He stopped talking and Keely could hear the birds outside. It was another beautiful day.
Suddenly, Jack turned around. He glanced at the table, then back to Keely, his face bright as if he’d just thought of something.
“I’d better get going.” He grabbed his battered hat and moved to the door, where he paused. “I’ll find you something to display your jewellery on.” He gave a sharp nod towards her creations on the table. Then, with a brief smile, he was gone.
* * *
The smell of meat cooking made Keely’s mouth water as she approached the house. Euan had the meat roasting in the outdoor barbecue, ready for the pork rolls the next day. Her heart did a light skip and she had a moment of cheerful anticipation, before the feeling of dread settled on her again. She was looking forward to the coming weekend. The whole concept excited her but, always in the background like a shadow, was the thought that when the weekend was over, she had to face a class again.
For the hundredth time since her meeting with Ken she toyed with the idea of ringing and cancelling, but now that she’d met him, saw how welcoming he was and knew how desperately he needed her help, she couldn’t bring herself to let him down. She sighed and tried to concentrate on her mental checklist of things to be done.
As soon as she entered the Levallier house she could sense the tension. Maggie and Euan were in the kitchen and Flynn was drying a large tray of wine glasses at the table.
“Hello, Keely.” Maggie’s welcome was bright but Flynn and Euan simply nodded in her direction.
“Can I help with anything?” she asked.
Euan was up to his elbows in frothy water at the sink. “We’ve got everything ready for the hordes to come and ravish…including the fatted calf.”
The glasses he’d dried clinked together as Flynn lifted the crate that held them. “If you’re going to have that kind of attitude towards potential customers, perhaps you’d better stay at the sheds tomorrow.”
“I think we’re just about done here.” Maggie smiled at Keely.
“We’re done, alright,” Euan muttered. “And by Sunday night we’ll be done over.”
Flynn put the crate back on the table with a crash. Several glasses wobbled precariously but righted themselves without falling.
“It’s one weekend,” he said. “It’s not as if we’re going to do this all the time.”
“That’s why you bought all those bottle bags. For one weekend?” Euan nodded sharply at a pile of deep green napkins on the table beside Flynn. “And the extra cartons and the serviettes with our name on them?”
“The cartons will get used regardless. There was a better deal per bag for the number I got and we needed serviettes anyway. I guess I was hopeful we might do it again, at some stage.”
“We’re certainly not. We don’t want strangers hanging around our house yard, and the best way to taste wine is to sit one-on-one with the winemaker. You can’t discuss wine properly when you’ve got people queued up.” Euan turned back to his washing.
Flynn’s shoulders slumped and he sighed as he bent to take up the tray again. “Don’t worry, when word gets around about the grumpy old bugger running this place, no one will come anyway.” He carried his tray off in the direction of the cellar door.
Keely picked up one of the serviettes. Levallier Dell Wines was printed inside a black frame across one corner. They looked smart. She glanced up and saw Maggie’s concerned look as she watched Flynn leave.
Keely had that sinking feeling that her excitement over the coming weekend may be short-lived.
Euan wiped his hands on a towel. “I think I’ll go for a surf and clear my head.”
“Can I borrow a vehicle to pick up the groceries?” Keely asked.
There was a moment’s silence. Euan glanced at her in surprise, as if he had forgotten she was there.
“We can take my car and I can give you a hand.” Maggie gave Euan a glare and picked up her keys. “The air is far too stuffy here.”
* * *
“Baba, I want you to come…” Tony’s voice was drowned by the noise of the tractor and Theo didn’t look back to acknowledge his son. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the tractor in front of him with his grandson at the wheel. He’d been standing in the same spot all morning watching the dead vines being pulled from the soil. Some of the yellow leaves were flicked off with the violent wrenching and drifted slowly to the ground, which now resembled an autumn landscape instead of spring.
He gazed over the land stretching away from him. With the vines removed, it looked like a huge gaping wound in the earth, bounded by the trees of the Levallier fence line on one side and the reassuring green of healthy River Dynasty vines on the other.
