Okay. Now for dessert. Hmm. What can I make? The desserts we prepared at Faraway were limited and usually made from the fresh fruit we picked. Searching through the myriad of barrels, I stumble upon a mountain of apples. Beautiful, rosy red apples.
An evil thought lurks in my head. Maybe, I should poison one of them and give it to Marcella. My mind is racing. Yes! I’ll concoct an evil potion using a recipe from that bogus cookbook and dip one of the apples into it. Then, at dinner, I’ll convince Her Royal Skankiness to eat the poisonous fruit by telling her that apples are good for your health. They can even help you lose weight!
“Stop it!” shouts a voice inside my head. “STOP IT!!” the voice says again louder. Okay, I hear you! Enough! Taking a deep breath, I force myself to stay focused on making dessert.
I know. I can bake an apple pie. I made one once with Winnie at Faraway. Okay. Confession. Winnie did most of the work. I merely cut up the apples and swished them around in the sugary mixture. But I think I can handle it. I mean, how hard can it be to add a little crust? If my calculations are correct, it’ll take me twenty minutes to make the pie and an hour to bake it. My dessert will be ready just when The Prince, Calla, and that woman finish the soup and salad. Warm apple pie! Won’t they be impressed!
I gather up the ingredients Winnie used and then quickly peel the apples. As I cut them into thin slices, Shrink’s theory of good vs. evil pops into my head. On an apple scale of one to ten, Marcella’s definitely a one--rotten to the core. Calla, on the other hand, is a ten--unblemished. God’s perfect fruit. I’m not so sure where The Prince fits in. And come to think about it, nor where do I. Maybe, like Snow White, the human hand poisoned me. My mother’s. Trembling, I almost cut myself with the knife.
Jane, get a grip! Focus! Stop thinking about all this nasty stuff! Cooking’s supposed to be fun and get your mind off things. I take another deep breath and scoop the slices into a bowl. I add the other ingredients, except for the flour and the butter. Swish. Swish. I pop one of the sugarcoated slices into my mouth. Yum! So far, so good!
On to the piecrusts. Winnie told me a proper apple pie needs two crusts--one on the bottom to cradle the apples and one on the top to blanket them. “The apples are like the baby,” she said.
Using a well-floured rolling pin, I roll out two crusts. I don’t get it. Why won’t the dough roll out into perfect circles like Winnie’s? Mine are ugly, jagged blobs. Oh, well. They look enough like piecrusts.
I transfer one of the crusts to a deep round earthenware dish, pressing it firmly into the bottom and over edges of the rim. Easy enough. I load the apples onto the crust, piling them high in the center, precisely the way Winnie did. And now the tricky part…placing the second crust over the heap of apples. Carefully, I lift up the limp dough and edge it over the top of the pie. But then it happens. The dough breaks apart. I manage to glue the two pieces together, but I can’t make the patched-up crust cover the filling no matter how much I stretch it. Losing my patience, I tug harder and harder. The dough, now as thin as parchment, breaks into a dozen jagged pieces. I have no clue how to splice them together, and there’s no time to make a new crust. I want to cry.
Putting the sad-looking pie aside, I run over to the cauldron to taste my soup. I’m instantly cheered up. The ingredients have blended to perfection. I dash over to the hearth to check on my bread. The crust is golden brown, and it smells scrumptious. Time to take it out and put in the wannabe pie.
Dinner, my friends, is about to be served.
***
The Prince, Calla, and Marcella are seated around a long formally set, candle-lit table in the dining hall. The Prince, dressed in a billowy white linen shirt and royal blue velvet vest, is on one end; Marcella, wearing a tacky, low-cut hot pink gown, is on the other, and Calla’s in the middle. Right beside her is Lady Jane, propped up on pillows in her own chair. A carafe of red wine graces the table.
“Marcella, thank you for my dolly!” exclaims Calla with a big fake smile. She’s good!
The PIW glowers at her. “Child, what on earth are you talking about?”
Calla rolls her eyes, then exchanges a wink with me.
Chuckling inside, I have to steady the heavy silver tray that’s holding my three-course dinner. I plunk it down on the table, nearly spilling the tureen of soup on Marcella.
“Jane, I want my dinner served on the table, not my lap,” she sneers.
Duh! I serve the salad first. I hold my breath as everyone takes their first bite.
Bad news. Her Royal Skankiness spits it out and screams. “There’s dressing on this salad! I told you I was on a diet!” She shoves the plate away.
“Yum!” says Calla. “Can I please have more?” I serve her a second helping. She alternates between gobbling the salad and pretend-feeding some to her new doll. “Lady Jane loves it too!”
