lace bow. The whole thing had been sewn atop a white head band, cushioned of course. The boots were soft and well worked. There was not a bit of it made to hinder her movement.
Feeling a bit giddy, she rushed from the room, flashed a smile at a strained looking Hatter, then padded her way into the bathroom.
The huge tub, which the night before had looked like a hulking beast in the dark was filled to the brim with cake scented bubbled and what might have been ten multicolored ducks floating amongst the foam. Alice laughed out loud.
She spent nearly an hour languishing in the tub, then dressed.
Hatter eyed her with a slightly hungry look in his eye as she turned and preened for his approval. "I did well," he said, looking pleased with himself, suddenly.
She smiled at him. "Hatter-"
"Tarrant," he said fiercely.
"Tarrant, I hope... I hope I'm not keeping you from your work. You don't have to keep me company all day. I know what your trade means to you."
He smiled then, a silly gap-toothed grin at made her insides melt just a little. "Oh, wee Alice, I am the most overworked hatter in the kingdom. Even I will take a day to myself to welcome you home."
With that, he led her from the house.
They dined on all manner of strange goodies he pilfered from his pantry, he taught her the finer points of a good Futterwacken, and they turned cartwheels in the grass. He looked horrified for a moment when she suggested they turn her whalebone hoop into a boat for a moment, then giggled like a school boy. Alice shyly held his hand on the bridge while he told her all the changes in Underland with the White Queen as the ruling body. They danced a different kind of dance in the evening, something slower and sweeter, which Tarrant wouldn't tell her the name of.
Alice told him of all the wonders she'd seen across the globe, of the strange and lovely people she'd met. She told him about the monks of China and Tibet, samurai from Japan, the Natives of the Americas. She told him about the food, the languages, the sights and smells and tastes of her journeys and he delighted in them as much through her tales as she had when she'd experienced it first hand.
He fed her cake and tortes and tea with honey, with lemon, with cream.
Alice felt full of good things, of life, of love -if this is what it was- and a quiet joy she had never once known in all her four and twenty years.
"Alice," said the Hatter idly as he looked up at the very full moon, his fingers tangled with hers. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
She laid her head on his shoulder. "I haven't the slightest idea."
Alice smiled against the Hatter's shoulder. "Remember that. It'll likely be the last time it'll happen. Being late is something I'm known for, you see." She nuzzled her face against his shirt, idly running her fingers through the ringlets of orange hair at the nape of his neck. "I've been trying to come back for so long. But just like every time before, I've only been able to come back whenever I'd desperately needed to." She pressed a soft kiss to the skin along his collar. "I'm so tired, Tarrant. Nearly the entire time I have been gone, I've been racing to get back."
Tarrant consintrated on breathing, tracing intricate patterns along her back with his stained fingers. "We really should get you to the palace. Everyone will be abuzz with news of your return."
Alice shook her head. "Can it be tomorrow, Tarrant? Please, can it be tomorrow?"
He smiled. "Of course, Alice." He pulled back, eyes bright and a dazzling green. "I have some things to show you!" He sat up, spinning her expertly to her feet. "You can't run around in my shirt tail forever, you know!"
Alice smiled her own Chessur smilie, letting him tug her down the stairs while he chattered about this and that, on who'd had kittens, how he traveled to the palace once a month to turn in all the orders he'd made for the White Queen and her court, how he'd heard someone had seen the Bloody Red Queen and how her head was even bigger now.
The Hatter forced a cup of sweet, floral tea down her throat along with some sort of teacake, then whisked her into hsi work room, proudly presenting all the dresses he'd made for her. She hadn't the heart to tell him she had peeked the night before.
"You always arrive in such a late mess, Alice. I thought I would have something for you to change into for once."
Alice almost cried, then, but decided she shouldn't. "Tarrant, they are the most perfect, most wonderful, beautiful dresses I have ever seen." As she spoke, she tried to let all of her feelings at that moment shine into her eyes.
The Hatter's smile faltered for a moment and hsi eyes flared a strange, lovely, lavender, before they returned to normal. "I'll leave you to pick your dress, then. I shall draw you a bath!" he announced, trying to sweep out of the room.
