Read 2 Unhitched for Free Online Page A

curse Charming and Cinderella. Damn it! I wish they weren’t coming over. They’re just going to get in the way. Especially Cinderella. She never stops chattering about herself. I’ll never have a chance to interrogate Gallant.
    Alone in my dressing room, I slip on one of my new gowns—a pouf of black and white Chantilly lace—and struggle with the fastenings along the side. I can barely close them; the dress—Size 8—is miserably tight. Under all the layers, I can’t even feel my hipbones. It’s as if they’ve melted away. Dragonballs! I’ll need to diet, something I’ve never done in my entire life, if I’m ever going to land myself another husband.
    Stop it !Hold your tummy in and just get through the night, I tell myself as I catch a glimpse of my not-so-thin self in the mirror. Mr. Infidelity won’t even notice. I mean Gallant. I need to remember. Innocent until proven guilty.
    When I get downstairs, Gallant is pacing the length of the great room. He must have just gotten home. He’s disheveled. His blousy shirt hangs out of his britches, both covered with remnants of paint, and his tumbled locks of hair look like he’s just gotten out of bed. Just not mine. Stop it, Jane; don’t go there.
    Gallant wheels around when he hears my footsteps. He gazes at me, not giving me even the faintest smile. He says nothing about my new dress.
    “We should have canceled dinner,” is all he says. He sounds irritated.
    As usual, Cinderella is late. Very late. She has a major time management issue. I’m sure leaving the ball past midnight, which caused her coach to turn back into a pumpkin, was not the beginning. My mother-in-law, The Queen of Hearts, has begged her to get help. She just laughs it off. “One should always be fashionably late,” she says.
    I sense an opportunity. “Why don’t we share some wine while we wait for your brother and Cinderella?”
    “Perhaps later. I am going to work on my speech for the museum opening.” He crosses the room, heading toward his desk. “Let me know when they arrive.”
    He takes a seat at his favorite work place and slides open the top drawer. My heart skips a beat. Shit! I still have Aurora’s letter in my bag. What if he notices it’s missing? It’ll change everything. He might even turn on me if he thinks I stole it. Which I did!
    I hold my breath as Gallant scours the drawer. His brows furrow; my heart flutters. Has he discovered it’s gone? I exhale loudly when he pulls out a sheet of parchment and puts a stylus to it. Mental note to self: Put the letter back. No, on second thought, once he confesses everything, I may want to stuff it down his throat. Now, if I could only get him smashed.
    A tug on my dress startles me. It’s Calla. Lady Jane is dangling from one hand. Her other is clasped around something that I can’t make out.
    “Mommy, I’m hungry!”
    I glance at the grandfather clock. It’s almost nine o’clock. Cinderella’s already an hour late. Poor Calla! She was so looking forward to having dinner with her aunt and uncle and partaking in our adult evening. The precocious little girl just loves adult chitchat and gossip. I’ve even caught her sneaking peeks at the Fairytale Tattler.
    “Come, let’s eat, my sweet girl.” I wrap an arm around her thin shoulders and shuffle her toward the kitchen.
    The kitchen smells delicious. A fragrant blend of fresh breads, stews, and tarts wafts through the air.
    Our cooks, most of whom have families of their own, are scurrying about, trying to keep the lavish meal they have prepared warm.
    “Go home to your families,” I tell the weary-looking workers. The truth is they could be here all night waiting for Cinderella and Charming to show up.
    With smiles of relief, they gather up their belongings and file out the back door. I bid them a good night. They are all so hard working, kind, and loyal.
    I quickly throw together a little bit of everything—succulent braised ribs, velvety potato purée, golden