Page 48 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

Eyebrow raising half in amusement, the Duchess pursed her lips. “Whatever you say, Rabb.”

Chapter 14 - Fork in the Road

Following Chez as he escorted us away, I strode down the worn lane in the forest just beyond the Duchess’s estate where the road forked three ways. Wooden signposts nailed to a tree offered several conflicting suggestions—Hatter’s House, Wünder Bog, This Way, Not This Way.

“So which way do we go from here?” Allie studied the signposts closely as the carved letters on the rough surface slipped and changed to intermittently form gibberish.

“Well, that depends where you want to go, of course.” Chez hung upside down from a low tree branch. “It doesn’t matter which direction you go if you don’t know where you’re going.” The cat’s body seemed to disappear for a moment.

Allie rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the cryptic message, Chez.”

His yellow-moon grin reappeared first. “This path loops around back to the Duchess’s estate. The March Hare’s house is that way.” A fuzzy paw pointed a paw the opposite way. “And in that direction lives the Hatter with the tree hollow. Of course, he’s as mad as they come.”

Allie sighed. “I think I may have had just about enough of madness.”

“Well, you can’t help that,” Chez put in. “We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad. Rabb is almost always most definitely mad.”

“Sadly, no argument there.” Allie craned her neck to peer down the lane that looped back around.

I furrowed my eyebrows. Was she considering going back to the Duchess? Had she been considering the Duchess’s offer from earlier to stay? She did want to be rid of me just as much as I did her. But should I have asked her first?

I cleared my throat. “Did you…want to stay with the Duchess?”

Fidgeting in her stance, Allie bit her lip. “She really seemed quite lonely. I felt sorry for her.”

My stomach turned hollow with unease.

“But then it occurred to me you were probably lonely too, all these years alone.”

“I wasn’t alone,” I pointed out, almost defensively. “Even the Duchess has companions and servants. Tell her, Chez.”

Glancing back, Chez’s eyes widened a bit but he didn’t seem to want to contribute. “Oh, oh sure.”

“I reckon it’s not the same as true intimacy with a person,” Allie pointed out. “I suppose you’re lucky if you don’t have these feelings and were fixed to live forever. But some people need that closeness.”

“Not me,” I declared, stalking past her to turn toward the lane leading to the Hatter’s house.

“This is as far as I go.” Chez mocked a salute at us with his paw.

Allie nodded. “I’ll look forward to your next visit to the clock tower.”

I shot the cat a look. “I won’t.”

Not in the least offended, Chez shook his head. “Be careful at the Hatter’s house,” he bid. “I know he used to be a brilliant man, but since the incident with the Dormouse, he’s been a bit more unhinged than normal. Keep your wits about you.” He wiggled his whiskers, his words trailing off as his purple body disappeared with a pop. “Or else you’ll be stuck in his eternal tea party…”

“Thanks, Chez. See you on the other side.” Allie gave thin air a casual wave before turning to follow me.

I had to admit I was a bit apprehensive. The Hatter had been a brilliant man. In certain circles, he was known as the Guardian of Doors though I wasn’t exactly sure why. Even with the little I knew of him, I was certain he would have a hundred and one uses for a coeur if he ever got his hands on one. It wasn’t far-fetched to think that he might just be clever enough to figure out what Allie was.

Still, there was no other way across the River of Tears. I pushed some low tree branches out of my way. The Hatter’s quaint gray house was already peeking between the foliage as we approached. The dirt lane turned into a narrow cobblestone path.

Allie skipped in her step. “I can’t wait to meet this Hatter person. Is he hot like you?”

I almost tripped over my own feet.

Hot. Like. Me?

She met my bewildered gaze. “What? I suppose the Duchess did have a point. I mean, you know you are quite good-looking, objectively speaking. Both your stature and muscle ratio are impressive. And I’m already assured you have incredible stamina—”