Sweet Surrender (31 page)

“Let’s get this over with.” With her hand grasped tightly in his, he continued toward the entryway at a more moderate pace. Without ringing the bell, he entered his family home without hesitation. “I called dad and he has convened the coven in his study.”

“That’s funny, Stacy referred to them much the same way.”

“Forgive me if I don’t laugh, I’m finding little humor in any of this bullshit.”

The feminine chatter echoing down the hallway guided them to their destination. Giada was speaking as they approached. “Christina said she and Marc had a nice chat last night and that things seem to be progressing between them nicely.”

Marc felt Jessie tense beside him. Encircling her shoulders, he bent to her ear. “She’s lying through her teeth, baby. We exchanged pleasantries at a minimum, nothing more.”

Giada continued before he could say more. “Oh, to have been a fly on the wall when little Nurse Goodbody saw them together.”

“Evidently her tactics were more effective than you thought,” his mother accused. “They spent the entire night on the dance floor. You couldn’t have fit a razor blade between them, they were that close, the hussy.”

Jessie stepped back, shaking her head. “No way am I going through that gauntlet of insults again. I’ll wait in the truck.”

David, who had been standing in the hallway eavesdropping shamelessly, heard her comment and took exception. “You will do no such thing, young lady.” His tone was hushed, although the anger was evident. He lifted his chin in greeting to Marc. “Bring her in here, son. It’s time to end this nonsense.”

Flanking a reluctant Jessie, the three of them stepped into the study unnoticed. The sisters were seated with their backs to the door and Mariella was standing across the room, staring sullenly out the window.

“Mom,” Annalisa called. “What did dad want with us? I have plans and can’t hang out all day.”

“I’m sure I don’t know—” she began, nearly choking when she turned and saw them in the doorway. At her alarmed expression, the three on the couch twisted to look behind them.

Marc felt the tension in Jessie as she stood stiffly beside him. Her hand trembled in his. Unsure if it was from nervousness or anger, he squeezed in reassurance. He had done her a grave injustice by not believing her accounts of his family’s behavior right off. He moved her in front of him, securing her by wrapping his arms snugly around her shoulders.

“I’m so sorry, Jessie,” he whispered in her ear. It wasn’t nearly enough of an apology, but he felt she needed to hear it before confronting the spitefulness of his sisters and his mother.

“Do I really have to be here for this?” she asked in the same fashion.

Marc squeezed her tighter, hoping to share his strength and instill the capacity to endure this drama—as fucked up as it seemed to be.

“You will stay and hear their apologies, Jessica.” Though David said this softly, his words carried to his eldest daughter, who fervently objected.

“Apologies? What do you mean? We’ve done nothing—”

“Cut the crap, Giada.”

David’s voice was razor sharp, silencing Giada instantly. The others took note, sitting up straighter and paling somewhat as they glanced nervously at one another. When it came to David Trent, still waters ran deep. Ordinarily calm and cool-headed, it took a lot to rile him; when something did, he was a sight to behold and not a man to be trifled with.

“Are you so unhappy,” he asked in a steely voice, “in your own marriage that you have to drag others down with you? I’ve heard that misery loves company, but this is pathetic. For some reason you are hell-bent on ruining your brother’s chance at happiness and determined to send him down the path of disappointment that you have travelled for years. That ends now.”

Marc watched his father in action. David’s censorious gaze swept over his younger daughters, followers of their elder sister’s lead, no doubt. Marc wasn’t surprised when they looked away, unable to meet either their father or brother’s eyes. This alone was telling.

“I don’t know if an apology is enough, dad. How can I bring my wife and children into a household full of malice? I wouldn’t ask that of Jessie and I sure wouldn’t subject my children to such negativity and spite.”

“Marc, you don’t mean that.” His mother rushed forward, stopping at the end of the couch next to the others, gaping helplessly at her favorite child.

David spoke up as well. “Giada, you will apologize this instant.”

“I’m sorry, Jessica,” Giada admitted, sounding anything but sincere. “I didn’t mean for you to overhear any of the truth that was spoken.”

Desiree, who had been sitting in a wing chair in the corner of the room, tittered delightedly. Marc bristled in anger and was ready to explode, but his dad beat him to the punch. Stalking across the room, he pointed at Desiree and barked, “This is a family discussion. Out!”

