Alice Hamilton grinned at the other two ladies. "So, that's another common theme. There's always an Alice, there's always a Hatter."
"Yes," Miss Kingsleigh nodded eagerly. "Tarrant Hightopp."
"I believe you mean Reginald Theophilus, don't you?" Miss Liddell pointed out.
"No, I'm quite certain as to Tarrant's name. My most loyal friend."
Alice Hamilton leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and supporting her chin in her hands. "And my Hatter is just…. Hatter. Although he picked the first name David when he followed me home."
Miss Liddell thought a moment, then asked Miss Kingsleigh, "Not to be impertinent, but could you describe Mr. Hightopp?"
Miss Kingsleigh nodded. "Very tall, lean, with bright red hair, pale skin, and his eyes are… well, quite remarkable. They change size and color when he is taken by a strong emotion. He's a most loyal and determined man."
"Well, that description is nothing like Mr. Theophilus. Though also tall, he's rather broad-shouldered, with white hair, blue eyes, and a, ahem, rather prominent proboscis." Alice Liddell sighed a bit. "And he is the bane of my existence."
Alice Hamilton giggled a bit. "So Mr. Theophilus is the most like the original – or the one in the book I guess. My Hatter is… not so very tall, though thank god, he's taller than I am. Dark hair that sticks out in every direction, the darkest chocolate eyes, and a dimpled grin that's just…" She sighed a little, her expression going foolishly dreamy. Then she grinned and added conspiratorially, "And he can knock your socks off with a kiss."
Both the other Alices gasped in scandalized shock.
"Wait, you're not involved with your Hatters?"
"Certainly not!" Alice Liddell exclaimed. "Become involved with that childish, rude, insufferable man!"
"No, we're not involved," Miss Kingsleigh admitted. "Although, he did ask me to stay most sincerely…."
Alice Hamilton sat back in her chair. "Ok, that's kind of interesting. So we do all have a romantic connection to our Hatters."
"Romantic!" Alice Liddell was outraged. "I am NOT romantically involved with that… that…."
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," Alice Hamilton quoted cheerfully, and for once a smile crossed the face of the somber Miss Kingsleigh.
"I don't care what you heard, it was one date. Just one date." Miss Liddell insisted.
Miss Kingsleigh's smile turned wistful. "He merely came to my side and offered his support." The other Alices waited for her to continue. "I had to go home; there were things I had to do, to see. But I always intended to go back to Underland… someday."
Alice Hamilton sighed. "I know the feeling. I went home at the end of my adventure too. I'd almost convinced myself that the whole thing was a dream – and then Hatter showed up at my home. It was a perfect moment, that first kiss."
"You just.. kissed him?" Miss Liddell asked.
"Well, to be fair, we kissed each other. But yeah. And it was fantastic." Alice Hamilton cocked her head a little. "So… you've never given your Reginald what's-his-name a chance?"
"Certainly not. He's rude and offensive and immature," Miss Liddell stated primly.
"No redeeming qualities whatsoever?" Miss Kingsleigh asked mildly.
Both could see Miss Liddell struggling with her conscience. Finally, honesty won out. "He is an above average dancer."
Miss Kingsleigh smiled while Alice Hamilton giggled. "Nothing else?" Miss Kingsleigh pushed.
Alice Liddell pursed her lips primly. "Unless one can consider utterly foolish stubbornness as a virtue."
"Ah, I get it," Alice Hamilton grinned. "He's pursuing you, isn't he?"
Miss Kingsleigh's giggles were nearly silent, but still noticeable on that somber girl's visage. Alice Liddell blushed nearly fuchsia at Alice Hamilton's question.
"He is… ANNOYING me unto death. The man could drive one to .. to.. DRINK." Miss Liddell snapped fiercely.
"Oh, he can't be that bad. I suspect all Hatters are good men at heart."
Miss Liddell struggled to find another positive quality to that insufferable Reginald Theophilus. "When he actually does go to his shop and work, instead of bothering me at my place of employment, he does actually produce wonderful hats."
"He really is a hat-maker?" Alice Hamilton asked, amazed.
"Yes, of course."
Miss Kingsleigh added, "Mr. Hightopp is a milliner as well. Is not your Hatter a Hatter?"
