Curiouser and Curiouser

by Melanie Karsak

  “Go on. Give him a scratch.”

  I pushed down the feeling of revulsion that wanted to take over and scratched the pink pig behind his ear. His skin was hard and thick, the white hairs on his head wiry.

  He snorted happily.

  “Go find some truffles,” she instructed Baby, scratching his ears once more before the pig trotted back toward the garden.

  Waving for me to follow her, the Countess led me inside.

  I’d only been inside Strawberry Hill House once before. Designed by the Countess’s eccentric relative to give the air of the dark and brooding, the castle had all manner of Gothic masonry, stained glass, and gilded touches. The Countess led me to the library. It was a sunny room. The bookshelves were elaborately designed with arched peaks of a gothic design. A cheery fireplace heated the room, taking away the chill. Above the fireplace was a painting of a girl in a red dress standing in a snowy forest.

  “Now, let me see,” the Countess said, opening one of several parchment cases that were lying on a table at the center of the room. The long table was covered with open books, papers, gears, and all manner of tinkered devices.

  I went to the bookshelf and eyed the spines. Most of the books had titles written in Latin or Greek, not that I could read Latin or Greek. I simply recognized the lettering.

  “Your relative was certainly a man of letters,” I commented.

  I pulled a book off the shelf and opened it. Inside, I found illustrations of arcane figures.

  “Old Horace? Oh yes. Lots of odd little tomes in there. He was quite interested in the occult.”

  “The occult?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. I slid the book back onto the shelf.

  “Ah yes, here we are,” the Countess said, pulling a long paper from a tube and spreading it across the desk, sending books and other contraptions rolling out of the way.

  I came to stand beside the countess and looked down at the schematic.

  “The Koh-i-Noor went on display on Monday,” the Countess said. “I saw it myself at Victoria’s opening. A rather unimpressive hunk of stone, if you ask me. I’ve never seen such a lackluster diamond. It’s kept in a cage,” she said, waving her hand across a blueprint of the display in which the diamond was housed.

  “It looks like a bird cage.”

  The Countess nodded. “At the whisper of a touch, however, it falls into this steel box below,” she said, dragging her fingertip across the design. “The pedestal is essentially a safe.”

  “How does it open?”

  “The guards have a key for the side panel. But the diamond is lowered into the safe by a hand crank. The internal mechanism is clockwork,” she said, pointing.

  “All in all, then, it’s just a safe.”

  “A highly sensitive and well-guarded one,” the Countess said then leaned back. She looked at me. “What was it they used to call you? I know they love their nicknames. What was that odd moniker Jabberwocky gave you?”

  “Bandersnatch.”

  “Ah, yes,” she said with a laugh. “A girl who could snatch a soul from the jaws of death. A Bandersnatch indeed.”

  “Speaking of snatching. How did you come across these?” I asked, waving my hand across the schematics sitting in front of me.

  “Oh, well, I do have my connections—for better or worse. Now, let’s have tea,” she said as she rolled the blueprint back up, slid it into the case, and handed it to me. Linking her arm in mine, she led me from the library to the drawing room.

  A few minutes later, a grumpy-looking maid with a severe scowl and a tight bun entered with a tray. She eyed my dress as she poured tea for the Countess and me.

  “We hiring new staff, Countess?” she asked. I’d swear I’d never heard a heavier cockney accent in all my life.

  “No, Rebecca, we are not. Mind your own business.”

  The woman frowned heavily and looked over my clothing.

  The Countess followed her gaze. “Rebecca, please go upstairs and retrieve the package on my bed. Have it loaded into the carriage,” she said then turned to me. “I expect you’ll be heading back soon? I’ll have my carriage take you.”

  I nodded. “Thank you.”

  Looking annoyed, the serving woman left.

  The Countess settled into the oversized leather chair, dropping her feet over the arm as she sipped her tea.

  “So, what have you heard?” I asked.

  “About the job?”

  I nodded. “This is not like William. Something is off here.”

  She blew across her teacup. “There are rumors.”