The Prince’s face brightens. “It has always been a struggle to get Calla to eat her greens.” I take his words as a compliment.
I clear the salad plates, then serve the hot soup and bread. The Prince dips his spoon into his steaming bowl and lifts it to his lips. I hold my breath again.
“Mmm! What do you call this?”
Crap! I have no idea what this concoction of vegetables is called. Think! Think of something quick! “Um, uh Potage de Meeshmash,” I stutter.
“Ah, it’s French.” He scoops up another spoonful. “Where did you learn how to cook like this, Jane?”
Rehab. No, wait! I can’t tell him that. “I went to cooking school in France,” I stammer.
“Vraiment?” comments Marcella, her tone snippy.
Whatever. I smile at Calla who’s giving little “tastes” to Lady Jane.
Marcella hasn’t touched a thing. She’s practically frothing at the mouth, watching Calla and The Prince wipe their bowls clean with the crusty bread. Finally, she can no longer take it. In one swift swoop, she grabs her bowl of soup and scoffs it down. Then she snatches the bread and bites off one chunk after another. Sheesh! How much can she stuff into her mouth?
“Marcella, you hogged the rest of the bread!” sulks Calla. “Not fair!”
The PIW’s eyes narrow; her lips pucker, and her fists clench. “Jane, why did you let me eat all that bread!” she yells as if I’m responsible for her lack of will power. “You’ve made me fat!”
Rescue me! She’s way worse than Sasperilla! The skinny bitch, at least, had self-control and didn’t blame others for her shortcomings. The smell of something burning cuts my thoughts short. The apple pie! It’s still in the oven--probably burnt to a crisp!
I hurry back to the kitchen to check on the pie. The good news is…only the edges of the crust have burnt. The bad news is…the filling is now the consistency of applesauce. And it’s starting to bubble like molten lava.
Panicky, I jerk it out from the hearth and yelp. I’ve burnt my hand on the red-hot dish. To my horror, my flesh is glued to the rim. I peel it off. Ow! Why am I such a doof in the kitchen? I flashback to my finger-cutting incident at Faraway, then flash forward to my reunion tomorrow night. I can’t wait to see Elz and Winnie. It gets my mind off the pain.
Using my good hand and a large potholder, I bring the once-upon-a-time pie to the table. “My pièce de résistance,” I say in my best French accent.
I have to admit the aroma is tantalizing and wonder if it will taste as good as it smells. I slice a generous piece for everyone. What I really need is a ladle.
“Pass!” grunts Marcella, raising her hand like a stop sign and turning her head.
“Jane, this is simply wonderful!” says The Prince after his first bite. Taking another forkful, he savors my apple mush as if it’s his last morsel of food.
Calla’s equally ecstatic. “Super duper yummy!” she squeals. “Papa, may Lady Jane and I have another piece? Please? Pretty please?” she implores with the coquettish charm that only a little girl can get away with.
The Prince cannot say no to his little princess. I serve Calla and Lady J
ane their second helping. There’s only one piece left.
Marcella stares at it, her mouth watering. I’m enjoying every minute. Suffer, you wannabe skinny bitch!
“Jane, I shall have the last piece,” says The Prince. “This splendid pie should not go to waste.”
As I serve The Prince, he notices the burn on my hand; it’s now a big red ugly welt.
“What happened to your hand?” He sounds genuinely concerned.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” I reply. “Un petit cooking faux pas.” Am I kidding myself? My hand is killing me!
“Let me take care of it before it gets infected.” He reaches into his vest pocket and pulls out a white monogrammed silk handkerchief. He gently wraps it around the burn. My hand trembles and my heart pounds. I’m weak. It must be a more serious wound than I thought.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Marcella rolling her eyes in utter disgust.
“That’s much better.” Proud of his makeshift bandage, The Prince holds my hand in his. I keep it there longer than I need to, then hastily pull away.
“Thank you, My Lord.” I quiver. “I mean, Gallant.” Our eyes meet briefly. My heart races; my body tingles. I don’t know why I feel so weird and wonderful.
What I do know is that I’ve learned a valuable lesson: When life gives you apples, make apple pie.
***
After dinner, The Prince sends Calla up to her room; she’s had a big day and needs some sleep. The little girl protests but finally acquiesces.
“I love you, Papa.” She gives her father a big hug.
“I love you, too, My Little Princess,” says The Prince, holding her tightly.
Their embrace gives me the chills. Maybe, it has something to do with never having a father to kiss me good night. Knowing my mother’s taste in men, it’s just as well I didn’t.
“Good night, Marcella,” says Calla coldly before heading upstairs.
Marcella pays no attention to the child and dismisses herself from the table.
