Chapter 4- A abnormally normal ball.
After Margaret had talked to Mrs. Kingsley, it was decided that Mr. Hightopp would be allowed to attend the ball and stay at the Kingsley manor for a little while longer. Margaret then departed, telling them all that she would see them at the ball later that night. Soon after she had left, a butler arrived with a large trunk full of Lowell's extra clothes that Tarrant could wear.
Everyone went upstairs to his or her appropriate rooms to get dressed for the ball. Clara came to Alice's room to help her get dressed. She first forced her into a corset, then began to attach the mass of me curls on her head.
"Please leave some of it down…" Alice moaned, for she hated having her hair all in a bun.
And with that, Clara divided her hair in two forming the top part into an elegant mess of twists and curls. She then left the rest down, just as her lady wished.
After fixing her hair, she helped Alice into her gown, a light pink on with a skirt that seemed to be made of petals by the way it looked and moved. The same type of ruffle that filled up the large skirt of the dress lay at the top of her dress, transforming into the sleeves of the gown that hung just below her shoulders. She truly was a sight.
"You look lovely, Miss Alice. I'm sure you will stun all the gentlemen at this ball."
Alice grimaced a bit at the last part, but then thanked her.
The Hatter was likewise engaged in the room next door, where a Kingsley butler was trying to make him look presentable. He wore a black tuxedo, and had regrettably, no hat. The biggest problem was however, that his curls wouldn't lie flat. No matter how much the butler tried, it refused to.
"Oh. Well I guess this will have to do…" That was all he said before he abandoned the cause and left the room.
The Hatter examined himself in the mirror. Not to bad… He just wished he could have worn something with a bit more color. And after taking one last look, the hatter rushed out of his room to head for the carriages, only to run into the one he was anxious to see.
"Ouch!"
"Opps! I'm sorry…" The hatter looked up to see a vision of beauty. Alice stood before him, more beautiful than he had ever remembered. "Beautiful…" He accidently said out loud, causing them both to blush profusely.
"Come Miss Alice, you must be going. Your mother is probably…" Clara said pushing Alice down the hall.
"Alice! The carriages are waiting." Her mother called from below.
Alice rolled her eyes, then picked up her skirts and ran down stairs, with the Hatter following closely behind.
"There you are. Ah, and Mr. Hightopp, I see you are coming after all." Her mother said, with forced politeness.
"Why would I not be?" He asked confused to no one in particular as they boarded the carriage. Alice sat on one side with her mother, while the Hatter sat on the other. Then to the Hatter's surprise the carriage started moving.
"What about Margaret?" He asked shocked, wondering why they were not waiting for her.
Alice tried to explain kindly, but her mother bet her to it. "She's riding with her husband of course. What do you expect? Her to just ditch him to go with us?"
This angered the Hatter a bit. He was sick of Alice's mother's demeaning remarks. Ever since he had arrived she had been acting as though he was nothing, like he was stupid, like he couldn't understand the simplest things. He was sick of it.
His eyes began to turn orange, and he started to speck in outlandish under his breath, cursing.
Alice's mother took noticed of this and whispered to her daughter, "I think you should think about choosing you friends more wisely Alice. I mean, look at the man, he seems positively mad!"
The Hatter could hear ever word she was saying, and was attempting to control himself, though his eyes kept turning a darker shade with ever second.
She could witness the look in Tarrant's eyes and her mother's extremely rude behavior. It hurt her to hear her mother talk about the Hatter that way, to abuse him, and make fun of him. It also made her feel awful for she knew how much her mother's remakes were hurting her friend. She couldn't stand it.
"Mother stop it!" Alice yelled hurt.
Tarrant' eyes flashed up at her, and he stopped his muttering. Just in time, the carriage stopped as they pulled up in front of a large building.
"Alice…." Her mother said, out raged at her daughter's tone.
"Come on Tarrant…" Alice said softly, getting out of the carriage.
He looked back at Mrs. Kingsley, then stepped out and gave Alice a large smile.
"Thank you for standing up for me." He said with a heavy lisp.
"My pleasure." Alice said with a curtsy.
"My lady…." The Hatter teased, holding out his arm.
"My lord…" Alice giggled, taking it. Then they walked into the ball arm and arm.
Walking into the ball, Alice noticed the great over population of men on the dance floor. Her mother had apparently pulled out all the stops and she was in for a long night.
Alice and Tarrant walked down the staircase, unnoticed and made their way over to refreshment table in the corner.
"What kinds of dancing do they do here?" The Hatter asked casually as he picked up a piece of cake and took a bite.
"Oh, well mostly slow dances. The waltz most of the time." Alice talked to the Hatter while she looked around at the place her mother had set up. Everything was in shades of white and light blue, except for the floor, which was white and black checkered.
"You mean I can't do the Futterwaken?" He asked, disappointed.