  “Of?”

  “That he made a deal that went bad,” the Countess said. She turned and faced me, setting her cup down. “Why do you think he asked you, Alice? Why you, of all people?”

  “He needs someone very good.”

  “You’re good, there is no doubt, but do you think that’s the only reason?”

  I sipped my tea and didn’t look at her.

  “He trusts you, Alice. And he’s in trouble. The deal was with the Queen of Hearts.”

  I set my cup down and stared at her. I knew it. From the moment he uttered the name of the diamond, I had sensed the danger. Only the Queen of Hearts would have the audacity to steal from the crown. “What was the deal? Do you know what happened?”

  She shook her head. “All I’ve heard was that she hired him for a job and it went bad. She wanted blood but settled for a diamond.”

  “I don’t like this.”

  “I don’t know what the deal was, what she has over William, but if I were you, I’d find out.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t like the idea of stealing from Queen Victoria. It’s just…it’s just not patriotic. And more, if something goes wrong—”

  “You’ll pay the price for him, and Bess will pay the price for you.”

  I nodded.

  “I’m sorry he dragged you into this, Alice. You’ve been out of the job for a year, haven’t you? I was surprised when he told me he was going to ask your help.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  “Well, surprised and not surprised, to be honest. Men often make excuses to find their way back home,” she said with a soft smile. “Now, do you still have that knife of yours?”

  I paused a moment as I thought about her words, but set such thoughts aside for the moment. I moved my apron aside to show the hilt of the blade.

  The Countess held out her hand.

  I pulled the blade from my belt and laid it in her palm.

  “The White Queen, isn’t that what you call her?” she asked, looking at the carving.

  I nodded.

  “Fitting,” the Countess said. Then she did something unexpected. Muttering something just under her breath, she ran her index finger down the flat of the blade. Her words were too low to be understood and they were also in Latin. For a second, the blade flashed with glowing blue light. The appearance of words seemed to be etched on the blade, glowing in gold. A moment later, both the light and the words dissipated. I raised an eyebrow at the Countess.

  “There. That should do it.”

  “I thought you said Uncle Horace was the one interested in the occult.”

  “Well,” the Countess said with a smile. “It never hurts to pick up things here and there.” The Countess rose. It was time to go.

  Standing, I followed her lead.

  “If there is anything else I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Be safe, Alice.”

  “Thank you.”

  She smiled. “It’s the least I can do. Your former employer was very dear to me, and I know you stayed loyal to the very end, whether you wanted to be or not. You were, in truth, like a daughter to him. And he, in truth, was someone very dear to me. In an odd way, that creates a bond between us, wouldn’t you say?”

  It was true that Lady Waldegrave and Jabberwocky had been lovers. While her words moved me, they also struck me with guilt. Jabberwocky had been like a father to me. And I had stayed true to him. Until h
e was gone. “He was like a father to me. I wish I could have been…have done more with his legacy. It’s just, the life wasn’t—”

  “No. It was never right for you. He couldn’t see it. Just because you could do the job didn’t mean you should. Not then. And not now,” she said, her expression serious. “I don’t like that you’re involved in this disaster. Please, be careful. Now let’s get you home to Bess before she worries herself sick,” she said, handing the blade back to me.

  I took the knife from her hand. When I gripped the dagger, it felt oddly cool. The Countess was an odd woman, who lived in an odd house, full of odd books, procured from her odd ancestor. And now, my blade too took on an oddness. And I knew, just from the touch, that my dagger was deadlier than ever.

  “I think I owe you a thank you.”

  She laughed. “You do. And you must repay me. Talk Bess and Henry into moving to Twickenham. Come work for me. I need someone with a quick mind. And you look dreadful in that stupid uniform.”

  I laughed.

  With that, the Countess led me back outside where a carriage waited. Sitting inside the carriage was a box.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  The Countess smiled. “A dress, a proper ladies’ dress. You cannot go the Great Exhibition dressed like that,” she said, frowning at my outfit once more.