“My love, I need my beauty sleep with the ball so close.” She blows The Prince a kiss, then slinks off.
Ball. Shmall. Personally, I think Her Royal Skankiness wants nothing to do with clean-up. To tell the truth, neither do I. I don’t want to think about how much there is to scrub.
And then I have one of my brainstorms. When they’re all upstairs asleep, I’ll toss all the plates. Tomorrow, I’ll tell The Prince I accidentally broke them and blame it on my burnt hand. That’s sure to get his sympathy. And, come on, he can easily afford a few new dishes. In fact, I bet he and the PIW will get an entire set of new china for a wedding present.
I’m such a creative genius. Okay, so not all my plans work--the poison apple scheme bombed as did my escape from Faraway--but this one’s a sure-fire no-brainer.
Singing “lalala” to myself, I start hauling plates and serving pieces into the kitchen. The Prince orders me to stop.
“Please share some wine with me,” he says.
“I have to clear the dishes,” I reply, slightly taken aback. Seriously, I wish he’d go upstairs. I want to get going on my kickass toss-and-clean plan.
“There is no need,” says The Prince, already pouring two goblets of the red wine. “The cook and his staff shall be here in the morning. Trust me, they must have had another spat with Marcella. They always quit and come back the next day.”
Holding the wine, The Prince escorts me through double doors that open to a small but beautiful garden. It’s filled with hundreds of lilies and roses, in varying shades of white. Fireflies, a holdover from the summer, dance around the blooms like sprinkles of fairy dust. The Prince leads me to a stone bench, where we sit and sip the wine.
I inhale the sweet scent of the flowers and the fresh night air. The wine, the first I’ve had in ages, is soothing and as smooth as velvet. It goes down easily (perhaps too easily) and makes me relaxed.
“What a lovely garden,” I say. On second thought, maybe I should have said, “What lovely wine.” I’m not thinking one hundred percent straight.
The Prince’s expression turns wistful as he refills my goblet. “My late wife designed this garden herself. Lilies and roses were her favorite flowers. She named our daughter, Calla Rose, after them. After she died, I scattered her ashes here.”
Eww! I’ve been walking on the remains of some dead person. I want to dust off my shoes. “How long has it been?” I ask, careful not to show my disgust.
“A little over five years.” There’s sadness in his voice.
The power of the wine enables me to prod further. “How did she die?”
“A snake bit her. Right here in this garden.”
I nervously survey the grounds to make sure no snakes are nearby. Phew! Not one in sight.
The Prince pauses; his eyes grow hooded. “I could not save her,” he says at last.
Not knowing quite how to respond, I ask, “Does Calla remember her?”
He sighs. “No. She was too young.”
“Perhaps, it’s for the best.”
The Prince creases his brows. “What makes you say that?”
Because my mother was a witch! She used and abused me. I wish I could erase every memory of her! I wish she never existed! That’s what I want to say, but instead I settle for some clichéd comfort.
“It’ll be easier for her to move on. To accept a new mother.”
“I hope you are right.” He sips his wine. “She is having difficulty warming up to Marcella.”
Marcella. The mere mention of her name makes my stomach churn. Maybe, now’s a good time to tell him how Calla really feels about her prospective new mother.
“She’ll adjust,” I say instead. “She’s an amazing girl.”
“She is indeed. I cannot thank you enough for saving her life today.”
A smile flashes across The Prince’s face. Dimpled like Calla’s, it’s dazzling. I can’t get my eyes off him.
He plucks a perfectly formed lily from the earth. “This is for you.”
I hold the flower to my nose and inhale its intoxicating scent. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I gaze up at The Prince’s chiseled face, but words get stuck in my throat. I can’t even squeak out a simple “Thank you.” My head is swirling, and little explosions rock my body inside. It’s got be the wine. It’s got to be!
“My daughter seems to have a special affection toward you,” says The Prince. “Perhaps, you can help me out with something.”
Anything you want. Anything, Gallant! My Lord! My Master! What is wrong with me?
“Calla’s seventh birthday is in three days. I would like to throw her a surprise party. Originally, I asked Marcella to plan the event, but with all the arrangements for the ball, she has had no time to handle it. So, I am hoping you will take over.”
I feel like I’ve been hit over the head by a brick. A birthday party!? He wants me to put together a birthday party? Does he have any idea of how big my workload is? And he actually thinks Marcella is handling the details of the ball? Between ball preparations and Marcella’s other ridiculous requests, I barely have time to breathe. Or pee.
“No problem.” I must be out of my mind.
I chug the rest of my wine. On second thought: When life gives you apples, dip them in poison. All of them!
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.
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