Theo still couldn’t understand it. Fifteen years ago, they had moved to Margaret River and bought the land they named River Dynasty. It was a family affair, his three sons and their sons, and everyone had worked hard to create the wines they produced. Everyone in the family could have a job here.
He frowned at the thought of Katerina’s refusal. Headstrong, just like her mother, who wouldn’t come to River Dynasty either. Fifteen years earlier he had offered his daughter and her husband the opportunity to join the family business but instead of selling up and coming west they had stayed in the Yarra Valley. It would have been a comfort to have his only daughter a little closer but Theo could respect their decision.
“Baba.”
Tony was right behind him but still Theo didn’t turn. He knew why Tony had come. There were some tough decisions to be made. They had asked the accountant to drive out and look over the books. He’d probably arrived and was waiting at the house.
They had stretched themselves with the expansion to Ocean Dynasty but it had been a natural progression. The more southerly property was still developing and was still a drain on finances, but all the signs were good. He poked at a clod of dirt with his toe. It was just this piece of land that he stood on that had brought them bad luck. Perhaps it was cursed.
“Baba, I want you to come and look at something.”
Theo dragged his eyes away from the destruction in front of him. “What is it, Tony? Isn’t the accountant here?”
“Not yet.” Tony started walking away. “Come to the chemicals shed.”
Theo hesitated. For the first time, he heard a tone of command in his eldest son’s voice. He rolled his shoulders and breathed deeply. While he still had breath there was only one boss at River Dynasty. He strode off and overtook his son, reaching the shed in front of him.
“What’s the problem?”
Tony unlocked the door and went in. He flicked the switch. Theo noticed how bright the light was now. Someone must have replaced the globes.
“What did you mix in the spray unit the other day?” Tony asked.
“Why?” Theo bristled. “Don’t you trust me?” He strode to the corner where two drums sat side by side and began to lift the drum he’d used. It was very heavy. He put it down again, puzzled by the weight. It was so heavy that it could be still full. He peered at the drum beside it, then carefully, as if it was fragile, he reached down and picked it up. The drum lifted easily. He looked at the name and the words seemed to flash at him. Slowly, he put the drum down again and lowered himself to sit on it.
Tony came and stood beside him. “You used the wrong one, Baba,” he said softly.
Theo put his head in his hands. He had poisoned his own vines.
* * *
There were crowds of people meandering in and out of the shops as Keely and Maggie made their way back to the car. Keely clutched a bright pink shopping bag packed with new clothes. She couldn’t believe they’d shopped together and she’d let Maggie talk her into two new shirts and a pair of jeans. They’d all been on sale, thank goodness, but even so they’d made a dent in her savings.
The shopping trip hadn’t happened till after they’d loaded the car with the food. Maggie had wanted something from the newsagent and they’d passed a clothes shop with a sale si
gn out the front. Maggie had discreetly pointed out that Keely’s clothes didn’t seem to fit her. Keely had said no one would see her in the kitchen anyway but Maggie had insisted they check out the shop.
Keely had to admit it was nice to try on pants that she didn’t need to keep hitching up. They’d had some fun in the shop with Maggie bringing her all kinds of things to try on, some of them way too out there or extravagant for Keely but they’d laughed together all the same. So different from shopping trips with her mother when they went with a list, tried on a couple of things, made their purchases and left with little fuss. They always enjoyed a coffee together afterwards but it wasn’t like the treat today’s experience had been.
Shopping with Maggie was more like the times when Keely went with her girlfriends and they would try on things that they’d pick out for each other. The difference was, Maggie picked out clothes with a classic style while Keely’s girlfriends would pick fashion of the moment or something with outlandish appeal. Euan’s sister wasn’t turning out to be quite as scary as Keely had imagined her.
“I hope some of these people will be coming our way over the weekend,” Maggie said as they sidestepped another group peering in a shop window.
“Yes.” Keely agreed, although she wasn’t sure whether to hope they came for Flynn’s sake or hope they all stayed away for Euan’s.