  “I’m beginning to believe everyone hates this uniform,” I said, looking down at my white apron and blue gown. “And here I thought it was suited to me,” I said with a smile.

  The Countess grinned. “Good luck.”

  “Thank you for everything.”

  She nodded.

  Once I was settled inside the carriage, the Countess waved to the driver. Before we pulled away, however, she left me with one last piece of advice.

  “Alice,” the Countess called. “Watch your head.”

  Chapter 7: Little White Lies

  “Oh, thank goodness,” Bess exclaimed the moment I opened the door. She pulled me inside then took my face in her hands. “Alice, are you all right? I’ve been so worried. This has been an awful, awful day. Are you okay? Where have you been?” Her large blue eyes looked even wider in all the excitement. And her soft yellow curls, pale in color almost to white, hung in wild wisps about her face. The red blotches on her face told me she’d been crying.

  I looked around at the small flat my sister and I shared above the dressmaker’s shop. The place smelled of freshly baked bread. Henry was sitting in a chair by the window, a washcloth pressed against his cheek.

  “I…Lord Dodgson had me run a late errand to pick up a gift for his niece.”

  Bess sighed then pushed the door closed behind me. “I don’t know why he always asks you to do everything. Alice, look at Henry,” she said, setting her hands on her hips.

  I turned to Henry who, it seemed, wanted to look at anything other than me. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  “Henry,” I said carefully.

  “Beat up on the way home from work. And he didn’t even have a pence in his pocket to steal anyway. My poor sweet dear,” Bess said, leaving me to go to Henry. She took the cloth from his hand and touched it to his bruised cheek. She set a soft kiss on his forehead.

  Henry took her hand and kissed it gently, pressing the back of her hand to his cheek as he closed his eyes.

  “Sweet hatter,” she said, leaning in to pull him into an embrace, cradling his head against her stomach.

  The sight of it was so sweet, so full of love, that I looked away. I pretended to be distracted by Bess’s cat who wove through my feet, rubbing her head on my legs. My heart twisted.

  “Hello, Dinah,” I choked out, pressing my emotions down. I stooped to pet her.

  “Well,” Bess said as she pushed her wild curls behind her ears, “now that I have both of you at home, let’s eat. Oh, Alice, you really did give me a fright after what happened to Henry.”

  “I’m so sorry, Bess.” I set the packages the Countess had given me on my small cot then went to join Henry, who’d moved to our small kitchen table, while Bess ladled soup into our bowls.

  “Are you all right?” I asked Henry. A forlorn expression on his face, he looked up at me. His golden, hazel-colored eyes spoke volumes. I could see from his expression how truly sorry and ashamed he was. I didn’t have the heart to be angry with him.

  “I’ll recover. And you? Are you all right?”

  I nodded.

  “The world just gets worse and worse every day, I’d swear,” Bess said. “And I’d thought we’d left that life behind.”

  I shot a hard glance at Henry.

  Ashamed, he looked away.

  “Let’s talk about something cheerful. Alice, tell me about your day. Henry has had nothing but bad news. I won’t sleep the whole night unless I hear something to cheer my spirit,” Bess said as she set down the bowls in front of us.

  I tapped my spoon on the side of the bowl, then smiled at my sister. “I saw the Crystal Palace today.”

  “Oh! I heard some talk about it when I dropped off a vase at Mrs. Whitaker’s this morning.”

  “Bess? You went out?” Henry asked.

  “Just to drop off the vase.”

  “But the air was quite cool this morning. Please, let Alice and me deliver your work.”

  Bess waved her hand at him. “Henry—”

  “Bess, please stay inside until it’s truly warm,” Henry said.

  “Fine, fine,” Bess said dismissively then turned once more to me. “Tell me, what does it look like?”

  “I didn’t go in, but from what I could see, it looked like…like a world inside a raindrop.”

  Bess smiled wistfully as she sat back in her seat. “You have such a way with words, Alice. Such images,” she said then turned to Henry. “She used to tell me fabulous stories when we were children.”

  Henry smiled.