"No, actually. He's not. In fact…" Alice Hamilton frowned a minute. "I've never actually gotten a straight answer out of Hatter about how he got his name. I know what he told me has to be utter bull, but I don't think he's ever explained it. He ran a tea shop when we met."
"Oh, how unusual," Miss Kingsleigh observed. "Although that does maintain the overriding similarities in our adventures. I first met… or rather re-met Mr. Hightopp at a tea party."
"I too met Mr. Theophilus at a garden tea party at Mr. Hare's home."
Alice Hamilton flushed. "Um. Not the same sort of tea at all…." She launched into an explanation of the Wonderland she'd encountered, how the tyrannical Queen of Hearts had controlled her subjects with the liquid emotions of kidnapped humans known as Tea. She explained how the Queen's son, the Jack of Hearts, had tried to lure her to Wonderland, in order to have her assistance in overthrowing the Queen. Alice explained how she'd escaped capture, only to find herself alone and reliant upon the assistance of a shady Tea dealer called Hatter.
"My goodness! How frightening for you," Alice Kingsleigh gasped as Alice Hamilton told the tale of running from a Jabberwock.
"I am thankful I have never actually encountered one!" Alice Liddell agreed.
Alice Hamilton finished her tale with the overthrow of the Queen, and Jack's ascension to the throne of Wonderland. "Of course, when Hatter said goodbye, he was all stand-offish and saying I should definitely go home, while I couldn't believe he could be so impersonal, after all we went through together. Then the next day, he showed up at my mother's apartment, like magic!"
"Why didn't he follow right after you, if he could?" Miss Kingsleigh asked. "I was under the impression that Mr. Hightopp could not leave Underland."
"You know, I never asked. I was just so happy he came after me – just like he always does, in fact – that I didn't question it." Her expression turned thoughtful. "I don't know that I need to know. He followed me into my world because he loves me, and I love him, and that's enough, you know?"
The other two Alices fell silent. Alice Kingsleigh, while highly attached to her mad hatter, never quite allowed herself to consider that she might in fact love him. Loving him would make her leaving Underland a spectacularly foolish act. Alice Liddell, having endured a barrage of ridiculous flirtations daily for weeks now, could hardly imagine that a sincere emotion might lie beneath Reginald's romantic siege.
Haltingly, Alice Kingsleigh began to speak. "I never considered, really, what sort of emotion might be between Tarrant and myself. I was not brought up to indulge in such wild sensibilities. I very greatly esteem him, and I'm grateful for everything he did for me.."
"Like what?" Alice Hamilton asked.
Alice Kingsleigh explained her adventures, how the White Rabbit had lured her back to Underland on the very day of her expected engagement to a man she hardly cared two pins about. She told of meeting the Caterpillar, Absalom, and how he'd declared her 'not hardly Alice'. Then she told of the Bandersnatch, the flight through the wastelands of Underland, until the Cheshire Cat led her back to the Hare's Tea Party.
Alice Liddell winced at Miss Kingsleigh's description of the March Hare. It sounded like Ears at his very ides-of-March worst. Alice Hamilton smiled a little at the idea of actual talking animals – no such creatures existed in her Wonderland.
Miss Kingsleigh went on to tell how Tarrant sacrificed himself to protect her – Alice Hamilton nodded with understanding – and how she became determined to rescue him. Her near escape from the Knave's attentions drew sympathy from Alice Hamilton, and horror from Alice Liddell, who couldn't have conceived of a man forcing himself upon a woman. Miss Kingsleigh then told of finding her 'muchness' and eventually taking on the role of Champion as the White Knight. The battle between the Queens and with the Jabberwock interested Alice Hamilton and terrified Alice Liddell. But in the end, Alice Kingsleigh explained, she felt she had to return home, in order find some accomplishments for herself that were not destined or bestowed.
"I did always intend to return. I must have felt that I should, otherwise I would have never have investigated the rabbit hole that led me here today."
Alice Liddell looked at her two very adventuresome guests, and suddenly felt very small and petty. So it was with trepidation that she watched Alice Hamilton turn to her and ask, "So, what was your story?"
To be continued