Читать книгу The Vineyard - Karen Aldous - Страница 12

Chapter 4

For most of the journey Cal hadn’t been able to get Lizzie out of his mind and now sitting in a car in Jez’s vineyard on this glorious spring day was almost equally distracting.

‘Lucky man is Jez,’ Cal remarked to his friend Charles as he enviously observed the scene before him. Charles skillfully maneuvered the four-wheel drive around winding hairpins up into rolling Provencal hills clothed in rows of lush vines sucking up the sun’s energy from a Mediterranean blue sky – it was truly a ready-made canvas. Very much, he thought, like Lizzie. Only she was a beauty and a beast all rolled into one. A dichotomy which he considered challenging and, at the same time, endearing. Much like raising vines, she was a vision to behold and admire but so delicate and vulnerable that he believed she would be worth every effort because the rewards could be exponential. The fact that he so adored her beauty but also abhorred her brutality towards her mother gave him a new raison d’être – to discover her complexities and the scars within. Was he smitten he asked himself?

Charles Pitt-Barker turned the Range Rover onto a wide sweeping entrance adorned with a sign “Domain de Shires” in black with ruby-gold letters.

‘Bloody Brits. Have to turn to tack,’ he said, observing Jez’s choice of name and navigating the stones to what was now a long, snaking dirt track. His passenger however was preoccupied gazing out with awe and drew breath at the sight. The sun shimmered on the trellised vines stretching across the landscape. Almost-pink soil radiated heat to warm and sweeten the masses of leaves and abundance of fruit whilst thick hedges offered shelter from the winds and tall cypress trees graced the rolling hills beyond.

‘Wow, the leaves on the vines have thickened since I was here a few weeks back. Jez is gonna want some help pruning that lot.’

‘Hence the invite then?’ Charles mocked, his head nodding from side to side.

‘Oh you know Jez! Any excuse for a piss up.’

‘Oh, it’s fine for a day,’ Charles scratched his head, ‘rather be on the sea though, me.’

‘Yeah, I know Charlie-boy but – hey – you can’t beat good wine and good company in exchange for a few hours’ work– beats being in the office! And look at this view.’

‘Bloody right,’ Charles, who spent his long days practicing French family law grinned. ‘Is Jez still seeing that designer girl, Anna what’s her name?’

‘Annatia Wu, yes. Bright, talented and quite a sweet girl actually.’ With those words, Cal’s mind immediately slipped back to his meeting with Lizzie just a short hour ago. She was sweet he was sure, under the bitter coating.

‘Well she’s done well focusing her designs on Jez,’ shot Charlie, laughing at his own schoolboy joke.

‘I wouldn’t tell her that, Charlie-boy. I should warn you she needs a bit of a humour transplant – you know, she’s bit intense. Good to see Jez happy though.’

‘Why do we do this to ourselves?’

‘What’s that?’

‘Women! They take away our humour and spontaneity.’

‘Mmm, they have a habit of getting under our skin I suppose.’ Cal got an image of Lizzie naked getting under his, and swiftly moved the conversation on. ‘Jez could do a lot worse.’

‘God yeah, that Tina he was with for years didn’t deserve him. Cheating little bitch! Glad he got rid of her.’

Cal nodded in agreement but was still distractedly captivated by all the surroundings. The track was winding to an end and Cal’s mouth was figuratively dribbling.

‘Jez has really turned this place around. This is fucking amazing,’ he cried. The Range Rover was now facing the villa and the whole scene would have knocked Cal off his feet – had he been standing. In just a few weeks, much work had been done. ‘He must be the luckiest bastard alive I reckon, inheriting this little gem.’

‘That depends?’ Charlie slowed the vehicle to drive over a ramp. ‘I mean, I can’t imagine what I would have done with it? Sold it probably.’

‘Well, it’s not something that floats your boat is it? If your grandparents left you a pontoon in Cannes, your own wide-berth mooring oh, and a flotilla of yachts, I think we might be on par!’

‘Too right – Yeah…if only!’

‘And a beautiful woman of course?’ then Cal recoiled at his faux pas. ‘Sorry mate.’

‘Cal, I’m done with woman, beautiful or not. Like I said, they knock the life out of you anyway. Well, Kate did. Anyway, don’t worry, I’m better now, though I can’t believe it was nearly two years ago that she died.

‘God bless her, it is, yes, nearly two years. It was after I came out of the navy and set up the first vines. God, how time flies. Kate was one of the best Charley-boy.’

