Chapter Thirty-Four
“It is an art,” Hallaway had explained after Sterling had found him and asked how he knew the grapes would be ready.
Hallaway picked a grape and handed it to Sterling. “Taste.”
He did, but it tasted no different than any other grape. There had to be a difference and he wanted to ask questions because this was what Sterling had wanted to learn since he was a boy, which left him torn. Did he stay and take in everything that Hallaway might teach him, or find Caroline?
She had been alarmed and upset when she fled his mother’s sitting room.
Except, he had been under the impression that she would be by her father and watching so that he did not overexert himself but she was not to be found.
“Where might your daughter be?”
Hallaway shook his head. “Caro worries too much. About me. About the grapes. About the harvest.”
Just as his mother had claimed.
“She is fretting in the barn and once she sees that all is as it should be, she will be back to stay at my side so that I do not overdo.”
“Is there a reason she should be concerned.”
Hallaway laughed. “As I said, she worries too much.” He then walked on, stopping and examining grapes. Sterling followed, torn with whether he should stay and learn or find Caroline.
When Hallaway reached the end of the row and turned to Sterling. “Is it your turn to hover? Did Caro send you in her stead?”
“No, of course not,” Sterling insisted. Except, he had every right to be there. He owned the property.
“What if I am simply here to observe and learn,” he returned.
“To what purpose?” he countered. “You will be gone soon and it might be another seven years or more before you are back.” Hallaway walked to the next row and continued examining grapes.
Had his estate manager insulted him for being an absentee owner? It wasn’t as if he could abandon England, the estate there, and Trade Wynd to grow grapes in the Cape Colony.
Except, he wanted to. If he could, he would leave England behind and remain here, on Wyndview Farm and with Caroline and live a simpler life.
No wonder his mother hadn’t rushed to return to England.
Unfortunately, he had responsibilities that he couldn’t shirk and he had already been away too long.
“Your father trusted me,” Hallaway reminded him. “Unless you have complaints.”
Sterling took a step back. He was being dismissed by his estate manager. Such would be unheard of in England.
“Do you have complaints?” he asked pointedly.
“No. None.”
Hallaway nodded. “Then do not concern yourself with learning what I know. Find my daughter before she is overset.”
Overset? Sterling could not imagine Caroline being overset any more than fretting or being fussy, and it was rather laughable. Then again, he had not known her long, nor had he been present during a harvest.
“If you do not take her away, and back to your mother, she will be back by my side, a nuisance and distraction that I do not need.”
He spoke as if Caroline was a child, which she most certainly was not. No, she was a fully grown passionate woman who would be dressed in trousers if he took her to Table Mountain.
“I will do as you ask, but tomorrow, I will want to learn.”
Hallaway nodded then shooed him away without looking up from his grapes.
It was very disrespectful, but the man did know what he was doing better than anyone else so Sterling did not take offense or discipline him. Instead, he went off to find Caroline who was standing at the entrance of the barn when he came across her.
She did not appear worried or concerned, but sad.
“Is all well, Caroline?” he asked, using her given name since no one was near enough to hear them.
She turned and frowned. “It is. All is well. In fact, it is perfect!”
Then why was she upset?
“I suppose I should return to the house and see what other matters need my attention.”
She then turned and walked away from him.
“Nothing,” he said as he caught up to her.
“How would you know?”
“Because my mother said so. In fact, she suggested that the two of us visit Table Mountain and have a picnic.”
Caroline stopped and faced him, hands on her hips. “That will be yet another day away from Wyndview Farm. Do you know how long it takes to climb to the top?”
He did not know. It had been years since he had done so.
“Hours!”
It had seemed to take a while when he was a child, but all things seemed to take too long when there was anticipation.
“Then we will climb, picnic, and come back down.”
“And likely not return until after dinnertime,” she argued.
“Why does that matter?” Did she not want to be with him or was she afraid of being away from the estate?
There was nothing that needed her attention.
She wasn’t even a true servant. She lived here with her daughter, father, and brother because she had needed a home.
She was only a companion to his mother and acted the housekeeper because there was a need, not that she applied for the position.
“I have been gone too often and for too long.”
“What would you do today if you remained?”
Caroline blinked and looked up at him. A frown on her lips and eyebrows drawn together. “I suppose nothing,” she answered after the longest time, her tone quiet and defeated.
He did not understand why she was bothered, but there was often much he did not understand about women and chose not to press for answers. “Then you are free to accompany me.”
Caroline sighed. “I suppose I am.”
If she had any less enthusiasm, she would be asleep, but Sterling did not let her lack of desire to affect his mood.
