Curiouser and Curiouser: Steampunk Alice in Wonderland (Steampunk Fairy Tales) Page 2

  I frowned at him.

  “Don’t get too frustrated,” he replied then pulled the curtain open, beckoning me inside, “or the other Alice might peek out. Come.”

  I entered the semi-private enclosure. Inside, I spotted William’s chief bodyguard, the Knave. A tart lay naked, asleep in an opium stupor, on a chaise nearby.

  I nodded to the Knave.

  “Alice,” he said with a soft smile. I caught the lilt of his Irish accent in his voice. His real name, of course, was Jack. He’d been friends with William and me since we were young. As was the habit in the industry, Jack went by a pseudonym. If someone ratted you out, it was better that they had no idea what your real name might be. It’s a lot harder to track a man named Knave than it was Jack O’Toole or Caterpillar than it was to find William Charleston.

  “Have a seat, Alice from this morning,” William said.

  I sat on the chaise, gently pushing aside the legs of the intoxicated strumpet.

  “What brings you here?” he asked, rubbing a thoughtful finger across his chin. He’d grown a short, neatly-kept beard since I saw him last. It looked very handsome.

  “Rabbit stole a pocket watch from my employer. I want it back.”

  “What does that have to do with me?” William asked.

  “Cake?” one of William’s girls offered, holding out a tray on which sat a colorful selection of petit fours.

  I looked down at the small treats. I could smell the aroma of the frosting, nearly taste the sweet confections in a glance. I could see the game was truly afoot. They were my favorite. I raised an eyebrow at William who smiled.

  The stubborn part of me wanted to tell William, and the girl, to sod off. But the part of me who hadn’t tasted strawberry frosted, vanilla-sweetened, and raspberry-and crème-filled cake in months could say no such thing. I lifted a small cake and popped it into my mouth, feeling annoyed and enraptured all in the same moment. I closed my eyes, savoring the taste. They’d come from my favorite baker. William had remembered. Once more, angry and elated feelings swept over me.

  “Drink?” the girl then offered.

  I opened my eyes to see the girl was holding a bottle of absinthe.

  “Alice isn’t the type. Do you want some tea?” he asked.

  I shook my head.

  “Run off,” he told the serving girl, waving her away.

  The girl turned to go, but before she could leave, I reached out and grabbed just one more petit four: pistachio and chocolate. I popped it into my mouth.

  “I’m glad you like them,” William said, grinning at me.

  The warmth of his gaze made me angry. He didn’t have any right being this nice to me. “The pocket watch?” I asked after swallowing the last bite.

  “Alice from the morning is very business-oriented. Right, then. What of it?”

  “I hate it when you play coy. And you’re not very good at it. Rabbit entered this tent not a moment before me. I want that watch. Must I remind you that we have an understanding? You don’t tangle in my affairs, remember? It was agreed upon.”

  “You certainly are Alice from this morning,” he said with a frown. “Not that the outfit didn’t give it away. Crisp white apron you have there, Alice. But the blue maid’s dress brings out your eyes.”

  “We all wear costumes, don’t we, Caterpillar and his Knave?” I said, casting a glance at Jack. “Is he Jack or is he the Knave? Are you Caterpillar or are you William? Hard to tell what’s truth and what’s fiction, isn’t it?”

  William smirked then turned to Jack. “Find Rabbit.”

  “He shouldn’t be far. You waved him off just a moment ago,” I said.

  Chuckling under his breath, Jack left.

  “Why did you bring me here?” I asked.

  “Bring you here?” William replied.

  Now I was getting irritated. “Yes. Why did you bring me here?”

  “Chance brings you here.”

  “There is no such thing. Rabbit would never steal from me or mine unless you told him to.”

  “Really?”

  “William,” I replied, a warning in my voice.

  “Let’s just say that a pocket watch brought you here,” he said.

  “For what reason?”

  “Time, I suppose.”

