1 Dewitched (24 page)

CHAPTER 24

I can’t sleep; my hand is throbbing, and my head is spinning from the wine. The intoxicating smell of The Prince lingers on my bandaged hand and mingles with the sweet scent of his lily, now in a vase on my nightstand. Why didn’t I toss the damn flower after he asked me to plan Calla’s surprise birthday party? I’ll do it tomorrow. And make sure he’s watching. That’ll send him a message.

 I finally doze off and enter dreamland. The masked man is back. Our heavenly dance continues, his brawny arms wrapped tightly around my waist. Wordlessly, he draws me closer to him. The heat of his breath seeps through his mask. “Why do you wear a mask?” I ask, growing flushed. Silence. That’s it. I want to know what he’s hiding. I curl my fingers, readying to yank it off…

And a pounding on my chamber door wakens me. It’s got to be Marcella. Dream wrecker! What can she want at this wee hour of the night--or is it already morning? I’m sure she’s not here to discuss birthday party arrangements.

I light a candle and unlatch the door. Once again, it’s Calla. She’s clutching Lady Jane and trembling.

“Can Lady Jane and I sleep with you? I begged Marcella to tell me a good-night story, and it gave me a really bad dream.” 

“Of course, you can.” I put an arm around the frightened child and usher her into my room.

 We climb into my bed together. I give her one of my pillows and pull the thick down cover over us. We lie side by side. The blackness of the night embraces us. 

“What was Marcella’s story about?” I ask, surprised that the lazy skank actually told her one.

 “Oh, it was soooo scary,” replies Calla in full drama queen mode. “It was about this really, really mean woman who turned little children into rats if they didn’t go to sleep. And if the rats didn’t go to sleep, she sent a giant snake to eat them!”

“Oooh, that’s awful!”

“Snakes really scare me. You know, a big ugly snake bit my Mama and killed her.” 

I know.

 “Do you remember anything about your mother?” The Prince said she didn’t, but I’m curious to find out for myself.

 “No, but everyone says she was really, really pretty,” Calla replies.

My fingertips caress her exquisite face. I’m not surprised.

“So, tell me about your dream,” I say, eager to move away from a sensitive subject.

“I don’t remember it!” she giggles.

“I don’t remember a lot of my dreams either…especially the bad ones.”
Liar!
I could fill a book with all the unforgettable, horrid dreams I’ve had.

“Will you tell Lady Jane and me another story?” begs Calla. “Please! Pretty please!”

How can I say no and let her down? The truth is, I don’t know any. My mother was not one for tucking me in at night and telling stories. Actually, most nights she never came home.

“Calla, why don’t you get me started?” I say, stalling.

 Calla jumps right in. “Once upon a time…” 

And then I continue. Having no idea where I’m going...

“…there lived a little girl who was very lonely. None of the other girls in the kingdom would play with her because they thought she was weird. What they didn’t know was that she was actually very sad because she had to take care of her sick mother all the time. One day a fairy godmother came to visit the girl and told her she could have three wishes granted. The girl thought for a moment and then said: ‘I wish for all the stray dogs and cats in the world to find happy homes. I wish for kingdoms to stop fighting. And finally, I wish for my mother to be well again.’ The fairy godmother granted the little girl all three wishes. The little girl soon became the most popular girl in the kingdom. Everyone wanted to be her friend, even the girls who used to be mean to her. She was never lonely ever again.”

“THE END.” I’m exhausted. It’s as though I’ve given birth to my imagination.

“Jane, what happened to the little girl when she grew up?” asks Calla, inquisitively.

Dragonballs. I didn’t get that far in my head. How am I supposed to know the life story of someone I fabricated only a minute ago?
Okay. Think. Think harder!
Yes! Of course! 

 “She married a handsome prince and lived happily ever after.” 

 “Wow! I loved that story. Can you tell me another one?” 

Don’t push your luck.
“It’s time for you, Lady Jane and me to go to sleep.” 

Without her asking, I plant a kiss atop her head. She’s sound asleep before I can wish her sweet dreams.

Lady Jane is tucked in her arms. Calla’s slender body is cradled in mine. Our hearts beat together as if we are one. 

