The Milliner’s disobedience had
necessitated a change in strategy: She’d had to direct the knight
and
rook, already on their way to rendezvous with Arch at the Sin Bin Gaming Club, to arrest the Lord and Lady of Diamonds instead, leaving Hatter to try and secure Molly’s release as he thought best. Nothing else seemed feasible. Whether or not the Milliner would face consequences for his disobedience depended, to some degree, on what happened with Molly, as well as his attitude when—if—he and his daughter returned.
“I’ve also been searching for Molly,” she said. “In Boarderton and the Ganmede province…” Bibwit sat down beside her on the tufted bench. “But you don’t see her either?” “No.”
She’d been contacted by Arch soon after Hatter’s arrival in Boarderland. “Queen Heart,” the king had boomed, “I am thankful—for Homburg Molly’s sake—that you’ve sent the Milliner to negotiate on her behalf, as the Ganmedes requested. Mr. Madigan is a keen negotiator and I have every confidence that he and the Ganmedes will shortly agree to terms assuring Homburg Molly’s release. But why hear it from me when you can hear it from Hatter himself?” The Milliner had then come online, Alyss hoping for a clue to help interpret his behavior. But looking as blank as a fresh sheet of papyrus, Hatter only corroborated what Arch had already told her—he was negotiating for Molly’s release; there was cause for optimism. He must have known she would look for him with her imagination’s eye; which meant he must have known that she had seen him gallivanting about with Arch; which in turn meant he knew that Alyss knew that he was lying about his negotiations. And yet he had lied anyway. Why? Even if Arch had been eavesdropping, with a timely dip of the head or shift of the eyes Hatter could have communicated the precariousness of the role he’d assumed. With a patterned blinking of eyelids, he could have reassured her that all she’d seen him doing, he had done for Molly and the queendom. Had his love for Molly made a deserter of him?
“I think perhaps I too should congratulate you,” Bibwit said. “Why does everyone keep wanting to congratulate me?” Bibwit winked and nudged Alyss several times. “Why, indeed. I can understand your not wanting to make a grand announcement of it, Alyss. But I have not lived through untold generations for nothing, and I believe that even if the queendom weren’t dealing with its present problems, you would not have chosen to flaunt your disregard of a royal practice that Wonderland queens have abided by since at least the time of my birth.” He winked and nudged her some more, his ears flopping friskily atop his head. “Bibwit, what are you talking about?”
“Although,” the tutor qualified, “if you do plan to marry below your rank, I think you can outrage history even more by choosing lower than a guardsman.” Alyss blushed.
Bibwit leaned closer and spoke soothingly, sincerely. “Your recent displays of affection have been admirably subtle, my dear, but no longer hiding your feelings from yourselves, it’s impossible that you could hide them from the rest of us—or, at least, from me. I congratulate you on your engagement to Dodge.”
“Well, technically, I’m not sure we’re—”
rook, already on their way to rendezvous with Arch at the Sin Bin Gaming Club, to arrest the Lord and Lady of Diamonds instead, leaving Hatter to try and secure Molly’s release as he thought best. Nothing else seemed feasible. Whether or not the Milliner would face consequences for his disobedience depended, to some degree, on what happened with Molly, as well as his attitude when—if—he and his daughter returned.
“I’ve also been searching for Molly,” she said. “In Boarderton and the Ganmede province…” Bibwit sat down beside her on the tufted bench. “But you don’t see her either?” “No.”
She’d been contacted by Arch soon after Hatter’s arrival in Boarderland. “Queen Heart,” the king had boomed, “I am thankful—for Homburg Molly’s sake—that you’ve sent the Milliner to negotiate on her behalf, as the Ganmedes requested. Mr. Madigan is a keen negotiator and I have every confidence that he and the Ganmedes will shortly agree to terms assuring Homburg Molly’s release. But why hear it from me when you can hear it from Hatter himself?” The Milliner had then come online, Alyss hoping for a clue to help interpret his behavior. But looking as blank as a fresh sheet of papyrus, Hatter only corroborated what Arch had already told her—he was negotiating for Molly’s release; there was cause for optimism. He must have known she would look for him with her imagination’s eye; which meant he must have known that she had seen him gallivanting about with Arch; which in turn meant he knew that Alyss knew that he was lying about his negotiations. And yet he had lied anyway. Why? Even if Arch had been eavesdropping, with a timely dip of the head or shift of the eyes Hatter could have communicated the precariousness of the role he’d assumed. With a patterned blinking of eyelids, he could have reassured her that all she’d seen him doing, he had done for Molly and the queendom. Had his love for Molly made a deserter of him?
“I think perhaps I too should congratulate you,” Bibwit said. “Why does everyone keep wanting to congratulate me?” Bibwit winked and nudged Alyss several times. “Why, indeed. I can understand your not wanting to make a grand announcement of it, Alyss. But I have not lived through untold generations for nothing, and I believe that even if the queendom weren’t dealing with its present problems, you would not have chosen to flaunt your disregard of a royal practice that Wonderland queens have abided by since at least the time of my birth.” He winked and nudged her some more, his ears flopping friskily atop his head. “Bibwit, what are you talking about?”
“Although,” the tutor qualified, “if you do plan to marry below your rank, I think you can outrage history even more by choosing lower than a guardsman.” Alyss blushed.
Bibwit leaned closer and spoke soothingly, sincerely. “Your recent displays of affection have been admirably subtle, my dear, but no longer hiding your feelings from yourselves, it’s impossible that you could hide them from the rest of us—or, at least, from me. I congratulate you on your engagement to Dodge.”
“Well, technically, I’m not sure we’re—”