Alice caught him by his sleeve. "Tarrant, pick out which gown I am to wear today. Please." For some mad reason, she knew it would please him, and for the moment, that was her ultimate goal.
The Mad Hatter hesitated, then moved to one dress without even glancing over them. He handed it to her, along with a dainty confection of a hat, and soft kid boots dyed to match the dress' trim, then stroad from the room without another word. There were no corsets, no dress hoops, no stockings to be found.
Alice stroaked the dress wordlessly, marveling at it. It was a pale, delicate blue, trimmed in the barest hint of ivory lace. It had a lovely round neckline and a wide satin ivory sash and fell at a graceful fold to just above her ankles. The hat was the same powder blue, trimmed in more pale satin with a dainty lace bow. The whole thing had been sewn atop a white head band, cushioned of course. The boots were soft and well worked. There was not a bit of it made to hinder her movement.
Feeling a bit giddy, she rushed from the room, flashed a smile at a strained looking Hatter, then padded her way into the bathroom.
The huge tub, which the night before had looked like a hulking beast in the dark was fillled to the brim with cake scented bubbled and what might have been ten multicolored ducks floating amongst the foam. Alice laughed outloud.
She spent nearly an hour languishing in the tub, then dressed.
Hatter eyed her with a slightly hungry look in his eye as she turned and preened for his approval. "I did well," he said, looking pleased with himself, suddenly.
She smiled at him. "Hatter-"
"Tarrant," he said feircly.
"Tarrant, I hope... I hope I'm not keeing you from your work. You dont have to keep me company all day. I know what your trade means to you."
He smiled then, a silly gap-toothed grin at made her insides melt just a little. "Oh, wee Alice, I am the most overworked hatter in the kingdom. Even I will take a day to myself to welcome you home."
With that, he led her from the house.
They dined on all manner of strange goodies he pilfered from his pantry, he taught her the finer points of a good Futterwacken, and they turned cartwheels in the grass. He looked horrified for a moment when she suggested they turn her whalebone hoop into a boat for a moment, then giggled like a school boy. Alice shyly held his hand on the bridge while he told her all the changes in Underland with the White Queen as the ruling body. They danced a different kind of dance in the evening, something slower and sweeter, which Tarrant wouldn't tell her the name of.
Alice told him of all the wonders she'd seen across the globe, of the strange and lovely people she'd met. She told him about the monks of China and Tibet, samurai from Japan, the Natives of the Americas. She told him about the food, the languages, the sights and smells and tastes of her jouneys and he delighted in them as much through her tales as she had when she'd experienced it first hand.
He fed her cake and tortes and tea with honey, with lemon, with cream.
Alice felt full of good things, of life, of love -if this is what it was- and a quiet joy she had never once known in all her four and twenty years.
"Alice," said the Hatter idly as he looked up at the very full moon, his fingers tangled with hers. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
She laid her head on his shoulder. "I haven't the slightest idea."
Alice smiled against the Hatter's shoulder. "Remember that. It'll likely be the last time it'll happen. Being late is something I'm known for, you see." She nuzzled her face against his shirt, idly running her fingers through the ringlets of orange hair at the nape of his neck. "I've been trying to come back for so long. But just like every time before, I've only been able to come back whenever I'd desperately needed to." She pressed a soft kiss to the skin along his collar. "I'm so tired, Tarrant. Nearly the entire time I have been gone, I've been racing to get back."
Tarrant consintrated on breathing, tracing intricate patterns along her back with his stained fingers. "We really should get you to the palace. Everyone will be abuzz with news of your return."
Alice shook her head. "Can it be tomorrow, Tarrant? Please, can it be tomorrow?"
He smiled. "Of course, Alice." He pulled back, eyes bright and a dazzling green. "I have some things to show you!" He sat up, spinning her expertly to her feet. "You can't run around in my shirt tail forever, you know!"
Alice smiled her own Chessur smilie, letting him tug her down the stairs while he chattered about this and that, on who'd had kittens, how he traveled to the palace once a month to turn in all the orders he'd made for the White Queen and her court, how he'd heard someone had seen the Bloody Red Queen and how her head was even bigger now.
The Hatter forced a cup of sweet, floral tea down her throat along with some sort of teacake, then whisked her into hsi work room, proudly presenting all the dresses he'd made for her. She hadn't the heart to tell him she had peeked the night before.