  “Enough games. What do you want?” I hated feeling toyed with. Waffling between anger and heartache, I wanted to run away from the scene but couldn’t.

  “Ah, now there is Alice from before. I need that Alice’s help.”

  “That Alice doesn’t exist anymore. And why would she help you, all things considered?”

  “Because of all things considered.”

  I looked deeply into his blue eyes. “I don’t think that interests her anymore.”

  “Then there is nothing more for us to discuss.”

  “The pocket watch.”

  “Fine. I’ll have the boy return it, and you can be on your way.”

  That was it? Too easy. Why did he need my help? What kind of trouble was he in? “Fine.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’ll hear another case while we wait.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Of course not. You haven’t for a long time, have you?”

  I glanced up at him. I caught that old look in his eye, that heartbroken man who had once loved me—whom I had once loved—but he looked away.

  “And whose fault is that?”

  “Yes, of course, you’re right about that. It’s all on me, isn’t it?” he replied then turned away. “Robert, bring him in,” William called to one his guards.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How goes the dusting, Alice? I heard you were out shopping with His Grace this morning. Must be scintillating work. Honest work, of course. Honest as they come, aren’t you, Alice?” he snapped.

  “What do you know about being honest or true?”

  He brushed off the question. “Of course, business is busy here, not that you’d be interested. With the Crystal Palace visitors, there is a lot to manage. Hard work. So much work, in fact, that you get the impression that someone had originally intended it to be managed by two people, not one. Of course, that probably doesn’t matter to you. And then there are the airship races. My coffers are filling every day. So many people just love to bid what they cannot afford.”

  My heart skipped a beat.

  “Ah, here we go,” William said. “Yet another gambler with empty pockets.”

  Two guards came in dragging a man between them. They dropped him on the floor. His top hat fell from his head and rolled to my feet.

  I gasped. “Henry.”

  “Alice?” Henry whispered, turning to look up at me. His face was bloody and broken. “What are you doing amongst these mad people?”

  “What am I doing here? What are you doing here?” I shot back.

  “He’s mad, of course. Why else would he be here?” William answered with a laugh. “We’re all mad here.”

  I glared at William then bent to pick up the hat.

  “Now, I’m afraid your hatter friend owes one of my associates a considerable amount of money. I was able to intervene, but, unfortunately, not before the good hatter got himself worked over. How much does he owe?” William asked, shooting a look to one of his henchmen.

  “More than he’s worth,” the man replied.

  Henry’s suit was torn, the sleeve ripped, the shirt open. One eye was red and puffy, blood leaking from his lip.

  “Henry, you didn’t,” I whispered.

  “He did. And I’m sure Alice from before remembers what’s done with gamblers who cannot pay,” William said.

  “Oh no. Not his fingers. His hands are his livelihood. He can repay the debt. His hats are in such demand that he has taken on an apprentice. He can pay the debt. I’ll pay as well.”

  “I’m so sorry, Alice. I was just trying to—” Henry began but William cut him off.

  “And how long will that take? Half a year, perhaps? My associate wants to take six fingers now
. That’s the standard. We can do so and be done with the matter.”

  “William, don’t you dare,” I growled.

  “Alice, I’m so sorry. I wanted to raise enough money to take Bess to Bath. The winters are so hard on her. I had a tip on one of the racers—”

  I raised my hand to silence Henry then turned on William. “All right. What do you want?”

  “As I said, your help.”

  “No, Alice. Don’t. You’re done with that. Please. Not for me,” Henry said.

  “How touching. But none of your business,” William told Henry. He then turned to his guards. “Throw him out.”

  “Alice, whatever he wants, say no,” Henry pleaded.

  I handed Henry his hat then turned to William. “Fine. Let’s talk.”

  William smiled.

  “Alice, I’m so sorry. This is my fault. Alice?” Henry called as they dragged him away.

  “Nice chap, but he’s a miserable gambler,” William said.

