Four Months Later London 

The Wonder sailed up the Thames into the heart of London. Collecting her things, Alice moved about the captain's cabin. She tucked her father's watch into her coat pocket, even though it had stopped working a week earlier. Ever since her father had passed away, Alice had carried the pocket watch with her everywhere, almost like a talisman. 

She scanned her cabin one last time, then headed up to watch the Wonder pull alongside a pier. A slender f?igure in a gray cloak caught her eye. With a cry of joy, Alice darted down the gangplank. 

"Mother!" Alice called as she ran toward her. 

F?linging her arms around her mother, she pulled her into a tight embrace. Helen Kingsleigh returned the hug a bit more stiff?ly, softly patting Alice on the back. 

"Well, here you are ... finally," Helen said as she stepped away. 

Alice drew a breath to launch into stories of her exploits—she had so much to tell her mother—but she stopped short as an unfamiliar man approached them. 

He was young and handsome. As Alice studied his simple, clean suit for a clue, she noticed the insignia stamped on a briefcase he carried. So he was from the f?irm, here to check up on her cargo. 

"You and the Wonder have been expected a year, Miss Kingsleigh," he said. 

Straightening her shoulders, she faced the stranger. "There were ... complications," she said. She doubted anyone else could have achieved what she had, and Lord Ascot would be pleased with her discoveries, despite the delay. 

"I daresay the cargo will account for time," the man responded quickly, noting Alice's stiffness. "I'm James Harcourt, ma'am. Clerk to the firm." He held out his hand and Alice shook it, softening a bit as James nodded respectfully. 

"I should like to see Lord Ascot," Alice said as the clerk led her and her mother to a hansom cab. Pausing at the cab's door, James gazed at her solemnly. "Ah, I'm afraid Lord Ascot passed away whilst you were at sea." 

Stunned, Alice turned to her mother, who nodded sadly in conf?irmation. Alice bowed her head, the loss weighing on her. 

"The title has passed to his son," James continued. 

"Hamish?" Alice struggled to hide her astonishment. 

"Indeed, now also chairman of the board," James said. 

Alice would not have been more shocked if the clerk had climbed atop the hansom and belted out "God Save the Queen." She could not picture Hamish—droopy-faced Hamish—in charge of anything, much less the company her father had begun. She clambered into the hansom, mulling over the news. 

Of course the title and company shares would have passed to Hamish, but he'd always been so uninterested in business matters that his father had given up trying to involve him. Yet she hoped they'd be able to work together. Perhaps the years had changed him. Perhaps he had grown up. At the very least, she hoped he would stay out of her way as she broadened the company's trade routes. 

Deep in thought, she was oblivious to the blue butterfly struggling to keep up with the cab. When they pulled up to her childhood home, she followed her mother inside. 

With a decisive click, the front door swung shut just before the blue butterfly reached it. The creature seemed almost to swat angrily at the solid wood before fluttering up to a window instead. Its wings beat soundlessly against the glass. 

Alice stood in the front hall, a bit disappointed. While the outside remained the same, the interior was dark and cold. No f?ires had been lit to welcome them home and the air felt dusty. 

Shivering slightly, Alice stepped toward the drawing room, planning to light a fire herself, but the sight of the room stopped her short. Half the furniture was missing. Even the sideboard table was gone, an imprint of its outline on the f?loor the only sign it had ever been there at all. 

Her mother smiled awkwardly at Alice's confused expression and headed downstairs. 

"Always warmer down here," she offered. 

Once inside the basement kitchen, Helen plucked cups and saucers from the cupboards and set them out for tea. Alice spotted new lines on her mother's face and streaks of gray in her hair. Time seemed to be taking its toll on her. 

"Now then," Helen said, breaking the silence. "Your letters were so infrequent. I hardly know where you have been all this time." 

"Oh, Mother! The Wonder brought back a hundred kinds of tea from China!" Alice began eagerly, setting aside her worries about her mother for the moment. "And silks of colors you've never seen before. I met with emperors and beggars ... holy men ... and pirates!" 

Helen's smile disappeared. 

"Were you never afraid?" Helen asked worriedly. 

"When I was, I thought of Father," Alice said. 

"You sound like him. He'd be so proud. But, my dear, an extra year? At my age you realize that time is a cruel master." 

Alice absently rubbed her f?ingers over her father's pocket watch. "And a thief to boot," she murmured darkly. Time was no friend of hers, having stolen her father too young. "The best are taken first." 

Helen turned back to the tea. "And the dregs left behind, I suppose?" she muttered to herself. 

"I hear the Ascots are marking Hamish's succession tonight," Helen said as she sank into an armchair opposite her daughter. 

"Perfect. We should go," Alice said. She needed to establish her working relationship with Hamish, and there was no time like the present. 

"Without an invitation?" Helen blinked at her daughter, her brow furrowed. 

"Lady Ascot once said we would always be welcome." Alice waved her hand nonchalantly. "But, Alice ..." her mother began. 

"Besides, I have a proposition for Hamish," Alice continued. 

