by Isobel Bird
“Don’t touch them!” Mrs. Morgan warned her. “Not until the reception.”
Annie lowered the lid as Kate said jokingly, “Back away from the tarts.”
Just then Jessica and Tara arrived with more boxes, this time containing sandwiches. Mrs. Morgan told them where to put everything and then turned to Kate and Annie. “Everyone out of the kitchen who isn’t working,” she said. “Now go. Shoo.”
“We’re going. We’re going,” said Kate as she and Annie fled into the other room, giving Tara and Jessica sympathetic glances.
“How is everything going?” Kate asked when she and Annie were alone.
“Fine,” Annie said. “The food is here, the flowers are here. Juliet is upstairs doing last-minute costume stuff. Aunt Sarah and Grayson are only slightly hysterical. Becka and Meg are setting up the chairs in the garden. The string quartet called to say they’d be here at ten, and Sophia and Thatcher are due any minute.”
“Speaking of which,” Kate said, “any idea what Sophia is up to with this initiation thing?”
Annie shook her head. “None,” she said. “I’ve been so busy, though, that I haven’t even had time to think about it. How about you?”
“I have no clue,” Kate said. “But I wish I did.”
“Kate, I need your help bringing the cake in,” Mrs. Morgan said, emerging from the kitchen holding her cell phone to her ear. “The delivery van is pulling up now. We’ll bring the cake through the back door.”
“You’d think she was directing the Oscars,” said Kate, rolling her eyes. “I’ll be back.”
Kate left to help her mother, and Annie went upstairs to see how Juliet was doing. She found her making some adjustments to the Queen of Hearts costume that Sophia was going to wear. Because Sophia was a smaller size than the woman who had originally been performing the ceremony, Juliet had had to take it in. She was just sewing the final seam when Annie appeared.
“This feels like opening night at the theater,” Juliet joked. “I’m waiting for someone to split their pants or rip something right before the curtain goes up.”
“There’s still time,” Annie told her. “What did you decide about Thatcher’s costume?”
Because they had planned on having only one person perform the wedding, they hadn’t thought about a possible second costume. But Sophia and Thatcher were going to do the wedding together, and they couldn’t have one of them in costume and one of them in regular clothes.
“Ah,” Juliet replied. “That one took some thought. “At first I thought he should be the King of Hearts, to go with the Queen. But I didn’t have time to make that kind of costume.”
“So what did you come up with?” Annie asked.
Juliet went to the table where she’d set up Aunt Sarah’s sewing machine, and picked up a cloak made out of silver silk. There was a matching pair of silver pajamalike pants to go with it.
“The White Knight,” she said. “I know this isn’t exactly armor, but it will have to do. And Thatcher has that wild hair and beard. He’ll make a great White Knight.”
Annie laughed. “It’s perfect,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the two of them all dressed up.”
“Annie!” Becka called from downstairs.
“Duty calls,” Annie said to Juliet, and left the room. When she got downstairs she found both Thatcher and Sophia and the string quartet waiting for her. She pointed at Sophia and Thatcher. “You two, upstairs,” she said. Then she pointed at the quartet. “You four, come with me.”
While Thatcher and Sophia went upstairs to get changed into their costumes, Annie showed the quartet into the garden, dodging Kate’s mother and her helpers on the way through the kitchen.
“The wedding procession will come in through there,” Annie said, indicating the back gate of the garden. “We’ll walk between the rows of chairs and stop here,” she continued, pointing to the spot they’d chosen for the actual wedding ceremony. “So you should probably set up over there,” she concluded, waving her hand at a spot by the back steps.
“I hope the weather holds,” said the woman who played the cello as the musicians began to set up. “It looks pretty gray.”
Annie looked up at the sky. She’d been so busy preparing things that she hadn’t even noticed the weather. But the cellist was right—it did look gray. She couldn’t think about that, though. There was too much to do. Guests would be arriving in less than twenty minutes, and she wasn’t even dressed.