"No… I'm afraid not, for I know you're the best at it." Alice gave him a sweet smile and noticed a bit of chocolate frosting in the left corner of his mouth. Then, as if her hand had a mind of it's own, she reached out and brushed it off with her finger.
The Hatter was stunned and didn't really have time to mull over what had just happened until…
"Miss Kingsley. May I have the honor of the first dance?" A man with greased back blond hair came over, bowing to Alice, and giving Tarrant a disapproving look.
"Umm…" Alice glanced over to the Hatter, who's expression had changed dramatically from shock, to horror. She then looked over at her mother who was observing the seen from a near by table. "Yes. Yes of course."
Alice gave Tarrant one more look before taking the man's arm, and heading towards the dance floor.
The Hatter remained at the table for a while, his emotions taking a hold of him as he watched Alice dance with man after man. Steadily he became more and more jealous as it seemed as though Alice was having fun with some of them; that they liked her and she liked them back.
Angrily, he grabbed his second glass of champagne of the table, his eyes changed to an amber color in seconds. He then began to pace back and forth, noticing Alice laughing as a handsome, tall man with curly brown hair spun her around the ballroom.
Finishing off his glass with one last swig, Tarrant placed it down forcefully on the table next to him, and headed of towards the center of the ballroom. Standing directly behind the tall man, Tarrant tapped his shoulder angrily.
The man glanced over his shoulder, and noticed the strange man with ginger hair and oddly enough, almost ginger eyes.
"I'm sorry but the lady and I aren't finished dancing." The man said pompously, starting to dance with Alice again.
"Actually, I believe you are…." Tarrant said slightly in a Scottish accent.
"Is that so?" The man challenged, finally letting go of Alice and turning to face the intruder.
Alice gave a shocked look t the two men before her. What had gotten into the Hatter?
"Aye. Now if you would be so kind I'd like to dance with the lady. " Tarrant threatened, now speaking in a heavy accent.
The man looked over at Alice, who remained stunned by her friend's behavior, and was still staring at the Hatter with confusion and concern. " Unfortunately, I guess this is goodbye Miss Kingsley. It seems as though this has all been a waste of time." The man gave a knowing look to Tarrant, who stepped closer to Alice, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Goodnight." The man said with a bow before finally departing.
Once the man left, the Hatter stepped in front of Alice, and placed her hand on his shoulder and his hand on her waist. The then became to waltz with her, spinning her around the dance floor.
"What was that all about?" Alice asked confused, looking into the Hatter's now green eyes.
"What was what about?" The Hatter asked, trying to avoid her questions, knowing that he had acted a bit out of hand.
Alice smiled, taking his question as part of his usual madness. "Never mind." She said as she leaned her head down onto his shoulder.
"I missed you too you know…" Alice whispered, turning her head on his shoulder to face him. "When I left… I was afraid I was never going to see you again…"
The Hatter tightened his grip possessively around her waist, pulling her closer to him, completely ignoring what the other people around them might think.
They stayed like that for hours it seemed like, Tarrant twirling her around the ballroom, completely ignoring the suitors that tried to cut in. Then when everything seem perfect, Alice's mother noticed the fact that she had turned away so many suitors to dance with no other that Tarrant.
"Alice, really I'm surprised at you. Here are all these perfect suitors and what are you doing? Wasting you time with a mad, tea-drinking hatter!" Her mother lectured when she pulled her daughter out into the hall.
The Hatter winced at hearing this, then leaned on the other side of the door to catch their conversation.
"I knew you should have married Hamish that day, I should have forced you! But no, you were so set against it. You were all ready to marry him before, but ever since you fell down that rabbit hole, you have had nothing to do with matrimony, and some times I wonder why… Is it because you wish to become a poor, old maid like Aunt Imogene, because Alice, right now that is where you're headed!"
The Hatter held his breath when he heard this. Alice had been proposed to? After she left Underland? She had been ready to marry this Hamish fellow before, but then had decided not to….why?
His heart pounded. No…you're madder than they say…why would she ever want to marry you...
"Oh, there you are Tarrant!"
He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed Alice's sister, Margaret come up behind him.
"Yes…" He responded uncomfortably, wondering his she had caught him snooping on her mother and sister's conversation.
"My mother told me to order the carriage. I believe she and Alice when off in that direction a little while ago. Hopefully you can catch them."
Hearing that his ride might have just left, Tarrant rushed towards the entrance followed closely by Margaret.
The only part of the carriage he saw was it's bright lights travelling down the driveway.
Tarrant rested his arm on the wall, emotionally exhausted. How could Alice just have left?
"Oh, don't worry Tarrant. We will take you home, won't we darling?" Tarrant noticed a man now standing next to Margaret, his arm around her waist.
"Of course we will. Hello, Tarrant, I'm Lowell Manchester. Nice suit. " He said with a smirk.