Helen pursed her lips. "He married last year, Alice. He seems to have gotten over your public rejection—although I would imagine the other three hundred guests might still remember it." 

"A business proposition, Mother!" Alice nearly rolled her eyes. Then she sat forward, unable to contain her excitement. "It's time we saw the world as our partner, not a pocket to be picked. When I return to China, I'll prove it's so." 

"You aim to leave so soon?" She gathered her next words carefully. "There are matters here that would benef?it from your attention." 

Alice patted her mother's hand reassuringly. "After my next voyage, you won't have to worry anymore. About anything." 

"Am I permitted to worry tonight?" Helen asked. Answering her mother with only a grin, Alice set off upstairs. 

Alice carried her luggage up to her childhood room and pushed open the door. It was like stepping directly into the past. 

Her favorite doll was propped up on the bed, and her collection of seashells cluttered a sidetable. Plunking down her bag, Alice wandered to the writing desk. She picked up a sampler she'd made at age twelve. The embroidery perfectly formed her father's favorite motto: "Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast." Sighing softly, she brushed her f?ingers over the blue thread, then set the sampler aside. 

She found a stack of drawings and watercolors of Underland. She smiled as she thumbed through them. Each of them came to life in her hands as the vivid memories replayed in her mind. 

Her father, the only person who would have believed her stories of Underland, was gone. And despite everything she had accomplished in this world, including her voyages at sea and her captain's title, her mother still only saw her as someone in need of a husband. Her sister, on a mission to spread Christianity in Africa, agreed, no doubt. 

Pulling back the curtain from a window, Alice stared out over the rooftops of London. Why was it so hard for her family to accept her? Couldn't they see she was meant for grand adventures? Well, if they needed more proof, Alice would give it to them ... starting with her meeting with Hamish. 

四个月后 伦敦 

“仙境号”沿着泰晤士河溯流而上，来到了伦敦市中心。爱丽丝在船长舱里来来回回地收拾着自己的东西。她把父亲的怀表收起来放进了大衣口袋，虽然怀表在一周前就已经停了。父亲去世后，爱丽丝无论走到哪儿都带着这块怀表，仿佛它就像一个护身符。 

爱丽丝最后扫了一眼她的船舱，然后抬起头，看着“仙境号”停靠在码头边。一个身披灰色斗篷、身材苗条的身影引起了爱丽丝的注意。她高兴地大叫起来，立刻从步桥上飞奔下去。 

“母亲！”爱丽丝边叫边跑向她。 

爱丽丝伸出双臂搂住母亲，给了她一个大大的拥抱。海伦·金斯利不那么自然地回应着女儿的拥抱，轻轻地拍了拍她的背。 

“好了，你终于……回来了。”海伦边走边说。 

爱丽丝深吸一口气准备讲述她的壮举，她有太多事要告诉母亲了。但她突然停了下来，因为一位陌生的男士正朝她们 走来。 

他很年轻，长相帅气。爱丽丝打量着他那身简洁的西装，注意到他手提包上印着的徽章。他应该是公司的职员，来检查自己货物的。 

“金斯利小姐，我们恭候您和‘仙境号’的到来已经有一年的时间了。”他说道。 

爱丽丝挺直肩膀，看着这位陌生人说道：“事情有点……复杂。”爱丽丝相信再没有谁能像她一样完成这些壮举，虽然归期有些延迟，但阿斯科特勋爵一定会为自己的发现而高兴的。 

“我想，这些货得卸一会儿。”这位男士发现爱丽丝有些拘谨，立刻回应道，“小姐，我叫詹姆斯·哈考特，是这家公司的职员。”接着他伸出手，爱丽丝和他握了握手。哈考特恭敬地点了点头，爱丽丝终于放松了一些。 

哈考特领着爱丽丝和她母亲朝一辆双座马车走去，爱丽丝说道：“我想去看看阿斯科特勋爵。”哈考特在马车门前停了下来，严肃地看着她说：“啊，很遗憾，您还在海上的时候，阿斯科特勋爵就已经去世了。” 

爱丽丝震惊地看向自己的母亲，母亲难过地点点头，证实了他的话。爱丽丝低下头，失落感重重地压在她身上。 

“公司已经传给他儿子了。”詹姆斯继续说道。 

“哈米什？”爱丽丝尽力掩饰自己的震惊。 

“没错，他现在也是董事长了。”詹姆斯说道。 

如果这位职员现在爬到马车顶上，高唱起《天佑女王》，爱丽丝都不会感到如此震惊。她无法想象哈米什，整天无精打采的哈米什，能管什么事，更不用说掌管她父亲创办的公司了。爱丽丝爬上马车，琢磨着这个消息。 

当然，公司和股份都应该让哈米什继承，但是哈米什对商业根本没有兴趣，就连他父亲当初也不想让他参与其中。不过爱丽丝还是希望他们能够一起共事。也许岁月改变了他；也许他已经长大了。最起码，爱丽丝希望他不要干涉自己拓展公司的商路。 