Like a thief afraid to be caught, I steal a glance at her luminous face. How peaceful she looks. Like an angel. I caress her golden curls and hope the demons that brought here won’t return. Sweet dreams, my sweet girl!

 Sadness blankets me as I close my weary eyes. If only I could have had someone to comfort me in the darkest hours of the night. If only I could have had a fairy godmother to cure my mother of her sickness. If only I could have had the chance to live happily ever after.

CHAPTER 25

The next morning I awaken at the crack of dawn, greeted by a headache and dread. I slip out of bed, careful not to disturb Calla, and tiptoe downstairs. My spirits lift quickly. Tonight’s my Girls’ Night Out! I can hardly wait. Only I still have no clue how I’m going to escape Marcella.

 When I wander into the kitchen, Gallant-Shmallant is already there. Damn it! I left his stupid lily upstairs. A missed opportunity to shove it down the drain.

 “Can I pour you some tea?” he asks.

“Fine,” I say in spite of myself. Maybe, it’ll help me get over my hangover.

“How is your hand?”

“I’ll live.” I’ve taken off his handkerchief. Mental note: Burn it in the hearth tonight. And make sure he’s watching.

 Gallant hands me a cup of tea. A fragrant blend of orange blossoms, rose petals, and lavender trickles into my nose. I take a sip. It tastes delicious, almost magical. The Prince gazes at me with his piercing blue eyes. I get that tingly-all-over feeling. My teacup shakes in my hand.

 “Jane, I shall be visiting my father tonight. So, please tell the cooks there is no need to prepare dinner for me. They should be back any minute.” 

 “Is Marcella, by chance, going with you?” How perfect would that be.

“No, it is official kingdom business.” A resentful tone accompanies his words.

 So much for wishful thinking.

 The Prince furrows his brows. “Please excuse me. I must prepare for the meeting. My father shall be displeased if I do not come with a formal agenda.” Taking his tea, he marches toward the kitchen door. He turns to me before exiting.

 “And, Jane, please keep me posted about Calla’s birthday party.” 

 I want to throw my teacup at him but spill the remains down the drain instead.

Despite my anger and queasiness, my stomach begins to growl as soon as Gallant is gone. I’m starving. I grab a handful of oats and search for the barrel of eggs.

“Jane, you poisoned me!” comes a deep, raspy voice from behind me.

Startled, I swing around. It’s Marcella. She’s almost unrecognizable. Her brassy blond hair is plastered to her head like a helmet, and her complexion is a ghastly shade of green.

 “I didn’t sleep a wink last night,” she croaks.

How could she have in that clingy leopard-print duster? It’s bursting at the seams. And those feathers would have driven me crazy.

 “It’s all your fault! It had to be something I ate!”
Ha! Serves you right for hogging
the bread, you pig.
“If it weren’t for the fact that I think I’ve lost three pounds, I’d fire you right now!”

 “Can I get you something?” I don’t know whether I want to laugh or punch her.

 “The only thing I want is my liquid diet potion. And if you don’t have it by tomorrow morning, you will be fired!”

 Great! Tomorrow could be my lucky day.

“I’m going back to bed. I’ll be there all day. Whatever you do, don’t disturb me!”

Let’s hope she’ll be there all night. And I promise, I won’t disturb her.

As she staggers out the door, the cook and his staff return.

***

With Marcella in bed all day, I’m able to get a lot done for the ball. I start working on the seating arrangements. It’s weird. I can’t seem to find Snow White’s RSVP. In fact, I don’t recall seeing her invitation. It must have been among the two thousand or so I sent out. Marcella invited every princess in the universe. I make myself another mental note: Talk to PIW about Snow White’s invite status. On second thought, why bother? The less I have to do with my stepdaughter, the better.

Next, Marcella’s liquid diet potion. I have no idea what to do. Or where to get it. That sorcerer who sold me that bogus evil potion? Nah. He’s probably out of business. And then,
bing!
A brainstorm! Another one of my genius ideas. I’ll make it myself.

Returning to the kitchen, I throw together sugar, lard, honey, and some cocoa. I pour the thick gooey mixture into a bottle and label it “
Lose Pounds Fast.”
It’s going to be the best tasting liquid diet potion ever. And the most fattening. Hee-hee. Her Royal Skankiness will love it!