"You always arrive in such a late mess, Alice. I thought I would have something for you to change into for once."
Alice almost cried, then, but decided she shouldn't. "Tarrant, they are the most perfect, most wonderful, beautiful dresses I have ever seen." As she spoke, she tried to let all of her feelings at that moment shine into her eyes.
The Hatter's smile faltered for a moment and hsi eyes flared a strange, lovely, lavender, before they returned to normal. "I'll leave you to pick your dress, then. I shall draw you a bath!" he announced, trying to sweep out of the room.
Alice caught him by his sleeve. "Tarrant, pick out which gown I am to wear today. Please." For some mad reason, she knew it would please him, and for the moment, that was her ultimate goal.
The Mad Hatter hesitated, then moved to one dress without even glancing over them. He handed it to her, along with a dainty confection of a hat, and soft kid boots dyed to match the dress' trim, then stroad from the room without another word. There were no corsets, no dress hoops, no stockings to be found.
Alice stroaked the dress wordlessly, marveling at it. It was a pale, delicate blue, trimmed in the barest hint of ivory lace. It had a lovely round neckline and a wide satin ivory sash and fell at a graceful fold to just above her ankles. The hat was the same powder blue, trimmed in more pale satin with a dainty lace bow. The whole thing had been sewn atop a white head band, cushioned of course. The boots were soft and well worked. There was not a bit of it made to hinder her movement.
Feeling a bit giddy, she rushed from the room, flashed a smile at a strained looking Hatter, then padded her way into the bathroom.
The huge tub, which the night before had looked like a hulking beast in the dark was fillled to the brim with cake scented bubbled and what might have been ten multicolored ducks floating amongst the foam. Alice laughed outloud.
She spent nearly an hour languishing in the tub, then dressed.
Hatter eyed her with a slightly hungry look in his eye as she turned and preened for his approval. "I did well," he said, looking pleased with himself, suddenly.
She smiled at him. "Hatter-"
"Tarrant," he said feircly.
"Tarrant, I hope... I hope I'm not keeing you from your work. You dont have to keep me company all day. I know what your trade means to you."
He smiled then, a silly gap-toothed grin at made her insides melt just a little. "Oh, wee Alice, I am the most overworked hatter in the kingdom. Even I will take a day to myself to welcome you home."
With that, he led her from the house.
They dined on all manner of strange goodies he pilfered from his pantry, he taught her the finer points of a good Futterwacken, and they turned cartwheels in the grass. He looked horrified for a moment when she suggested they turn her whalebone hoop into a boat for a moment, then giggled like a school boy. Alice shyly held his hand on the bridge while he told her all the changes in Underland with the White Queen as the ruling body. They danced a different kind of dance in the evening, something slower and sweeter, which Tarrant wouldn't tell her the name of.
Alice told him of all the wonders she'd seen across the globe, of the strange and lovely people she'd met. She told him about the monks of China and Tibet, samurai from Japan, the Natives of the Americas. She told him about the food, the languages, the sights and smells and tastes of her jouneys and he delighted in them as much through her tales as she had when she'd experienced it first hand.
He fed her cake and tortes and tea with honey, with lemon, with cream.
Alice felt full of good things, of life, of love -if this is what it was- and a quiet joy she had never once known in all her four and twenty years.
"Alice," said the Hatter idly as he looked up at the very full moon, his fingers tangled with hers. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
She laid her head on his shoulder. "I haven't the slightest idea."
Alice smiled against the Hatter's shoulder. "Remember that. It'll likely be the last time it'll happen. Being late is something I'm known for, you see." She nuzzled her face against his shirt, idly running her fingers through the ringlets of orange hair at the nape of his neck. "I've been trying to come back for so long. But just like every time before, I've only been able to come back whenever I'd desperately needed to." She pressed a soft kiss to the skin along his collar. "I'm so tired, Tarrant. Nearly the entire time I have been gone, I've been racing to get back."
Tarrant consintrated on breathing, tracing intricate patterns along her back with his stained fingers. "We really should get you to the palace. Everyone will be abuzz with news of your return."
