Taming Mariella by Girard Dara

Author:Girard, Dara [Girard, Dara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Kimani Romance
Published: 2008-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Over a half hour later, Ian and Mariella arrived at a grand house several miles outside of Atlanta. It was a stately new home with a classic colonial feel sitting on over six acres of land. The front exterior masonry was superb, with a retaining wall made out of gleaming rocks around the circumference of the house. Large double-hung thermo-pane windows provided ample lighting and elegance.

Inside a two-story foyer and center hall greeted them and the housekeeper showed them into the large family room furnished with black granite, wood-paneled gas fireplace and enormous windows.

The Stantons lived well, but had an easygoing manner that took Southern hospitality to another level. Though dressed in expensive designer clothes their greeting was anything but subdued. Mariella wondered how they could know Ian who looked and seemed so dark and brooding in his customary black. But they embraced him like relatives would and although Ian’s reply was more tempered, it was clear that he was glad to see them.

Following a sumptuous five-course meal, they retired to the formal living room, an oversize room with a ten-foot vaulted ceiling, stone fireplace trimmed with Italian marble and gleaming wood flooring.

“So tell me how things are going?” Yolanda’s husband Gregory asked, pouring each of them a glass of white wine.

“Well, Mariella is getting a handle on things,” Ian said.

“Everything is perfect,” Mariella countered.

The conversation soon turned to photography and became a lively discussion. Suddenly they heard the front door slam and loud voices.

“It’s not fair!” a girl shouted. “Give it back!”

“No,” another girl replied. “I bought it so it’s mine.”

“But I saw it first!”

“Girls!” Gregory called. “What is going on?”

Two girls about fifteen and seventeen appeared in the doorway. The older girl was lanky with big eyes and her hair in Nubian knots framing her face. The younger girl had small slit eyes and a round face with an impish grin. Her face was framed by expertly woven cornrows ending in a puffed ponytail on top of her head.

“Our daughters Hannah and Tatiana,” Gregory said as though embarrassed at having to make the introduction. “Girls, say hello to our guests.”

“Hello,” they replied. Both girls instantly recognized Mariella. They were used to having famous people including models, movie stars, diplomats and others come to visit their parents and didn’t blink.

“Now what is going on?” Yolanda asked, agitated fingers stroking her impeccably groomed hair.

The older one, Tatiana spoke up. “I saw a skirt that I thought was great and I wanted to buy it, but Hannah got to it first even though she knew that I wanted it.”

“You can get another one,” Hannah replied.

“It was the only one there and it was an end-of-the-season sale,” Tatiana said, anguish clear in her voice.

“Can’t you share it?” Gregory asked.

They looked at their father as though he’d grown antlers. “No!” they screamed.

Tatiana reached for the bag. “Tell her to give it to me.”

“I won’t.” Hannah moved it away. “I bought it fair and square.”

“You’re always ruining things for me.”

“Let’s see the skirt,” Mariella said.

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