Disclaimer: I own nothing; the real owners are Burton, Disney, and Carroll.
~Chapter 3~
Once Alice had regained her composure she insisted that Tarrant accompany them home at once. She realized he would not have come from Underland unless there was some dire business afoot. She asked him not to ask her any questions nor tell her anything until there were in private. They walked out of the woods and into the manicured and civilized park. Alice had Sophie firmly by the hand and had Tarrant walking on her other side. It was truly and odd trio to behold. Alice could see people whispering behind there hands as she walked by. She was used to it; she had endured many years of it during her apprenticeship to Lord Ascot. It had caused such a scandal that even Alice's sister had suffered. It had only stopped once she had married Henry.
"Which one?" Tarrant asked, snapping Alice out of her thoughts. They had reached the gates to the park and there were rows of cabs and four wheelers lining the streets.
"Oh, that one." She pointed to a four-wheeler sitting a few feet away. The driver was reading the paper.
"Hello Harvey." Said Sophie brightly running ahead.
"Ello little miss, did you enjoy yourself in the park?"
"Oh yes and I even made a new friend." Harvey looked to see his mistress on the arm of a very odd character. He knew his mistress was an honorable woman but he still worried for her delicate reputation.
"And this would be Miss Sophie's new friend then?" He asked defensively of Alice. She smiled and nodded her head.
"He is a new friend to her but he is also a dear old friend of mine as well."
Tarrant smiled when he heard this, he then opened the door for Alice and helped her and Sophie in before getting in himself. Harvey shook his head and started the team for home.
"Not quite as stylish as riding by hat but it will do." Remarked Alice, once they were on their way. The Hatter smiled, he was sure Mallymkun would agree.
Sophie decided that she wanted to sit next to her new friend and talk some more.
"Where do you come from Mr…Mr…Um… I'm so sorry I never asked your name. I know mommy knows your first name but I was told it is not polite to call an adult by their first name." Tarrant smiled and looked over at Alice. There was something in his eyes that was a cross between amusement and a slight sadness. Turning to face the little girl he said.
"Well your mother would be right, about not calling me by my first name, however to my friends, which you are one of, I am often called Hatter. As per your earlier question I come from a place called Witzend in Underland."
Sophie giggled at the name.
"Is it really called that?"
"It is true dear, every word. I have been there three times myself, and I have known the Hatter since I was your age." Alice looked across at her friend. "It's funny isn't it? I seem to keep changing but you have always been the same."
"Well that's what happens when you murder Time, I suppose."
The remainder of the carriage ride was filled with questions and answers all about Underland.
Now it should be noted that Alice was quite independently wealthy. She had made her fortune in China and through trading with the Far East. Even though she was married and no longer traveled her self. She still planned every detail of the trading expeditions she funded.
The Hatter could see the house from the street and it was huge. There was also something slightly familiar about it. If Tarrant didn't know better he would have sworn that the house had been designed to look like Marmoreal. They reached the front door and Alice led the way inside. The housemaid came over and somehow managed to ask with a straight face if she could take the Hatter's hat. He did not relinquish it but thanked the maid anyway.
Alice sent her daughter up to the nursery, with much protest from both her daughter
"No, no, no. I want to listen to your conversation."
"Yes, yes, yes. You need a bath and a nap. Or else you won't be able to stay awake tonight while our dear Hatter is visiting." At the prospect of being aloud to stay up late Sophie quickly raced up the stairs followed by her maid.
"Lizzie, please have some tea brought to the drawing room."
"Yes ma'am."
Once they were completely alone and sipping tea, Alice left her respectable place sitting across from Tarrant and instead sat right next to him.
"Alice." He said at last. "I must say that if the White Queen were here she would be flattered by the way you have designed your home." Alice thought about that statement for a moment.
"While I was with Absolem he said that I had hidden myself away. But like before, I stilled dreamed about Underland. So I suppose this house is a reflection of those dreams. All throughout our park there are little statues that I had made because of my dreams. I don't know if you saw them or not but I have a few statues along the drive in the shape of knights and pawns. Now it all makes sense."
Tarrant wanted to bite his tongue about the most pressing matter on his mind but he just could not hold it in any long.
"It's a lovely house but I have yet to see your…hus…hus"
"My husband?" the Hatter nodded. Alice remembered enough of the past to know that Tarrant wore all his emotions quite literally on his sleeves, and in his eyes. She had also begun to remember feelings that in her youth she had not fully understood. That knowledge brought the meaning behind the hatters question into focus.
"Where is he? If I might ask? Seeing as you are married and must ask your husband's permission to do anything." This statement hit a nerve but Alice kept her cool.
"Henry is in South Africa, he is a soldier." She stated. Judging by her friend's face, her answer was nowhere near good enough.
"We met on my second trip to China." As she spoke her mind wandered back to that exotic land. It had been some of the happiest years of her life.
"He was not like anyone I knew, he encouraged me to go the extra mile, to take the far fetched deal. We seemed to have so many things in common. He swept me off my feet with proclamations of love and devotion and before I knew it, we were married." She saddened at the thought, "Everything was fine for the first few years then…I had Sophie." Tarrant could see tears starting to form in Alice's eyes. A small rage had begun to burn within him; he managed to keep it held in check but a small flicker of it was starting to show in his eyes.
"The birth was very hard on the both of us. They thought that neither of us would survive. Henry stayed by me the whole time. But he never went to her, to Sophie. At first I believed it was because he thought she would die and he didn't want to get too attached. But he never even held her after she was past the danger point. Then the doctors told him that the birth had damaged me and that I would never have another baby." The tears started to fall. Alice leaned into the Hatter for support.
"It was after that he became cold towards me. He spent more time with his regiment then with us. When Sophie was only two she asked him to play with her and her doll. He took the doll and threw it in the fire then cursed her and me, for having been a girl. That was when I understood why he was acting the way he was. It was because he didn't want her. He didn't want a daughter and he didn't want me anymore either because I could not give him a son."
"Why that frumious shukrn covered scrum!' Growled the now infuriated Hatter. "If I ever lay eyes on him I'll…"
"Tarrant, please." Alice put her cool hands on both his cheeks to calm him. Just as she had done once before many years ago.
"Thank you." The Hatter said softly, once his eyes had returned to their true green colour. "Have you solved the riddle? Do you know the answer?" A change of subject was indeed in order. The red fire had evaporated from his eyes, quenched it seemed by the tears in hers.
"No I don't, but you should ask Sophie, she is very good at riddles." Alice smiled, glad to see her friend was managing to keep his temper in check.
"You have changed and not changed. You're successful, strong,and a mother. And yet you married a guddler's scut"
"Well, we all make mistakes don't we, Tarrant, but we can't keep torturing ourselves over them." Alice composed herself once again and sat down. Tarrant sat next to her.
"Now I have answered your questions now answer mine. Why have you left Underland?"
All Right that is Chapter 3 up coming soon Chapter 4
I would like to send out a big thank you to Detafo for being my Beta Reader.
Review please it helps feed my plot bunnies