Becka and Meg had finished setting up the forty or so chairs. Annie left the quartet to finish getting ready and herded her sister and Becka inside to get dressed. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, so she pushed her momentary worries about the weather to the back of her mind and concentrated on what came next.
The three girls went upstairs, where they found Thatcher and Sophia already costumed. Sophia looked gorgeous in the Queen of Hearts dress, and Thatcher was every inch the White Knight in his silver suit. His mane of gray hair was teased into a wild mess, and he was braiding his long beard with white ribbons.
“How are Grayson and Aunt Sarah?” Annie asked Juliet.
“They’re fine,” her sister answered. “You three go get dressed in your room. I’ll take care of everyone else. Here are your costumes.”
She piled the costumes into the girls’ arms and sent them away. Annie, Becka, and Meg went to Annie’s room, which now seemed to be the only part of the house not filled with people, and began dressing. Before long they were all outfitted, and Annie was helping Meg put on her rabbit nose, whiskers, and long white ears.
“You have too many arms,” Meg remarked as one of Annie’s dozen legs tickled her face.
“How do I look?” asked Becka, modeling her Cheshire Cat suit.
“Turn,” Annie said, and Becka gave a slow twirl.
“Very nice,” Annie said. “How about me?”
“Your head is a little crooked,” Becka told her. “Here, I’ll fix it.”
She made some adjustments to the green hood Annie and Juliet had devised. It had two small antenna on top, which bobbled as Annie moved.
“Perfect,” Becka said.
The three of them stood together and looked in the full-length mirror on the back of Annie’s closet door. Meg twitched her nose. Becka meowed. Annie tried looking mysterious.
“I think we’re ready,” she said.
There was a knock on the door and Cooper came in.
“Hey,” she said. “I was sent up to tell you that everything is just about ready. Juliet says you should all come down.”
They all filed out of the room and down the stairs. Meg and Becka went first, followed by Annie and Cooper.
“You realize this is totally weird,” Cooper said as they went down.
“Totally,” Annie replied. “But so cool.”
“Very cool,” Cooper said, grinning. “So, did you get anything out of Sophia?” she asked.
“I haven’t had time,” answered Annie. “She said she’d tell us later. I guess we’ll just have to wait.”
Downstairs, Juliet had gathered everyone in the living room. Grayson and Aunt Sarah were still nowhere to be seen, and Annie figured Juliet was trying to keep them out of sight as long as possible.
“Okay,” she said. “The guests are all in the garden. Thatcher and Sophia are there, too, and Grayson is standing with them. You three are going to go out the front door and go in through the back gate. Then Aunt Sarah will come in. After that, it’s Thatcher and Sophia’s show. Everybody ready?”
Annie, Meg, and Becka looked at one another.
“Ready,” Annie said.
“Let’s do it,” Juliet said, beaming.
She led them outside and to the garden gate. The quartet was playing, and Annie saw all the guests sitting in their chairs, waiting for the wedding to start. Grayson, dressed in his Mad Hatter outfit, was standing with Thatcher and Sophia, looking very nervous.
“He’s so cute,” Becka said, looking at her father.
“I’m going to go get the bride,” Juliet told them. “When the quartet starts playing the Mozart piece, you start walking. And here are your flowers.”
She handed each of them a small bouquet of pink roses, then left them to go fetch Aunt Sarah.
“Meg, you’ll go first,” Annie told her sister. “Becka will be in the middle, and I’ll go last. Ready?”
Before anyone could answer the quartet began playing Mozart. Annie opened the garden gate and Meg walked through. The guests, sensing that things were beginning, turned to look at her, oohing and aahing at her White Rabbit costume. They did the same when, a few seconds later, Becka followed Meg into the garden.
Annie, going last, looked at the faces of the invited guests as she walked down the aisle between the chairs. She couldn’t believe that her aunt was actually about to get married. But there they were, walking toward Grayson as he smiled wildly. Watching him, Annie wanted to laugh, but she kept her composure during her walk, stopping beside Becka and turning to face the garden gate.