He didn’t wait to see if she obeyed; instead, he grabbed Giada by the arm and hauled his eldest daughter brusquely from her seat, guiding her toward the front door. He stopped to gather her purse and coat, which he pressed into her arms. He then jerked open the heavy double doors, letting in a burst of cold winter air.

His decree was harsh as it was issued. “You are no longer welcome here until you remember your manners and develop the ability to interact with others civilly. If you do, I’m sure Marc and Jessica will listen to your apologies. Until I hear that they are satisfied, you are not welcome back in this house.”

“But, daddy—”

Her whine grated on Marc’s nerves and reminded him of what she’d been like growing up. The memories it prompted were quite unpleasant.

“Be thankful you are a grown woman or I’d fetch my strap. I am ashamed of you, Giada Marie, you were raised better.”

“You’re taking that floozy’s side over your own daughter?”

“Silence! This is exactly what I mean. Not another word from you, I don’t want to hear it. I’ll phone your husband and let him know what has occurred. He can call you a cab or come get you. Either way, do not come back into this house until you are invited.” Having said that, he nudged her through the door and closed it firmly behind her.

He turned to face Marc and the rest of the family who stood gaping in amazement, having witnessed the entire scene. Unfazed, David crossed his arms over his chest and stared down Desiree, who immediately began to squirm beneath his authoritative glare. She quickly took the hint.

“I’m very sorry for my unkind words of the other day and for rudely laughing, Jessica. It was most ill-mannered of me.” After that brief apology, she exited the Trent home in Giada’s wake.

“Isn’t it remarkable how much her English has improved in such a short time?” Jessie’s entirely valid remark was uttered softly, but with the off-the-charts level of tension in the hallway, Marc thought it best not to react except to squeeze her hand tighter in a bid for silence.

David pointed into the den and waited as his wife and daughters scampered back inside. Only then did he approach Jessie, taking her hands in his much larger ones. “I’m terribly sorry for the treatment you’ve received in my household, Jessica. I can assure you it won’t happen anymore.”

“With all due respect, sir, how can you be so sure. At every opportunity they attacked me, waiting deliberately for you and Marc to turn your backs.”

“Constant vigilance, dear. Marc and I will see that you aren’t put in that position again.”

“I don’t know what to say. Maybe it would be better if I just stayed away.”

“Unacceptable. I won’t have Marc and his family feel they aren’t welcomed fully in my home. If they can’t comply, they can be put out like Giada.”

“You’d ostracize your family for me? That can’t be right.”

“With Giada gone,
cara,
the others will fall in line. I’m sure you realized she’s quite intense and as the eldest, quite bossy.”

“Still—”

“Say you’ll give me time to rectify this, my dear. These are not bad women, despite what you may have seen in their actions. Except for Giada, who may need more help than I can give.”

“Professional help and a stout paddle is my prescription,” Marc muttered. “I plan to have a long talk with Ian about all of this.”

David nodded, looking at Jessie expectantly. “What do you say, Jessie? After this is settled, will you give the Trent family a chance to make it up to you?”

“I can try, sir,” was her earnest reply as she squeezed his hand.

“Thank you.” Then he placed a fatherly kiss on her forehead before he entered the study to face the rest of his misbehaving family.

As Marc and Jessie followed him into the study, his mother approached and pre-emptively offered an apology as well.

“Jessica, I also must apologize for Giada.”

It was entirely transparent to Marc. Now that Giada was gone, she was making her the scapegoat. Angry, he demanded, “Are you actually trying to deny your role in this, mother?”

When she opened her mouth to answer, his father interrupted, “Think before you answer, Mariella.”

When her mouth snapped shut at his warning, she flushed, knowing she had as good as admitted her guilt. Marc was amazed. Had she always been this vindictive? Had he turned a blind eye to his mother’s manipulations, as Jessie had said? All the conversations they’d had and her reluctance to come here made sense now. He had explained it away as fatigue from work, when actually she’d been harassed and bullied by people who professed to love him. Jessie’s already fragile self-esteem had suffered from his family’s mistreatment.

“I won’t tolerate a shrew for a daughter and I certainly won’t put up with one for a wife. Don’t think I won’t get that old strap of mine and use it on you too, Mariella. Have no qualms about that. What has come over you, woman?”