  “Nonsense tales,” I said with a grin.

  “Certainly the tale of the lobster ball, attended by snails, fish, and turtles, all lorded over by King Gryphon, was very fanciful. But what an imagination. I think many children would like to hear such stories.”

  “You flatter me.”

  “Just as much as you deserve. But no more than that. Wouldn’t want you getting an ego,” she said jokingly with a quick laugh, but when she did so, she began to cough. Soon it took over her. Her whole body rattled as she hacked. Henry rose quickly to grab her some water while I grabbed her syrup from the counter. Bess coughed hard into her handkerchief. When her coughs finally subsided, she took the cup from Henry and sipped it while I poured her a dose of the draft. I couldn’t help but notice as she set the handkerchief in her lap that there was blood on it.

  “The winter cough is still lingering,” she whispered between sips.

  Henry and I exchanged worried glances but said nothing.

  “Here,” I said, offering her a dose of the medicine which she took without hesitation.

  When I went to put the little amber bottle away, I eyed the liquid inside. Hadn’t the bottle been full last week? It was almost empty. I’d need to stop by the apothecary.

  “Do you want tea?” Henry asked her.

  Bess shook her head. “No, no, the soup will help. Sit, sit, both of you. Please. I’m all right. Don’t make a fuss. Now, Alice, tell us what else you saw.”

  “A parade of mechanical creatures. Elephants, horses, lions, all made of metal and clockwork,” I said with a smile. “Lord Dodgson is planning a visit this week. He mentioned that he might take me along,” I lied. There was no way I could visit such a place and not tell my sister about it. But I did not want to tell her I was planning to go with William. Nor did I want her to know I was not planning to be at work the rest of the week. I felt tremendously guilty.

  “How wonderful that would be,” Bess said wistfully. “He should take you. He drags you about everywhere else. Today at the shop they were talking about the Chinese vases on display at the exhibit. Mrs. Whittaker says we’re likely to get a million orders f
or them. If you go, try to bring me a pamphlet. I’ll hardly know what to paint without having a look myself.”

  “I will certainly try,” I told her, feeling wretched that I would see such beautiful things with ill-intent in my heart when a creature like my lovely sister could not afford the luxury of a ticket to visit the Crystal Palace.

  “Oh, and look at this,” Bess said, getting up from her seat. She went over to the drying stand where her china cups, platters, and vases all sat. “What do you think?” she asked, handing a delicate teacup to me. Painted thereon were images of large tropical flowers.

  “Beautiful,” I said, eyeing the ruby, brilliant pink, and sunset orange blossoms.

  “A woman brought in a book with paintings of the flowers that grow in Bermuda. Can you believe that? Her husband owns a plantation there or some such thing. She wants a full set decorated with these flowers.”

  I smiled. “Lovely work, Bess.”

  “She asked Mrs. Whittaker for me specifically. Isn’t that a pip?”

  “Your hands carry their sweetness,” Henry said.

  “As do yours, love,” she replied, tousling his hair. “And what did you make at the millinery today, dear Henry?”

  “A mess,” he replied, pulling off a hunk of bread which he handed to me.

  At that, I laughed.

  Bess smiled. “That is certain. Sometimes I think your flat is carpeted with ribbons, feathers, buttons, and silk. I don’t recall ever actually seeing the wood floor before. But tell me, did you make anything new?”

  Henry smiled, but I noticed that his cracked lip pained him. “This morning, before tea, three sisters came to see me to ask for new hats. They wanted their monograms sewn onto the front.”

  Bess laughed. “Indeed?”

  “They’re triplets. They look alike, all three of them. Their names were Elsie, Lacie, and Tillie. They wanted the monograms so their mother could tell them apart.”

  Bess grinned. “What a terrible mother she must be if she cannot differentiate between her own daughters.”

  “Well, they do all look the same.”

  “But to their mother, if she knows them well, then they should not. Do you remember those twins, Devon and David?” Bess asked me. “The ones at the mill. The boys did look the same, but once you knew their nature, they were no more alike than Alice and me.”