‘Yeah…And no one I’ve met or am likely to will come up to her standard. No one can or will replace Kate. Bloody unfair! Bloody bike ride to work!’

‘Yeah. So sudden.’

‘We’d probably have had kids by now. Kate had wanted to start a family, last year.’

‘That’s sad mate,’ Cal’s voice was sympathetic, ‘you’d make a great dad. I reckon Alana did me a favour. I’d have been gutted to have started a family only for her to decide she was too busy with her career and to never see her child.’

‘Yes, I agree. Alana never struck me as the maternal type. Must have been good seeing Jack at Easter though?’

‘Yes, only a few days but he was good. Sixteen next year.’ Cal couldn’t believe how quickly time had gone. ‘It was pretty devastating not being involved with Jack but once he’s finished high school, he wants to come and stay longer.’

Cal felt a pang of emotion from a past era and a longing for his child. It had been hard for him to swallow all those years ago, soon after he’d joined the navy, when his girlfriend, who was just eighteen and pregnant with his child, had flown off to New York with a guy twice her age. She even tried to claim the child belonged to Reuben, her new and super rich husband. Cal flew out once she had Jack and persuaded her to tell Reuben the truth, before he did. Fortunately for Kelly, Reuben forgave her and Cal made sure Jack knew who his father was.

‘I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully, we’ll see more of each other instead of just twice a year. He’ll be over for Christmas this year.’

‘Brilliant, you both deserve some time together,’ Charles said, smiling.

‘So, Charley-boy, no romance on the horizon then?’

‘Met up with one or two other lawyers, female ones obviously but, I don’t know, it could be me. I don’t really have the energy to play their games or jump to their demands.’

‘Maybe it’s too soon? They’re never easy at the best of times,’ Cal consoled his friend.

‘Exactly. So bloody complicated, women.’ Charles gently slowed the Range Rover as they approached the villa and drove over the final ramp. Jez appeared from a freshly painted Provencal blue door which matched the shutters.

‘There’s our man,’ cheered Charles.

‘Indeed.’ Cal forced the grin. ‘And his good lady.’ Annatia appeared beside Jez, waving just as they pulled up on the shingle. Cal opened his door beside them and the couple welcomed him.

‘Hey, Jez, looks like we need to get started on the pruning tout-de-suite.’ He shook his old school friend’s hand and then greeted Annatia with a kisses to both cheeks.

‘Ha, brilliant idea mate be my guest. Annatia has very kindly made us some lunch but feel free if you can’t wait.’

‘Maybe I need some energy first,’ Cal conceded.

Charles walked round the car and shook his friend’s hand too, then gave Annatia a gentle hug and kissed her on both cheeks just as Cal had done. They all followed her into the villa. Cal at once noted the change in the décor. Rather than Mediterranean lemon, the walls were now brilliant white and the floors retiled. The traditional red terracotta tiling had been replaced with high-end Italian marble, streaked with taupe and shades of grey. Creamy-white sofas gleamed in the light. The windows were draped effortlessly in cream linen curtains hung from black wrought-iron rails whilst white voile blew gently in the breeze.

‘Expertly planned but simply applied,’ Cal said. ‘I’m impressed.’

‘Thank you, yes. We are rather proud it has worked out,’ Annatia replied.

Charles followed without much observation, unlike Cal and Jez; he paid no attention to such domesticity.

‘Hmm.’ Charles twisted his head round to take in the scene. Jez broke in. ‘I’m sure I told you Annatia has an interior design business. She only came out in March and by the end of April had gathered a team to do the work. They were here for about ten days?’

Annatia nodded. ‘Yes, not too long.’

‘Good job,’ said Charles, wiping his neck. This small talk was out of his comfort zone.

‘Ok. Drinks?’ Jez led them all out to the terrace. ‘I’ll open a bottle of my finest shall I?’ The mid-day sun was diffused by a fully extended cream canopy over the terrace. Marble flooring and dark grey iron furniture matched the interior with wrought-iron balustrades furnishing the balcony. Beyond that, vines stretched as far as the eye could see with even a glimpse of the Med in the distance. Cal could only dream of owning such splendour.

‘Stunning, absolutely stunning.’

‘Yes beautiful isn’t it. As the sun goes down it becomes even more so,’ Jez said, proudly.