The quartet began playing another piece, this one by Bach. Aunt Sarah had picked it, deciding against the traditional wedding march. Hearing it, everyone’s eyes were on the gate as Aunt Sarah stepped through. Her Alice costume was perfect, right down to the blue bow in her hair, and Annie felt herself choking up as her aunt began her walk down the aisle, her bouquet of white roses trembling slightly.
She’d gotten halfway down the rows of chairs when the sound of thunder interrupted the quartet’s playing. A moment later, raindrops began to fall. Annie looked up and saw ominous black clouds swirling overhead. This is no little shower, she thought. This is a storm.
She looked at her aunt, who had stopped walking, and then at Grayson, who was looking at the raindrops on his purple velvet coat as if he couldn’t believe they were there. Several of the guests were holding purses over their heads in preparation for the downpour that threatened to begin any second.
No one said anything for a long, horrible moment. Then Annie heard Thatcher’s booming voice call out, “Everyone into the house! Quickly!”
There was confusion as people stood up and dashed for the garden gate, swarming around Aunt Sarah as they headed for the front door and the safety of the house. Annie’s aunt watched them going by her, as if she couldn’t believe what was happening.
Annie felt Sophia take her arm. That broke the trance she was in, and she followed everyone else toward the house. Grayson had taken Aunt Sarah’s hand, and the two of them were walking quickly out of the garden.
It’s all ruined, Annie thought as she ran for the house. No sooner had she gotten inside than the rain came in earnest, falling in heavy sheets. Looking out the window, Annie watched it with a sense of sadness. She’d wanted her aunt’s day to be perfect, and now everything had gone wrong.
Then she heard laughter. Who could laugh at a time like this? she thought angrily. She turned to see who was being so rude, and was surprised to see that the sound was coming from her aunt and from Grayson, who were holding on to each other and giggling madly.
“Oh, this is too funny,” her aunt said when she could catch her breath.
Annie stared at her, wondering if her aunt had truly lost her mind. How could she think that having her wedding rained out was funny? But a moment later someone else joined in the laughter. It was Thatcher. His eyes sparkled as he chuckled along with the bride and groom.
“I told you that was a rain dance we did this morning, and not a good luck dance,” he said to Sophia, pretending to be serious.
Several other people laughed at his remark. It seemed to lighten the mood, and even Annie found herself smiling.
“Come on,” Thatcher called out. “There’s no reason we can’t do this wedding inside.”
He led Sophia to the big staircase, where they stood a few steps up so that everyone could see them. Aunt Sarah and Grayson stood just below them, and Meg, Becka, and Annie lined up at the bottom. The guests gathered around, looking on, and Thatcher and Sophia began the service.
“We are gathered here in this lovely entranceway to join together Sarah Crandall and Grayson Dunning,” Thatcher said merrily. “They have asked you, their friends and family, to be with them as they share their vows.”
“As you can see, this is hardly a traditional service,” Sophia continued, making everyone laugh again. “So instead of the usual ‘do you take this man and woman’ stuff, the bride and groom have decided to say their own vows.” She looked at Aunt Sarah and Grayson, who were standing there holding hands. “You’re on,” she said.
Aunt Sarah looked at Grayson. “I really do feel like Alice in Wonderland,” she said. “I never expected to meet someone like you, or to be standing here like this. Sometimes I still think it’s a dream. But even if it is, that’s okay, because I’ve never been happier. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather take this strange and wonderful trip with than you, and I promise that as long as we’re on it I’ll walk beside you and share whatever happens with you.”
Grayson smiled. “I never thought this would happen to me, either,” he said. “But from the first time I saw you, I knew something had changed. It felt like taking the first step on a new adventure. Every day since then, I’ve discovered new things to love about you, and about our life together. And I promise you that wherever this adventure takes us, we’ll go there together. Even if it rains,” he added, making the guests laugh.
“And now for the rings,” Thatcher said. He reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out two rings. Annie watched as he handed one to Grayson and the other to her aunt.
