Alice in Wonderland
legs. It stares directly at Alice for a moment, as if trying
to catch her eye, before darting behind a tree.
ALICE There! Did you see it?
LADY ASCOT See what?
ALICE The rabbit.
LADY ASCOT And they’ve let the wisteria
wilt as well!
ALICE Excuse me.
Alice hurries into the wooded area of f the path.
EXT. THE WOODED AREA – DAY – CONT.
She sees the Rabbit darting between the trees as Aunt Imogene
approaches.
IMOGENE Alice? What’s this I hear that
you don’t want to marry Hamish?
ALICE I didn’t say that. I’m not certain…
IMOGENE Marry him, Alice. If you don’t,
you’ll lay awake at night in your
cold, cold bed, growing older and
older waiting for the perfect man
who never comes.
Alice takes this in with a look of dread. She pulls the bushes
back to see if the rabbit’s hiding there.
IMOGENE (cont.) What are you looking for?
ALICE Can you keep a secret?
IMOGENE To my grave.
ALICE (secretive)
I saw a white rabbit run through
here…wearing a waistcoat.
IMOGENE (secretive)
How very strange. What kind of
waistcoat?
ALICE Brocade, I think. What does
it matter? It was a rabbit wearing
a waistcoat!
IMOGENE I’m sorry, you’ll have to go
someplace else to look for
your rabbit. I’m waiting here
for my fiance.
ALICE You’re engaged? I didn’t know.
IMOGENE No one does. I’ve been secretly
engaged for years.
ALICE Who is he?
IMOGENE A prince.
AL I CE Where did you meet a prince?
IMOGENE Alas, he cannot marry me
unless he renounces his throne.
ALICE (worried now)
I…see.
IMOGENE Run along now. And marry Hamish,
Alice. You don’t want to end
up a spinster like some of those
poor women we know.
It’s a cautionary tale. Alice continus to look for the elusive
rabbit. She hears rustling ahead and peeks around a
tree…surprisinga man and a woman kissing. The woman gasps and
runs off. The man turns. It’s Margaret’s husband, Lowell.
ALICE Lowell?
LOWELL Alice. We were…Katrina is an
old friend.
ALICE (upset)
I can see you’re very close.
He’s caught and he knows it. So he goes on the offensive.
LOWELL You won’t tell your sister
about this, will you?
ALICE I don’t know. I need time to
think.
LOWELL Think of Margaret. This would
be devastating to her.
ALICE I know!
LOWELL Marriage is based on trust. She
would never trust me again. You
don’t want to ruin your sister’s
marriage, do you?
ALICE But I’m not the one…
LOWELL She must never know about this.
Hamish approaches.
HMI IS H There you are, Alice! Lowell.
LOWELL Hamish.
HAN I SH Come under the gazebo.
As Hamish pulls Alice away, Lowell places his finger on his
lips. Hamish pulls her insistently to the gazebo. The shadows
of the pillars fall on her like prison bars. She glances at
the musicians. They’re at the ready…bows poised. Hamish drops
to his knee. Alice glances over at an artist who’s drawing the
moment for posterity.
HAN I SN Alice Kingsley…
She notices something on his shoulder.
ALICE Hamish.
HAN I SH What is it?
ALICE You have a caterpiller on