Alice shook her head. "Can it be tomorrow, Tarrant? Please, can it be tomorrow?"
He smiled. "Of course, Alice." He pulled back, eyes bright and a dazzling green. "I have some things to show you!" He sat up, spinning her expertly to her feet. "You can't run around in my shirt tail forever, you know!"
Alice smiled her own Chessur smilie, letting him tug her down the stairs while he chattered about this and that, on who'd had kittens, how he traveled to the palace once a month to turn in all the orders he'd made for the White Queen and her court, how he'd heard someone had seen the Bloody Red Queen and how her head was even bigger now.
The Hatter forced a cup of sweet, floral tea down her throat along with some sort of teacake, then whisked her into hsi work room, proudly presenting all the dresses he'd made for her. She hadn't the heart to tell him she had peeked the night before.
"You always arrive in such a late mess, Alice. I thought I would have something for you to change into for once."
Alice almost cried, then, but decided she shouldn't. "Tarrant, they are the most perfect, most wonderful, beautiful dresses I have ever seen." As she spoke, she tried to let all of her feelings at that moment shine into her eyes.
The Hatter's smile faltered for a moment and hsi eyes flared a strange, lovely, lavender, before they returned to normal. "I'll leave you to pick your dress, then. I shall draw you a bath!" he announced, trying to sweep out of the room.
Alice caught him by his sleeve. "Tarrant, pick out which gown I am to wear today. Please." For some mad reason, she knew it would please him, and for the moment, that was her ultimate goal.
The Mad Hatter hesitated, then moved to one dress without even glancing over them. He handed it to her, along with a dainty confection of a hat, and soft kid boots dyed to match the dress' trim, then stroad from the room without another word. There were no corsets, no dress hoops, no stockings to be found.
Alice stroaked the dress wordlessly, marveling at it. It was a pale, delicate blue, trimmed in the barest hint of ivory lace. It had a lovely round neckline and a wide satin ivory sash and fell at a graceful fold to just above her ankles. The hat was the same powder blue, trimmed in more pale satin with a dainty lace bow. The whole thing had been sewn atop a white head band, cushioned of course. The boots were soft and well worked. There was not a bit of it made to hinder her movement.
Feeling a bit giddy, she rushed from the room, flashed a smile at a strained looking Hatter, then padded her way into the bathroom.
The huge tub, which the night before had looked like a hulking beast in the dark was fillled to the brim with cake scented bubbled and what might have been ten multicolored ducks floating amongst the foam. Alice laughed outloud.
She spent nearly an hour languishing in the tub, then dressed.
Hatter eyed her with a slightly hungry look in his eye as she turned and preened for his approval. "I did well," he said, looking pleased with himself, suddenly.
She smiled at him. "Hatter-"
"Tarrant," he said feircly.
"Tarrant, I hope... I hope I'm not keeing you from your work. You dont have to keep me company all day. I know what your trade means to you."
He smiled then, a silly gap-toothed grin at made her insides melt just a little. "Oh, wee Alice, I am the most overworked hatter in the kingdom. Even I will take a day to myself to welcome you home."
With that, he led her from the house.
They dined on all manner of strange goodies he pilfered from his pantry, he taught her the finer points of a good Futterwacken, and they turned cartwheels in the grass. He looked horrified for a moment when she suggested they turn her whalebone hoop into a boat for a moment, then giggled like a school boy. Alice shyly held his hand on the bridge while he told her all the changes in Underland with the White Queen as the ruling body. They danced a different kind of dance in the evening, something slower and sweeter, which Tarrant wouldn't tell her the name of.
Alice told him of all the wonders she'd seen across the globe, of the strange and lovely people she'd met. She told him about the monks of China and Tibet, samurai from Japan, the Natives of the Americas. She told him about the food, the languages, the sights and smells and tastes of her jouneys and he delighted in them as much through her tales as she had when she'd experienced it first hand.
He fed her cake and tortes and tea with honey, with lemon, with cream.
Alice felt full of good things, of life, of love -if this is what it was- and a quiet joy she had never once known in all her four and twenty years.
"Alice," said the Hatter idly as he looked up at the very full moon, his fingers tangled with hers. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
She laid her head on his shoulder. "I haven't the slightest idea."