“In ancient times, rings were symbolic of promises,” Sophia said. “Kings gave rings to their knights when they sent them on quests. Queens gave rings to warriors who fought in their names. A ring given to someone else was a pledge, a physical reminder that a bond existed between two people. By placing these rings on each other’s hands, you are symbolizing your promise to love one another, to share in life’s challenges.”
Grayson placed the ring he held on Aunt Sarah’s finger. She did the same for him. Watching them exchange the simple bands of gold they’d picked out, Annie found herself filled with joy. In a way, she realized, her aunt and Grayson were undergoing their own initiation. They were beginning a life together, and the wedding ceremony was the ritual that marked that beginning.
“And now, by the power vested in me as the Queen of Hearts and the ruler of Wonderland, I pronounce you Alice and Hatter,” Sophia said.
Everyone cheered as Grayson took Aunt Sarah in his arms and kissed her. The quartet, which had set up again in the living room, began to play.
“And now for tea!” Grayson called out, turning to face the guests.
Everybody began talking as Aunt Sarah and Grayson descended the steps and led the party into the dining room. There Mrs. Morgan had laid the table as if for a huge tea party. Mounds of tarts, cakes, pastries, and little sandwiches covered the table. In the center, the wedding cake sat. It was decorated with hundreds of wildflowers made out of sugar and icing, and it resembled some kind of wild bouquet picked from a garden gone out of control.
People began eating, and soon the wedding party was in full swing as people moved from room to room, talking and devouring the wonderful food. Kate’s mother, helped by Tara and Jessica, made sure the plates were never empty, and everyone had a wonderful time.
“So, do you feel like an old married woman yet?” Annie asked her aunt when she could finally get close enough to her to talk to her.
“Not quite,” her aunt said. “But this has certainly been the maddest tea party I’ve ever been at. Thank you for all your help.”
“Any time,” Annie said, giving her aunt a hug. “Not that there’s going to be a next time or anything,” she said. “I mean, this will be your last wedding.”
Aunt Sarah laughed. “Yes,” she said. “It will.”
Annie left her to speak to other guests and joined Cooper and Kate, who were standing together munching on ta
rts and talking.
“Man, this could have been a disaster,” she said.
“But it wasn’t,” Cooper told her. “In fact, this is the best wedding I’ve ever been at.”
“Thatcher and Sophia were fantastic,” agreed Kate.
“Speaking of Sophia, I think it’s time we cornered her,” Annie said. “Where is she?”
“Over there,” Cooper said, nodding in Sophia’s direction. “Shall we?”
“Let’s,” said Kate, and the three of them walked over to their teacher, who was eating a raspberry tart.
“I wondered how long you’d be able to stand it,” Sophia said as the girls looked at her expectantly.
“So what’s this big announcement?” Cooper asked.
“Yeah,” Kate said. “Spill it. We can’t stand the suspense anymore.”
Sophia finished the last bit of tart and licked her fingers. “Well,” she said, “I was thinking about this whole initiation situation. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that having three people left without covens right before initiations means something is going on—especially three people like you. I knew this wasn’t just coincidence.”
The three friends looked at one another. What was Sophia getting at?
“I did a little ritual about it,” Sophia continued. “You know, had a few words with the lady up there,” she said, looking up toward the sky.
“And what did she have to say about it?” Annie asked impatiently.
“She told me the answer was right in front of my nose,” Sophia said. “Which didn’t really help until I talked to some of my coven mates about it. That’s when it became clear.”
“What did?” Cooper asked her. “Because it’s not clear to me.”
“A new coven,” Sophia said.
“New coven?” Kate repeated.
Sophia nodded. “When I mentioned your problem to the coven, Archer told me that she’s been thinking about forming a new coven.”
“You mean leaving the Daughters of the Cauldron?” Annie said.
“Can she do that?” Kate asked.
Sophia nodded. “It’s very common,” she said. “Archer has been training with me for many years. While she likes the focus of the coven, she’s reached a point where she thinks she would like to start a coven of her own, one where she can try out some new ideas. Several of the other members are also interested in being in it, as well as some people Archer knows from other activities.” She looked at the three of them. “She’d like the three of you to join it as well.”