“But, David, she has admitted that she is only after his money.”

“I never—” Shocked by the outrageous lie, she turned to Marc. “That’s a bald-faced lie! I never said anything of the sort.”

“When was this confession supposed to have taken place?” Cold and unbreakable, Marc’s voice rang like steel as he addressed his mother.

“She was overheard by people at the hospital.”

“Who?” he demanded.

“Christina said—”

“Not again! When has Christina Barlow ever been a part of the equation?” Marc barked, his body tensing under the strain from his barely controlled anger. He didn’t believe a word of Christina Barlow’s lies and frankly, her entire scheme baffled him. “I went on two or three dates with the woman and until last night, hadn’t spoken to her in months.”

“She told me how close you were,
bello,
that you were devastated when she took that fellowship abroad. She said you’d asked her to marry you and if she hadn’t left…” Mariella’s accusing gaze flicked to Jessie, then swept around the room for support. “Well, we decided to help you get out of your little situation when one of the girls corroborated Christina’s story. Giada can tell you.” Unfortunately for Mariella, Giada, her best champion and staunchest supporter, was gone. In absentia, Mariella promptly threw her under the bus. “She was the one who brought me the information about her plot in the first place.”

“Giada is an embittered witch, mom,” Renata spoke up for the first time. “It appears your dear Christina is cut from the same cloth. If I’d have known she was your source, I would have never—” She stopped abruptly, her eyes shifting to Marc, then Jessie. “Dad is right about Giada. She’s miserable and wants everyone around her to be that way too. The only explanation for Christina is that she is jealous.”

Turning to Jessie, Renata spoke earnestly, or so it seemed to Marc. He wasn’t sure he could tell anymore.

“I’m sorry, Jessie. We never really gave you a chance, but I can see how much Marc loves you and how happy you make him. It was very clear last night at the party. I’m ashamed that I went along with this plot, rather than defending you as I was wont to do at the beginning.”

Marc felt Jessie’s hand clutch his shirt in the back; this was difficult for her and he was about to put an end to it when she replied.

“I thought we hit it off at first, Renata, and hoped we could be friends. I know it’s easier to go along with the crowd, rather than stick your neck out for someone you barely know. Your words were spiteful and they hurt me. I don’t know that I’ll soon forget them.”

“I don’t blame you, but I truly am sorry.” Her eyes misted, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “Marc, I apologize. Their argument seemed convincing and I justified it, thinking it was what was best for you. I should have come to you with it all in the first place. Please forgive me.”

She didn’t wait for a reply, obviously not expecting one after her involvement and quietly returned to her seat on the couch.

“Annalisa,” her father interjected. “Do you have something to say?”

Marc was most disappointed in Annalisa. He was closer to her than the others. She’d idolized him and followed him around like a shadow when he was a teen. He was disappointed that he hadn’t had a more positive influence on her.

Her eyes on Jessie, she stood and approached. “I’m sorry too. I really don’t have anything against you, Jessie. When they told me you were a gold digger, well, to be honest, I had to ask for a definition, then I jumped on board with their plan to protect Marc. I love my big brother and wouldn’t ever want him to get married to a money-grubbing witch, as Giada put it.” She looked up at Marc, with heightened color in her cheeks. “I’m embarrassed to say that the other reason I went along with Giada is that it’s easier than fighting her. To be honest, and please excuse my language, Giada is a vicious, ball-busting bitch. We all know that. It might be good during contract negotiations or in the boardroom at Trent Industries, but she scares the crap out of me. So sue me for being a wimp.” She flashed her dimple at her dad, working it like a pro before facing Jessie again. “Can you forgive me, Jess?”

Silenced reined. When Jessie left Annalisa hanging for longer than was comfortable, Marc saw her face crumple. As the youngest, Annalisa was used to being doted on, spoiled rotten and usually able to talk her way out of any jam, especially with his parents, who had either mellowed since his teenage years or were especially soft-hearted when it came to the little imp. One look at Jess told him it was going to take more than an apology and a flash of Annalisa’s cute dimples for Jess to forgive and forget, and he didn’t blame her a bit. Watching his youngest sister in action told him that at nineteen she still had a lot of maturing to do. She was spoiled, and not getting her way this time might actually be good for her. That applied to all the Trent women, in particular Giada and his mother.