The Wonderland Chronicles: Realm of Three Kingdoms

Chapter One: A Curious Tea Party (Part II)

There, in the mahogany floored hall with its stained glass windows, at the large dark wooden dining table, sat my mother, father, and sister. They were all seated in the far right hand corner, Mother eating primly from her ridiculously small plate of food, while my father read the paper. Elodie was dancing in place, pushing her breakfast around her plate with her silvery utensil, apparently too excited to eat. When she saw me, her rounded cheeks curved into a radiant, dimpled smile, and her baby blue eyes (a perfect match to my father's) twinkled in delight. She launched herself from the bench to the sound of my mother's protests and ran towards me, her long golden locks flowing wildly behind her.

"Pleasance, Pleasance! Look, look! Aren't I pretty?" Elodie asked breathlessly when she reached me, doing an eager twirl before me in her new dress.

She did look pretty indeed. Her pale pink dress was the same basic pattern as mine, with quarter length silk sleeves and pearl buttons, but hers was slightly less complex in design. Elodie wore plain matching slippers and white stockings with pink ribbon instead of white. Some of her golden hair had been tied back with a big piece of pink ribbon, accentuating her dimpled face and wide blue eyes. She truly looked the perfect image of English royalty.

I told her so and she blushed prettily. "You are as beautiful as a princess as well! No, a queen!"

Elodie then grasped my hand and led me to the seat beside her, immediately piling my plate high with the day's breakfast choices that our wonderful cook had prepared. I smiled at her childish choices for me; I was not going to have a dozen sugary pastries for my morning meal! So as not to hurt my sister's feelings, I simply added a few scoops of scrambled eggs to the plate.

As I ate, I listened to Father jabber on about the new gadgets being made, telling Mother how he could improve this or add that. My mother encouraged him to contact the company with his ideas. She was always supportive of his endeavors, as long as they made money. They usually did.

When Father was finished eating, he folded up the paper, tucked it under his arm, and kissed us all on the cheek, commending us for our 'great beauty.' Then he was off, rushing up the freshly polished wooden staircase, no doubt on the way to his study.

When my father had left, Mother began to tell me all about the guests who would be attending the party. I zoned out, completely uninterested, but then froze, my fork halfway to my mouth at the sound of the familiar name.

"Bethany Jenkins is coming?" I asked in surprise. Elodie appeared to be just as taken aback as I was. Everyone and their brother knew the story of Bethany, the snake, and the odd little girl Pleasance. I had always loved animals dearly, utterly fascinated by them. I was often watching them, playing with them, or helping them. One day, my mother's good friend Bethany had been over for tea, the two of them sitting outside together, watching me run around in the grass (I was lucky this time she had left her nasty son home!). As they were visiting, I found a large brown garter snake, and had gently picked it up. Proud of my discovery, I'd quickly run over to show my mother and stood rightbeside Bethany. So close that the snake's tongue brushed her rouged cheek, or so I'd been told. My mother was rather used to my antics (although not in the least approving) and simply gasped in surprise, while Bethany screamed like a wounded banshee, clutched at her chest and promptly fainted, tipping over backwards in her chair.

I admit I did not make matters any better by laughing, but it truly was hilarious! Her giant skirts stuck up in the air, legs propped up on the chair, exposing her extremely lacy floral underpants. Mother was less than amused when Bethany finally came to, and she left not long after, ranting to my mother that I was a wild child who must be tamed before it was too late!