A/N: I apologize to anyone who was expecting something different. I somehow must've misled everyone in the last chapter to believe that I'd be recounting their adventures in London. The story, however, is finished now. You know, they lived happily ever after and all that nonsense. Thanks everyone for reading!
It wasn't a large garden party, and for that she was grateful. It was still a little larger than she would have liked, but how could one request that Lady Ascot, Hamish, and his wife Hattie not attend their own garden party? And how could Margaret not have brought Lowell when it was specifically requested that the whole family attend?
For that's what it was, really. A family party. Helen, Margaret, Lowell, Alice, Tarrant, and Charles had been invited over to Ascot Manor for a tea party. There was no particular reason, merely a wish for the Ascots and Kingsleighs to see each other again. Since Alice had given up her position in the company several years ago, she rarely got to see Lord Ascot anymore, except for the few times he was in London for the Season.
So the party was going well. No surprise engagements – not that there was anyone unmarried except little Charles, and he was only four – no discovered affairs, and thankfully, no quadrilles.
Alice sighed, and rested her head on Tarrant's shoulder. However well it was going, she was still frightfully bored. Not just with the party, either, but with her entire life. After she and Tarrant married – and what a scandal that was! – he had opened up his own shop. They had tried to balance her travelling with his financial need to stay put, but after a single trip back to China, they both conceded that being separated for six months out of the year was a fate far too miserable for either of them.
Then, of course, she realized she was pregnant with Charles, and travelling was out of the question. She hadn't left London since then, and though she was happy with her family and felt a strange sort of dread in the pit of her stomach whenever she thought of leaving the city, she was incredibly bored.
Tarrant understood, bless his soul, and did his best to keep her entertained. They were mad together, telling outrageous stories of faraway lands, of silly fashions and strange customs. Charlie had, fortunately or unfortunately depending on who one asked, inherited their madness. The beautiful little boy looked just like his mother, with pale blonde hair and blue eyes. He was rather soft-spoken and quiet, and fit in with society completely until he opened his mouth and began telling stories. As a result, he was closer with his parents than any children his age, and spent a great deal of time by himself.
Today was one of those days where his parents were occupied with stuffy old grownup stuff, so he had to go play by himself. He had been over the Ascots several times before, and was always fascinated by their maze. So that was where he went while his parents talked to Hattie and Hamish and Lowell and Margaret about babies and why he didn't have any cousins yet. He explored as he usually did, taking the twists and turns without thinking, when suddenly he saw a little white rabbit in the path in front of him.
He stopped, shocked. He'd never seen a rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch before. But he remembered that staring was rude and quickly dipped his head in a little bow.
"How do you do?" Charlie asked politely. His parents always told him that while humans might not be able to understand animals, animals might be able to understand humans, so he should always be polite to them. The rabbit pointed at his watch impatiently, then turned around and began to run out of the maze.
"Oh, please, sir! Could you wait a minute? I have to go get my parents," he said, knowing that seeing a rabbit like this one would definitely put a smile on his mother's face, and she always seemed so sad. He didn't really expect an answer, though, so was shocked when the rabbit nodded, and stood still. He stared for another second, then turned around and flew out of the maze, back to the table.
"Mother mother mother!" he cried breathlessly, crashing into her.
Lady Ascot and Hattie looked absolutely shocked, but Alice paid them no mind and scooped her son up onto her lap.
"What's wrong, dearest?" she asked, concerned. It wasn't like Charlie to act this way.
"There's a white rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch you simply must come see! He said he'd wait for you in the maze," her son exclaimed.
Alice raised her eyes to meet Tarrant's, and he smiled at her. They both stood up at the same time and left the table.
"Well, then, we simply must go see him. It's not polite to keep him waiting now, is it?" Alice asked, taking Tarrant's hand on her left and Charlie's on her right.
"Alice, dear, you mustn't encourage these fantasies - " Margaret began, but the Hightopp family ignored their friends' protests and went into the maze.
"Now, where did you say he was, Charlie?" Tarrant asked as they went further in.
"Right there!" he exclaimed, seeing a flash of white in front of him. "Why is he running away? Oh, no, hurry!"
The child began to run after the rabbit, and his parents after him, through the maze, out of the maze, into the woods, up the hill, until finally Charlie stopped in front of an old tree with a hole in the base.
"Charles," Alice began, panting, and feeling doubtful for the first time. "Are you absolutely sure - "
"He went down here!" Charlie exclaimed, and knelt down to look into the rabbit hole. But the ground gave out around him, and he fell in with a cry of shock.
"Charlie!" his father shouted, taking a step to grab him, but then he fell down too, and Alice was left alone in front of the rabbit hole, staring in after her family.
"Tarrant?" she called. "Charlie? Are you okay?"
She tiptoed around the base of the entrance, trying not to fall in herself, but to make sure they weren't hurt. Just then she felt a tug on her dress, and, shrieking, she lost her balance and slipped.
And she fell down the rabbit hole once again.
The End