  “Poor methods, but a noble reason. He’d do anything for Bess, not something you’d understand, of course. Now, what do you want?”

  “I have a problem. The situation has become…delicate. I need someone with your talents.”

  “I have many talents, as you mentioned. Shall I do your shopping for you? I’m also very adept at dusting, pressing clothes—”

  “You know what I mean,” he said, turning to pluck a date out of a bowl on the table sitting beside his chaise.

  “I don’t have those talents anymore.”

  “No?” he asked, his back turned to me. A second later, he turned and lobbed a dagger at me. The movement was quick, but something mean in me took over.

  I reached out and deftly caught the blade by the handle.

  I threw the knife to the ground.

  “Stop it,” I said.

  “Stop what?” he asked, his gaze steady. “Are you still carrying her?”

  “No,” I lied.

  “William came close to me and gently slid his hand under my apron to pull out the dagger hidden there. “I can still tell when you’re lying,” he said. “Of course you carry her. We never stray far from our center. I need your help, Alice. And not the Alice from this morning. You know who I need.”

  “And if I say no?” I was trembling and not with anger. I hadn’t been this close to him in months, hadn’t felt his touch in so long, and in that instant, I realized how terribly I missed him. The feeling confused and thrilled me.

  “Then the hatter loses a few fingers.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes, I am. We never stray far from our center. What’s the job?”

  “Nothing you can’t handle.” He leaned into my ear, his hot breath like a caress on my cheek, and whispered, “Welcome back, Bandersnatch.”

  Chapter 4: The Fine Art of Pretending to Speak Frankly

  “Come,” William said, linking his arm in mine. He waved for the Knave to follow us. The sudden closeness felt very odd. Did all old loves feel such strange inklings when their flesh touched again? We made our way out of the tent and back into the fresh air. I was glad. The heavy scent of tobacco and opium polluted my lungs and burned my nose.

  Wordlessly, we walked between the tents and down the path toward the green space outside the Crystal Palace. William led us to a small arched bridge that crossed a stream. We stood at the rail, looking at the magnificent structure. At the moment, they were holding a parade. Circus animals—elephants, zebras, horses, and other beasts—were being led down the promenade and into the exhibition. It would have been a remarkable sight in and of itself, but the fact that all the creatures were made of metal and clockwork only hinted at the vast wonderland that awaited inside the exhibition.

  “Take the rest of the week off. Visit the Countess tonight. She has a few odds and ends for you. Meet me before nine tomorrow.”

  “Why?”

  “We’ll be taking in the wonders,” he said, motioning to the Great Exhibition.

  “Whatever for?”

  “Because we need to have a look.”

  “At?”

  “At the Koh-i-Noor.”

  I paused, thinking back to where I’d heard the name before. “The diamond? You mean one of Victoria’s crown jewels?”

  “It’s on display at the Crystal Palace. I fancied we’d take a look, see what kind of security is on the piece,” he said with a smile. But his expression was odd. That wasn’t an I’m about to make a fortune off this heist kind of grin.

  “And what interest do you have in one of Victoria’s baubles? That’s a mark with an enormous amount of risk attached.”

  “We all have higher aspirations,” he said, his voice full of false bravado. “Time to move on to bigger game.”

  “I can tell a raven from a writing desk,” I said sharply.

  William smirked. “I didn’t want to ask your help, but I need that diamond. And I need someone I can depend on to do the job.”

  “And why do you think I’m a good choice?”

  “Because if anyone can lift that diamond, it’s you. And I know that you’ll have my back if things go pear-shaped. Just like before.”

  The memory of my hands covered in blood flashed through my mind. Again, I recalled the dead man at my feet, his mouth open wide, his face frozen in the grimace of death. I closed my eyes hard, pushing the memory away. “I did that to save you. I did that because I loved you.”

  “Which is why I know you will help me again.”

