"Nanny, please, let me just take a peek into the hallway to see if anyone is there. I won't go far."
After some convincing, the nanny finally agreed. "Alright, go peek, but don't wander off. I didn't give you permission to explore."
William peeked through the door, but no one was in sight. He dared to move up to the railing and looked down. Below, in the grand hall, he spotted Simon.
"Hey, Simon, over here!" he called out.
Simon looked up. "Master William?"
"Could you do me a favor?" William asked.
"If it's within my power, of course."
"Could you go to Goodwin's Cupboard and bring me something?"
"Master William, you know I'm not allowed to open Goodwin's cupboard."
"I know, but ask him. The next puzzle is in there!"
Simon looked at him skeptically, but eventually relented. About ten minutes later, the next puzzle was in William's hands. This time, it wasn't in the usual format. There wasn't an illustration on the left and the puzzle on the right. Instead, in the middle of the paper was an illustration of the mad tea party, and around it were words: Alice, The Mad Tea Party, Dormouse, The March Hare, Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat.
There was no other text. Absolutely nothing. William sat in his chair in the nursery, deeply focused. He turned the paper around several times, hoping that something would jump out at him. He traced the lines of the drawing with his finger, trying to find any hidden clues or symbols that might help him solve it.
"Sorry, Nanny, but I have to go to Mum. I have no idea how to solve this puzzle."
"You can't. Her Ladyship is taking her nap. You know she doesn't like being disturbed during her resting hours."
"I know, but this puzzle is impossible. It doesn't have any instructions and one can't just think about impossible things."
The nanny smiled knowingly. "Remember what the Red Queen says… Sometimes it helps to think about six impossible things before breakfast. Maybe that will give you a fresh perspective."
William sighed and leaned back in his chair, staring at the paper in frustration. He knew his mother wouldn't give him an unsolvable puzzle, but this one seemed beyond his abilities. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember if his mother had ever mentioned anything about the mad tea party that could be a clue.
"Maybe it's something from the story itself," he muttered to himself. "Alice in Wonderland… The Mad Tea Party… Maybe there's something specific in that scene?"
He jumped up from his chair, grabbed a copy of "Alice in Wonderland" from the nursery bookshelf, and flipped through the pages until he found the chapter with the tea party. He scanned the text quickly, looking for anything that matched the words on the paper. Yet, he couldn't find anything.
William took advantage of the moment when the nanny went to the bathroom to sneak away. Without wasting time, he slipped out of the nursery and tiptoed down the hall toward the grand master bedroom, the puzzle in hand. Slowly, he opened the door, trying not to make a sound. The heavy curtains were drawn, dimming the room into a peaceful twilight. His mother lay there, asleep, her breathing calm and steady. William hesitated for a moment at the edge of the bed, feeling a twinge of guilt, but curiosity and the comfort of her presence pulled him forward. Carefully, he put the puzzle on the bedside table and climbed onto the bed beside her, moving with the stealth of a cat, not wanting to disturb her. He nestled in close, resting his head on the pillow next to hers. He lay beside her for a few moments, watching her breathe softly. He didn't want to wake her, but his impatience got the better of him.
Gently, he reached out and touched her hand, small fingers curling around hers. "Mum," he whispered. She didn't stir, so he scooted a little closer, his cheek resting against her arm. "Muuum," he whispered again, a little louder this time.
Marguerite's eyelashes fluttered, her peaceful expression shifting as she stirred slightly. William grinned, encouraged by the small movement. He leaned in, his lips close to her ear, and whispered, "Mummy... wake up!"
This time, her eyes slowly opened, blinking against the dim light of the room. She turned her head slightly, finding William's bright eyes watching her with a mischievous smile.
"William," she murmured sleepily. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to see you."
"You know, sneaking into my bed is a bit naughty, young man."
William smiled up at her. "But you love it."
"Yes I do," She replied, unable to argue, her hand reaching up to gently ruffle his hair.
Marguerite brushed the sleep from her eyes and sensed there was more on his mind than just seeking comfort.
"What is it, William?"
"I... I can't solve the puzzle."
"You woke me up for that?"
He hesitated, knowing she wasn't thrilled. "I tried everything, but it doesn't have any instructions. It has to be an anagram—there's nothing else it could be. I thought maybe you could help me figure it out."
Marguerite sighed, sitting up a little. "William, you're perfectly capable of solving it on your own. I made it very simple on purpose."
"But it's impossible without a hint!"
She shook her head. "Trust me, it's not impossible. I didn't design these puzzles to be too difficult for you. You're just overthinking it."
"But it has to be an anagram, right? I can't think of any other solution."
"Anagram or not, I'm not helping you this time. If I gave you all the answers, where's the fun in that?"
Soon the door opened and John stepped in side. "What do we have here?"
Marguerite let out an exaggerated sigh. "It seems I can't even get two hours of decent rest in this house," she said, glancing at William, who gave her an innocent smile.
John chuckled and crossed the room, sitting on the edge of the bed beside them. "Well, I suppose that's what happens when you've got a curious little adventurer on your hands."
William shifted to sit up between his parents. "I just needed help with the puzzle."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough." John said. "Maybe after a bit of rest?"
William groaned. "Not you too, Dad. I don't need rest, I need answers!"
"No shortcuts!" Marguerite teased.
"I don't want a shortcut, just a hint!" William exclaimed.
"A hint, huh?" Marguerite asked. "I'll give you a hint. In order for me to stay beautiful for all of you, I need my...?"
"Beauty sleep," William concluded, rolling his eyes but clearly amused, then adding, "But you've already slept for two hours!"
"You know your mother loves to lounge. " John laughed. "It's practically her favorite hobby!"
Marguerite raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, if that's how you see it, I suppose you won't be joining me for naps anytime soon."
John smirked and shook his head in amused disbelief. By now, he had learned to take her threats, even the playful ones, quite seriously.
"Alright, let's give your Mother at least another half hour of rest." He said and scooped William up in his arms, causing the boy to giggle. William quickly grabbed the puzzle before John could whisk him away completely. Just as he did, Marguerite reached out and planted a gentle kiss on the boy's cheek.
With the door gently closing behind them, Marguerite settled back into the bed, her smile lingering as she was thinking about her dearest ones.
Once in the hallway, John started to carry William toward the nursery, but before they reached the door, William cried out, "Not there, Dad! Nanny will scold me for sneaking out."
"Ah, I see. A little escape artist, are we?"
William nodded quickly, clutching the puzzle to his chest. "Yeah, she'll know I snuck out while she was in the bathroom. Can we go somewhere else, please?"
"First we have to let her know where you are. We don't want her worrying or searching for you all over the house."
"Alright, but you tell her. She won't be as mad if it comes from you."
With that, John turned toward the nursery, knocking gently on the door and letting the nanny know that William would be with him. Afterward, they headed down the hall.
As John carried William down the stairs, William suddenly exclaimed, "Look, Dad! This star!" He pointed at the puzzle illustration of the Mad Tea Party tablecloth. There was an eight-pointed star there.
John glanced down, intrigued. "What about it?"
"See? It has eight points! Stars usually have five or six points. I thought it was just an illustration for the 'Twinkle, Twinkle' rhyme, but now it looks more like a compass pointing to specific letters."
"Now that's a sharp observation. You might be onto something."
William traced his finger along the points of the star, carefully following where each one led. As he connected the letters, he concluded the answer was THE CLOCK.
But it couldn't be just any clock. It had to be that old grandfather clock under the stairs, the tall, imposing timepiece that had always been there. They approached it and John, holding William with one hand, used the other to open the compartment. There, tucked neatly inside, was the next puzzle.