Heartless

Back in her room, Cath notices a white rose on her windowsill and recognizes that it’s from Jest. Jest appears shortly, accompanied by Raven. Jest has noted Cath’s displeasure with both courtship and marriage and asks her, desperately, if the reason for her unhappiness is because she’s in love with somebody else. Cath assures Jest that this is not the case. Jest confesses that he is fond of Cath and invites her to a tea party—a real tea party. Cath accepts, although she is not quite sure what to expect.

Cath is more thrilled than she’d like to admit about this secret outing with Jest. Jest leads Cath to the Crossroads, an interdimensional system of portals represented as a hallway lined with doors on all sides. The two open one of the doors to a hat shop in a secluded forest meadow; Jest responds to Cath’s confusion with the assertion that the Hatter throws “the maddest tea parties this side of the Looking Glass” (151). Cath is hesitant about attending a “mad” tea party, but Jest assures her she won’t regret it.