‘When I came a few weeks back, the visibility was poor and it didn’t stop raining so you couldn’t see far at all. I’m just overwhelmed. The house too, it was…’

‘Awful.’ Annatia cut in.

‘Err…traditional I’d say,’ Cal said diplomatically. Jez squeezed Annatia’s hand as they both laughed.

‘It’s coming together, gradually,’ admitted Jez, passing Charles a glass of wine.

Charles made a polite nod and nonchalantly slumped his body into the nearest chair. ‘What about turnover Jez? Is it paying for itself yet?’ he asked.

‘Are you serious Charlie-boy?’ Cal jeered. ‘No rent and over half the vines at least good to go – Jez is doing something drastically wrong not to be in profit already.’

Charles leaned forward in his chair as the others joined him with full glasses in the cushioned outdoor loungers. Annatia retreated to the kitchen.

‘Exciting Jez.’ Cal couldn’t work out whether he was really happy for his friend or just plain green with envy. Jez was living his dream!

‘Gramps didn’t do much with it as a growing business. This was his hobby, his retirement toy. He didn’t want to do too much so we’re financing a new website and upping the stakes for awards and appellation – generally putting ourselves on the map.

‘Well this won’t do your reputation any harm,’ Cal said, holding up his wine glass. ‘This is excellent.’

‘Cheers mate. A little “beaut “don’t you think?’

‘You won’t hear me complain.’

Charles sipped his too just to find out what all the fuss was about. ‘Umm, yes, fine young filly. I think. Aren’t French wines passé now?’

‘French wines have had to up their game these last few years with all the competition, especially from countries like Italy and the new world wines. It’s tough!’ said Jez.

‘I think our English wines will be giving you a run for your money too.’ Cal winked across at Jez.

‘How is Domain de Caroline?’ Jez asked as Annatia filled a table under the canopy with brightly coloured food.

‘She too is coming along nicely. Just given her a spray actually.’ Cal sucked in his cheeks at Jez’s reference to his own vineyard. His pride and joy and, woe anyone who mocked it!

‘Have you started building your winery yet?’

‘We finished the foundations and the panels are just going up. I’ve got the electricians coming in next week to do the first fix.’

‘Great stuff. So what square footage is it gonna give you?’

‘It will be about three thousand square feet. Not huge but enough for an office, two loos, cave, tank room, press, bottling and public areas. Caroline has been great helping with the planning. Although that is not going down well with the daughter.’

‘Oh! Not heard about this one at all.’ Jez raised his wide brows as he spoke.

‘To be honest, I don’t know much but I think she is the benefactor of the estate but she and Caroline don’t see eye to eye. It could potentially be a problem.’

‘Why?’ Jez enquired.

‘Told you,’ piped Charles. ‘Bloody women. Put a spoke in your works!’

‘You could be right Charlie-boy, you could be right. I don’t know the story exactly but she came home for the first time in years and they had a big row. Caroline isn’t saying too much but I get the feeling it’s about the land. The daughter, it turns out, lives here in France, in Cannes, so I thought I would try and find her as I was close.

‘Well that’s about as useful as a stone in a shovel of shingle!’ Charles at least was following the conversation.

‘I figured there probably aren’t that many beauty salons in Cannes but oh…how wrong was I? Anyway as luck would have it, I bumped into her yesterday in Aix.’

‘Excellent, so?’ Jez asked.

‘Humm…Ok, I’m keen to get them talking. I have to. I’ve invested a lot of money and time so it’s in my interest as well as Caroline’s. Although, Caroline worried me a bit when she said, “My daughter needs to do some growing up.” They’ve obviously come to blows and I’m not sure if either are that bothered to be honest.’

‘Leave it be then Cal. Caroline wouldn’t appreciate you meddling,’ Charles said with his lawyer hat on.

‘Help yourself to food, guys.’ Annatia called, peeling off the last of the coverings.

Cal resisted saying any more. He was acutely aware of two things, his vulnerability if anything were to happen to Caroline; what would happen to him and the vines? Would the contract still stand? Lizzie was never part of the equation. Also since setting his eyes on Lizzie his head had not been in the right place and his heart, well, it had been reeled in to the point that it needed to get nourished or starve. He needed to find out whether she felt the same. After her fluster yesterday and her effort this morning, he suspected she may. But even though she’s not in a relationship with the father of her child, she may have a partner, be married even. He was becoming quite keen to find out more about her, this beautiful, graceful but intriguing Lizzie Lambert. How he was going to do this, he didn’t yet know.