***

Dinner is just Calla and me. Gallant’s gone to his meeting with his father, and Marcella still hasn’t left her room. All Calla wants to talk about is her birthday. A mixture of guilt and anxiety eats away at me. I still haven’t had a chance to get going on her surprise party. The truth is, I don’t know where to begin. The only surprise birthday party I ever had was at Faraway. And that doesn’t really count.

“I want a puppy for my birthday,” says Calla. “Did you ever have one?” 

 I tell her about my little pup Bambi, leaving out all the painful, sordid details. Tears sting my eyes.

“Jane, why are you crying?” asks Calla.

“Because I still miss him,” I sniffle, thinking about his cruel fate.

Calla gives me a hug. It makes me feel better. 

After dinner, I put her to bed. I make up a cute story about Bambi, bid her sweet dreams, and kiss her good night.

  Perfect! I couldn’t have planned it better. With Gallant gone, Marcella locked in her room, and the cooks back to take care of Calla in case she wakes up, I can escape for a few hours and have my GNO with Elz and Winnie.

***

I sneak out of the castle a little before nine o’clock, and before I can even inhale the crisp night air, a coach pulls up, almost running me over. The vehicle oddly resembles a giant gilded pumpkin. “The Glass Slipper” is scrolled across it in big flowery letters.

 I’m shocked to see Elz in the driver’s seat. Winnie, seated next to her, looks relieved to see me. I climb aboard.

 “Whee-Ha!” shouts Elz, slapping the horses on the rear. The coach takes off like a bolt of lightning. I’m not sure about this.

Elz is a total speed demon. Who would have thought that this shy, timid girl would ever be driving a coach? And like a maniac! Then again, she’s the one who wanted to go on a high seas adventure with Hook. As we race through the dark, bumpy countryside, the wind rips through me, threatening to blow me away. I exchange a this-is-it look with Winnie and cling to her for dear life.

 I have no clue where Elz is taking us. Or if we’ll make it there alive. Finally, we come to a small tavern called Puss ’n Boots somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Elz brings the coach to a screeching halt, causing my stomach to lurch forward. Grateful to still be alive, I heave a sigh of relief. So does Winnie.

Inside, the tavern is dark and smoky and reeks of piss, puke and vinegar. Loud, swarthy men line the bar along with an assortment of your usual fairy-tale freaks. Their eyes swivel our way as we head toward the counter. We’re the only women here.

The nauseating stench is getting to me. It reminds me of the men my mother used to bring home. The boar head on the wall is not helping. I bet my damn Huntsman donated it.

“How did you find this place?” I ask Elz, wishing we could leave.

“Hook. We come here all the time.” 

 My eyes widen. Is Elz seeing Hook? Before I can find out, she orders each of us a mug of beer. The beverage is cold and refreshing. I chug mine and get an instant buzz. I order another.

“I’m convinced Shrink placed us in our post-rehab positions for a reason,” says Winnie, nursing her beer.

“What makes you say that?” I ask, silently cursing the thinks-she-knows-it-all therapist for placing me with Marcella.

“Since I’ve been working at Sparkles, I’ve lost my craving for sweets. I haven’t had any for weeks.”

“Wow!” chirps Elz. “I can’t believe you can resist those yummy cupcakes, especially the ones with the creamy surprise inside.”

  I know exactly what she’s talking about, and it’s making me ravenous. Damn! There aren’t even any munchies around this joint. Time to change the subject.

 “How’s it going with John?” I ask.

 “Now that I’m working, he’s pitching in a lot more.” Winnie smiles. “And he’s paying a lot more attention to me.” 

“He should be. You look amazing!” Her weight loss really is astonishing.

 “Thanks.”

 “She’s had to buy a whole new wardrobe,” chimes in Elz.

  I hope she’s burned her fat-girl frocks, destroyed them for good. “How are your kids doing?” 

“Hansel and Gretel are doing great. I really want you to meet them.”

Her sage eyes glisten. Winnie and her family have obviously put the past behind them.

“I’d love to,” I say and switch subjects again. “So, Elz, how’s life in the shoe biz?” 

“Crazy busy!” She launches into her story. 

“When I got there, the store was going out of business. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, women can never have enough shoes, right? Customers complained the shoes weren’t fitting properly. They were either too big or too small. And they didn’t care for the dated styles.”