爱丽丝陷入了沉思，完全没有意识到一只蓝色的蝴蝶正努力地追着马车。马车在爱丽丝童年的住处旁停了下来，爱丽丝跟着母亲走了进去。 

正当那只蓝色的蝴蝶飞到门口时，门砰的一声关上了。这小家伙气得简直要去撞那坚实的木门了。接着它又往上飞到窗边，用翅膀无声地拍打着窗户。 

爱丽丝站在前厅，有一点失落。外面什么都没变，但屋里又黑又冷。没人燃起壁炉迎接她们回家，连空气中都满是灰尘。 

爱丽丝冷得有点颤抖，她走进客厅，打算自己点燃壁炉，但眼前的情景却让她突然停了下来。客厅里有一半家具都不见了。就连餐具柜都不见了，地板上留下的轮廓印记是它曾经在那里的唯一证明。 

看到爱丽丝疑惑的神情，母亲尴尬地笑了笑，然后下楼了。 

“下面总是会更暖和些。”母亲提议道。 

海伦走进地下室的厨房，从橱柜里拿出茶杯和茶碟，准备去泡茶。爱丽丝注意到母亲脸上新长出来的皱纹和新增的几缕白发。看来岁月真是不饶人啊。 

“那个，”海伦打破了沉寂，“你来信太少了。我都不知道你这段时间在哪儿。” 

“对了，母亲！‘仙境号’从中国带回来了一百多种茶叶呢！”爱丽丝把对母亲的担忧暂时搁在一边，迫不及待地说道，“还有你从没见过的颜色各异的丝绸。我见到了皇帝，见到了乞丐……见到了神职人员……还有海盗！” 

海伦脸上的笑容消失了。 

“你从不害怕吗？”海伦担心地问道。 

“害怕的时候，我就想想父亲。”爱丽丝说。 

“你说起话来真像他。他会以你为傲的。但是亲爱的，你还要再去一年吗？到我这个年龄你就知道了，时间太残忍了。” 

爱丽丝漫不经心地用手指摩挲着父亲的怀表。“我还遇见了一个偷靴子的贼。”她暗暗地嘟囔道。时间对她一点都不友好，它在父亲那么年轻的时候就夺走了他的生命。“最好的总是最先失去。” 

海伦将话题拉回到喝茶上来。“那么我猜，残渣会留到最后喽？”她喃喃自语道。 

“我听说阿斯科特家族今晚要为哈米什举办继承仪式。”海伦说着，坐到女儿对面的扶手椅上。 

“很好啊。我们也应该过去。”爱丽丝说。她需要与哈米什搞好同事关系，而眼下时机正好。 

“不请自到吗？”海伦惊愕地看着自己的女儿，眉头紧锁。 

“阿斯科特夫人说过，他们随时欢迎我们到访。”爱丽丝若无其事地摆摆手说道。“但是，爱丽丝……”母亲还准备说点什么。 

“另外，我还有个提议给哈米什呢。”爱丽丝继续说道。 

海伦抿了抿嘴，说道：“爱丽丝，他去年结婚了。他可能已经忘了你公开拒绝他的事，但我想，其他三百位宾客可还记着呢。” 

“是一个商业上的提议啦，母亲！”爱丽丝抗议道，几乎要翻白眼了。接着，她往前坐了坐，无法抑制自己的激动，说道：“现在我们应该把全世界都看成我们的伙伴，而不是利用的对象。等我再回到中国，我会证明我是对的。” 

“这么快就要走吗？”海伦谨慎地组织了一下她接下来要说的话：“这儿的有些事情，如果你多加留意，会大有裨益。” 

爱丽丝拍了拍母亲的手，安慰道：“等我下一次航海回来，您就再也不用担心啦，什么都不用担心啦。” 

“那我今晚再担心一下可以吗？”海伦问道。爱丽丝只是对母亲咧嘴笑笑，转身上了楼。 

爱丽丝把行李拿进小时候住的房间，用力推开门，仿佛一下子回到了过去。 

她最喜欢的娃娃倚在床头，她收藏的海贝壳杂乱地堆在床头柜上。爱丽丝放下背包，走到书桌旁，拿起自己十二岁时制作的一个刺绣样本。这幅刺绣完美地勾勒了父亲最爱的箴言：“早餐之前六件不可能的事。”她轻轻地叹了口气，指尖抚过蓝色的针线，然后把它放到一旁。 

爱丽丝发现了一堆地下世界的素描画和水彩画。她一边翻阅一边会心地微笑。她手下的每张图画都栩栩如生，鲜活的记忆在脑海中重演。 

关于她这些地下世界的故事，她父亲是唯一那个相信她的人，但他已经不在了。尽管在这个世界里她已经做了很多大事，包括进行海上航行以及获得船长头衔，但她的母亲依然认为她只是一个需要丈夫的女人。毫无疑问，她那位在非洲传播基督教的姐姐也赞同这一点。 

爱丽丝拉起窗帘，凝视着窗外伦敦的屋顶。为什么让她的家庭接受她会这么困难？难道他们看不出她注定要去冒险吗？好吧，如果他们需要更多证明，爱丽丝会证明给他们看的……就从和哈米什的见面开始吧。