*
When Sterling had asked what she would to today if she remained, several areas that needed her attention came to mind.
Except, she could mention none of them because if she did, he would then ask questions that Caroline was not prepared to answer.
So, instead, she would be hiking to the top of Table Mountain.
Caroline stared at her appearance in the mirror and reconsidered for the tenth time if she should dress in this manner.
Except, she really had no choice because climbing the mountain in a skirt was perilous.
One wrong step on the hem of her dress could not only cause her to trip but send her falling.
It was better that she wore a pair of her brother’s cast-off trousers, which had to be belted at her middle with a rope.
Her light woven cotton shirt that she had purchased in town had been made by one of the local women.
Lastly, she slipped on the boots she usually wore when working in the gardens.
Finally, she had tied her hair back and away from her face.
Caroline also added a hat to shield her from the sun, not that it would do any good to save her from the heat.
Though few would remark upon her appearance at Wyndview Farm, or even in town, Sterling may have quite a different opinion.
He was used to the ladies in England. Ladies who wore pretty dresses, not trousers.
However, she would not know until she faced him and with those thoughts, she kissed Livia goodbye then made her way to the main house.
At her appearance, his left eyebrow rose, as his blue eyes widened, no doubt in shock and disapproval.
“I feared you would find an excuse not to go at all.” Lady Wyndham chuckled.
“I may not yet,” Caroline answered.
“Why would that be?”
“I fear that your son might be scandalized by my appearance.” Caroline offered in grave seriousness.
“Surprised, yes. Hardly scandalized,” he answered as the corner of his mouth tipped.
“I will see if the servants to accompany you are ready,” Lady Wyndham started for the entry.
“Are you certain that they want to go?” Caroline asked.
“Oh, yes,” Lady Wyndham assured her. “I asked for volunteers and Malik and Kaya were quick to respond. They enjoy such activities.”
They had also only been married for a few days and likely wanted to spend more time together. Such was young love.
“Your clothing is casual. Perhaps I should change,” Wyndham said.
“The climb can be difficult at times, but worth the effort. However, if you do not want what you are wearing to be potentially damaged, I would suggest changing into something that you would not mind becoming dirty or possibly torn. The path can be steep and rugged in places.”
“Cook has readied a picnic to carry in shoulder bags so that your hands are free,” his mother said.
“Why would we need our hands free?” Sterling asked cautiously.
“Well, for one, it helps with balance. The second reason is that you will have a walking stick so that your presence warns away any snakes that may be further up the trail.”
Caroline did not like snakes, but with warning of a stick hitting the ground, they slithered away. It was when snakes were surprised and cornered that unpleasant consequences occurred.
“Mother, what is this?” Sterling lifted an old worn leather satchel with a long strap that could be worn over a shoulder.
“Yours, dear.”
A faint smile formed as his blue eyes warmed.
“It was discovered when your chamber was being prepared upon your arrival. I thought you might like to take it with you.”
“I thought it had been lost when we moved,” he murmured and opened the flap.
“There are stunning views from the top. Perhaps you might want to sketch them,” his mother said right before she left them.
He withdrew a sketchbook and pencils and Caroline came forward as he flipped to the first page.
“There is nothing in it.”
“No, there would not be,” he answered then closed it.
“I had not used all the pages in my other book and was saving this one for the voyage but could not find it once we sailed. I thought it had been packed way in the trunks that were stored below but when we unpacked after arriving in England, it was not there either.”
“You never told me that you drew.” How many layers were there to Sterling? Every time she learned something new, Caroline realized how much she had misjudged him when he had first arrived.
“I no longer draw,” he answered and placed the items back in the leather satchel.
“Why?” Caroline asked with concern.
“Because with adulthood comes responsibilities that do not allow for such frivolity of sitting around sketching or drawing whenever a person feels like doing so.”
That was rather harsh and Caroline found herself stepping back.
“That is truly a shame!” his mother criticized on her return. “You were quite talented.”
“I accept that there is bias in your opinion.”
“It was also something you enjoyed, Sterling. You were rarely without your sketchbook when you lived here.”
“I was also a boy.”
Caroline now knew why Lady Wyndham had left the satchel out. His mother wanted to remind him of what was important because she feared that he would never be happy. It was the same reason she had sent him to Stellenbosch, then to Boulder Beach, and now Table Mountain.
As much of an inconvenience as it was to be gone, Caroline also realized that Sterling would not go to these places on his own. Besides, she certainly wasn’t needed in the vineyard, so why shouldn’t she enjoy her time with Sterling before he was gone?