  His words startled me. I opened my eyes and looked at him. A million words left unspoken flowed between us in that single glance. William looked away. I steeled my heart then stepped back. I turned to Jack who’d been standing a discreet distance away.

  “Do you have the pocket watch?”

  He glanced at William who nodded.

  Reaching into his coat, Jack pulled out Lord Dodgson’s watch and handed it to me.

  I slipped it into my pocket then turned back to William.

  “And where were you when I needed you?” I finally shot back. “Where were you this winter when Bess nearly died? In your big house, that’s where. It was Henry who looked after us. Where were you?”

  He opened his mouth to reply but didn’t say anything. Whatever answer he might have given, it wouldn’t have been enough.

  I glared at William. “I’ll help you…for Henry. Henry may be a mad fool, but he would do anything for my sister, risk anything, give up anything. That’s what love is. Something you know nothing about,” I said then turned and walked away.

  “Alice,” William called.

  I didn’t look back.

  “I saved your hatter. He still has his fingers because of me.”

  “It’s not enough,” I replied, walking away. My heart thundered as I moved back into the crowd. After all this time, he’d found a way to drag me back into the mess. Why now? Why did he really want that diamond? That wasn’t his style. He rarely risked so big. Something didn’t make sense, and before I fell any further into the hole Rabbit dug for me, I needed to figure out what was going on.

  Chapter 5: Six Impossible Things

  Lord Dodgson stared down at the pocket watch, his eyes brimming with tears of appreciation.

  “Impossible. How did you manage it?” he asked with a shake of the head.

  “It was nothing, sir.”

  He shook his head. “I owe you something special for this, dear Alice,” he said, stroking his finger across the glass face of the watch. “What would you like?”

  I smiled. “Might I beg your patience to ask for the rest of the week off?”

  “The rest of the week off?”

  “Yes, Your Grace. With pay.”

  He laughed. “And with pay.”

  “It was your grandfather’s watch, wasn’t it, Your Grace?”

  Lord Dodgson smiled. “It was. All right. Of course. Time it is. That’s what matters most, right?” he asked with a laugh, looking at the watch. />
  “Indeed.”

  “In fact, take the rest of the day off. Time is a gift best given at once.”

  And a gift that can’t be taken back, I considered, but did not say so. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

  He nodded and smiled at the pocket watch.

  Taking my cue to leave, I curtsied nicely then headed toward the door. Now I needed to get to Twickenham and back before dark. As it was, Bess was going to be upset once she got a look at Henry. I didn’t want her worrying about me too. There was only one way to get anywhere quickly. Sighing, reluctant to bump into yet another old friend, I turned and headed toward the airship towers.

  * * *

  “Alice Lewis?” Winston asked as he adjusted the optical devices on his goggles to look at me more closely. “What are you doing here?”

  The wind blew harshly on the loading platform outside the small airship. Grabbing a handful of cloth, I held my skirt down. The ship’s balloon shifted overhead in the breeze. Metal clattered gently from somewhere amongst the ropes of the rigging. Winston leaned against the rail, his pipe dangling from his mouth as he considered me. He’d grown a long mustache since I saw him last. It trailed off his chin like a walrus’s tusks. Like me, Winston had left the life. Now he ran fares in his small airship. It was an honest life but not a rich one. Something I understood well.

  “I just need a quick lift.”

  “Do you?” he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. In its wake was a smear of grease.

  “Yes,” I replied with a grin.

  “As much as I love you, no one rides for free.”

  I nodded, dipped into my pocket, then tossed him two coins. “Just a quick trip. That should cover it.”

  “To where?”

  “Twickenham.”

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “Twickenham?”

  “Yes.”

  “To her?”

  “Is there anything else in Twickenham?”

  “Pub there serves a good kidney pie.”

  “I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

  “Such a thing?”

  “As good kidney pie.”

  Grinning, he asked, “You’re not back in the life are you, Alice?”