“Hello, Keely, Maggie. It’s nice to see you back in Margs. It’s been a long time.”
They stopped and turned back. Neither of them had noticed Anna on the footpath.
“Hello, Anna,” Maggie said. “It’s good to be here.”
“It’ll be a busy weekend ahead. I’m glad Flynn has you there to support him. I can’t spare Sean, and Euan is still not coping with the idea of hordes of people at Levallier Dell.”
“He’s coming round,” Maggie said.
“Is he? Poor Flynn was quite down in the dumps about his lack of enthusiasm.”
“Flynn can be a worrier,” Maggie said. “Things are sorted out now.”
Keely glanced at Maggie and a picture of the glum faces of Flynn and Euan flashed through her head. Maggie’s lips were turned up in a little smile and her eyes gazed steadily at Anna, almost daring her to say otherwise.
“Oh, well…that’s good,” Anna said.
“We’ve all pitched in to get things ready. Keely has been a marvellous help.”
Anna turned her attention to Keely. “After the trouble of filling out the paperwork for relief teaching I heard you’d planned to move on but now Megan tells me you are working at her school next week.”
“Yes, I’ll be on my way after that.”
Anna searched her face and Keely sucked in a breath and studied the pavement at her feet.
“I guess that lovely Katerina has been busy at River Dynasty. Have you met her yet, Maggie?” Anna asked.
“Yes, Flynn has introduced me.”
Anna leaned in closer to Maggie. “She’s just perfect for him, don’t you think?”
Keely looked at the people strolling by, the shine fading from her shopping expedition.
“As always, Anna, you are far more well informed than I.” There was a stiffness to Maggie’s response.
Further down the street Keely noticed a battered green station wagon. She took a few steps towards it. There were a couple of boards tied to the racks on top. Perhaps Marty was in town. It would be nice to see a friendly face. She went closer and bent to look in the window.
“A car thief!”
Strong arms grabbed her and Keely let out a surprised yelp.
“Hello, Keely.”
She turned to look into the laughing faces of Steve and Mike.
“Marty’s not with us.” Mike grinned. “Steve’s mate is giving him a few lessons at the beginners’ pool.”
“We’re about to head back to the shack,” Steve said. “We stopped in at the tourist centre to get the details for this food and wine weekend.” He waved some brochures at her.
“Are you calling in at Levallier Dell?” Keely asked.
“The breweries sound more our thing,” Mike said. “But we thought we’d check out a couple of wineries. We’ll make sure we mark yours on the list.”
“I’ll wait for you at the car.” Maggie’s voice startled Keely. She hadn’t noticed the older woman coming up beside her.
“I’ll be right there,” Keely said, as Maggie moved off.
“I thought it was an all-male show where you were staying,” Steve said.
“As it’s turned out, there seem to be quite a few women involved in the place.” Keely glanced at Maggie’s retreating form.
“She looks like a bit of a battleaxe,” Mike muttered.
“She’s okay.” Keely smiled at him. “Look, I’d better go. It would be great to see you at Levallier Dell over the weekend.”
She gave them a wave and nearly bumped into Anna as she turned to walk away.
“Sorry Anna, I didn’t see you there,” she said.
“No, you didn’t have eyes for me.” Anna’s eyebrows raised. She gave a quick nod and stepped briskly away.
Once again, Keely quietly seethed. She really didn’t like that woman.
CHAPTER 29
Keely hummed as she walked the track through the vines to the house. It was a beautiful morning. Perhaps a little chilly but there were only scattered clouds and the forecast was for pleasant sunny days, just perfect for the Divine Wine and Dine weekend, and everything was in readiness. Even the vines looked dressed up, with their tops of green leaves bathed in the early sunshine. The roses in full bloom were a perfect adornment to the scene.
Her earlier nerves about not knowing exactly how many to cater for had been dispelled by Maggie. The menu was made up of things easy to put together at short notice, they had plenty of the basic ingredients and the two waitstaff from Megan’s class would arrive mid-morning to help serve.
