Alice in Wonderland
Lady Ascot pats her hand.
LADY ASCOT I’m certain of it.
LORD ASCOT Madame, in this world, there are
very few people with vision.
Your husband had vision.
LORD ASCOT (CONT.) Charles Kingsley could see oppor-
tunity in the most strange and
exotic places.
ALICE’S MOTHER That he could.
LORD ASCOT It’s a shame you have to sell
his company.
ALICE’S MOTHER I wish I didn’t. But it’s a
consolation knowing it will
be in your capable hands.
EXT. THE GARDEN – A QUADRILLE
Alice dances with the Ascot’s son, HANISH. He’s more like his
mother than his father, refined and immaculately dressed with
an aristocratic arrogance. Dancing has made Alice’s smile more
genuine. She looks up at a flock of geese flying overhead.
ALICE Hamish, have you ever wondered
what it would be like to fly?
HAMI S H I don’t waste my time wondering
about impossible things.
ALICE My father says…
(catching herself)
…used to say…believing in the
impossible is the only way to
make it possible.
HAN I SH Did he?
ALICE He said he sometimes believed in
six impossible things before
breakfast.
She laughs at the memory. Hamish looks pained. The dance ends.
HAMISH Alice, I need to speak with you
in private. Meet me at dusk
under the gazebo.
ALICE Dusk?
HAN IS H Exactly.
He moves off. Alice wonders aloud.
ALICE When is dusk.. . exactly?
She is set upon by a pair of giggly females, THE CHATAWAYS.
FAITH Alice!
FIONA We have a secret to tell you.
ALICE If you’re telling me, then it’s
not much of a secret.
FIONA (to Faith)
Perhaps we shouldn’t.
FAITH Of course we should.
FIONA If we tell her, she won’t be
surprised.
ALICE Tell me what?
FAITH Will you be surprised?
ALICE Not if you tell me.
F I ONA Then we shouldn’t.
ALICE But now you’ve brought it
up, you have to.
FAITH No, we don’t.
ALICE I wonder if your mother knows
that you two swim naked in the
Havershim’s pond?
FAITH You wouldn’t.
ALICE Oh, but I would.
FIONA Well, uou didn’t hear it from
us. But Lady Ascot told Mrs.
fluckwall who told Lady
Whit t 1 ewoo d…
FAITH That’s not how it went. Lady
Ascot told Lady Whittlewood
who told Mrs. fluckwall…
ALICE I’m going to find your mother!
Alice turns to walk away. Fiona grabs her.
F IONA Alice. Hamish Ascot…
FAITH …is going to ask for your hand.
They squeal and giggle. Alice is stunned.
ALICE I need my sister.
Alice rushes off to find her recently married older sister,
MARGARET MANCHESTER.
ALICE Margaret!
One look and Margaret can see that Alice knows.
MARGARET Who told you?
ALICE The Chattaways.
MARGARET They’ll have to be strangled.
Now the surprise is ruined.
And everyone went to so much
effort to keep the secret.
Alice looks at the other guests.
ALICE floes everyone know?
MARGARET Of course. It’s why they’ve all
come. This is your engagement party.
ALICE Today? But how does he know