Flynn was in charge of stocking the cellar door and Maggie had reorganised the office and storeroom to allow ease of access from the kitchen. They would use the office as the final prep area for the food, before it was brought out.
Keely wondered how Euan would cope with the day. Flynn wanted him to help sell the wine. Maggie would move from kitchen to cellar door, wherever the greatest need was. Euan had been tense and elusive for the last couple of days. He’d helped with the preparations because Maggie asked him to but he kept disappearing at every opportunity, which, in turn, put Flynn on edge.
What a strange pair Euan and Flynn were. She had envied them their shared love of Levallier Dell and the wine business and yet now she could see it also drove them apart.
Today, she hoped they would put their differences behind them. The weekend held such promise. Keely glanced down at her long-sleeved shirt, striped with pink, brown and taupe, which she’d put on with the jeans, held up by a wide leather belt. Maggie had suggested she tuck the shirt in to the front of her jeans. It was a style Keely had avoided but when she’d looked in the mirror earlier she’d tried the French tuck and liked it. The soft green jumper she’d brought from home was draped around her shoulders but, with the bright promise of the morning, she knew she wouldn’t need it for long.
She bounced with every step. It was hard to remember the last time she’d felt so happy. At the gate, she paused as a little group of guinea fowl scurried into the garden ahead of her. They were strange birds. Their bodies looked way too big for their tiny heads.
Then she faltered as the reminder that she would return to teaching the next week flicked at the edge of her mind. She took a deep breath and strode through the gate, burying the disturbing thought deep, where it wouldn’t trouble her. If this was to be her last weekend at Levallier Dell, she was determined to enjoy it.
Instead of going to the back door, she walked through the carport so she could have another look at the cellar-door area. Euan’s old Volvo was missing from its spot beside the gleaming new car with the Levallier Dell sign painted on the side. Flynn wouldn’t be happ
y if his father had disappeared already. It was a pity Euan’s friend Dianna couldn’t have stayed for the weekend. Perhaps that’s why he was so edgy. Maybe he was missing her.
Keely looked at the cartons of wine stacked along the wall between the carport and the cellar door, ready for the sales they hoped to make over the weekend. At one end, the cartons contained bottles of Levallier Dell Sauvignon Blanc. Euan hadn’t been happy about that either. He’d grumbled he barely had enough for his distributors. Flynn assured him it wasn’t for tasting and only available for sale by the bottle. The other wines from the Levallier Dell range sat along the wall and finished with cartons of the Scarecrow Dry White from the Haystack Block.
When she stepped through the door it was like entering another world. Flynn had transformed the cellar door to accommodate the tables and chairs they would need to serve lunch to their customers. He had left the old makeshift bar joined to the main bar, as it had been for his birthday party.
The ironwork arrangement that Jack had dropped in the night before sat on one end of the bar, adorned with her bracelets and bottle decorations. She ran her fingers under a bracelet, feeling the comforting smoothness of the beads. Maggie had helped her to decide on a price for each piece. Keely had never sold any of her jewellery before and had been sternly berated by Maggie for underestimating the value of her work.
The polished-wood top of the bar gleamed. Glasses were stacked in the shelves underneath alongside the wine fridge, and there were bundles of dark green paper carry bags, bearing the Levallier Dell label, neatly stacked on another shelf. Keely thought back to the tense scene she’d walked into the previous afternoon. Flynn must have ordered the straw-handled bags especially for the weekend and Euan hadn’t been happy about that, either.
Beyond the bar, the large floor area was scattered with small tables and chairs. Taller stools were pulled up to the keg tables they’d used for the party. Keely cast her gaze sideways to the rendered wall that joined the house, then turned to face the wall full on. Hanging near the bar, with framed certificates about prizewinning wines, was her original sketch of Euan. It was in a rustic frame, and the wood looked like it had come from an old paling post. It suited the sketch perfectly.
Something in the Wine Page 26
