Chapter 29
When it was time to greet the guests, she couldn’t help but notice Brookes arrive, dressed in a collared white shirt, the top button undone, the cuffs rolled to just below his elbows. His hair was slicked back and when he walked past her, his cologne awakened all her senses.
‘That’s not one of your brothers, is it?’ David startled her from behind.
‘What?’
‘Brookes, he’s an old flame or something.’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘The way he looks at you. The way you look at him.’
‘It’s ancient history.’
‘Yesterday afternoon, I saw from the window how he grabbed you and practically dragged you to that shed. That was a lover’s quarrel if I’d ever seen one.’
It wasn’t a shed but the cellar door; she wanted to say but didn’t. ‘David,’ she said. ‘Enjoy the dinner, get some rest, and drive back safely tomorrow.’
‘It’s a shame. We could have made it work.’
‘No, we both know it would never work.’
‘You’re probably right. But you can’t blame a man for trying.’
She left him there and walked over to greet the first official guests that had pulled into the designated parking area.
It took half an hour to greet everyone, provide drinks and roaming canapés. There was a mixture of small talk and laughter, with awkward silences avoided thanks to the casual banter. For the most part, she and Brookes stayed away from one another. There was no need for the two of them to mingle, and yet, every so often, she found her gaze drifting towards him, and occasionally caught him staring back; and each time, her stomach did a somersault as memories of them together flooded her mind.
‘We should get everyone seated,’ Zoe came up behind her. ‘You okay?’
‘Yes, sorry. I must have been lost in thought.’
‘Do you want to get the serving platters? I think Leo is done with the barbecue.’
Harper made her way outside to where Leo was putting the meat onto the platters, alongside the prawns, and halloumi for the vegetarians.
She couldn’t tell whether they were impressed or not. Their faces revealed nothing, and the conversation until recently had been limited to small talk, some general commentary on the winemaking, but nothing of great importance.
‘It’s a shame Georgia couldn’t be here. She’s always such a joy to be around,’ one lady said.
‘She told us to apologise profusely for her absence, but it could not be avoided,’ Leo said.
‘Is she still driving that Mustang?’
‘Refuses to get into anything else,’ Leo told them. ‘Or let anyone else drive it. Probably a good thing, too.’
The table erupted in laughter.
‘We were hoping to discuss the details with Georgia. Do you know when she might be available?’
‘At the end of the week.’
‘Is there anything that we can assist with?’
‘We’d like to make an offer.’
‘An offer,’ Harper said, raising an eyebrow. She didn’t realise that her tone sounded high-pitched until the words had left her mouth.
‘Yes. I think we’ve seen everything we need.’
Leo gave Harper a look, telling her not to ask questions.
‘Why don’t you have something drawn up and we can present to Georgia?’
‘Can you come into our office? I think that would streamline the process, and Brookes here promised us a tour of the cellar door,’ the woman said, almost purring the words out as she touched Brookes on the shoulder.
‘It’ll be my pleasure,’ Brookes said.
Everyone moved to get up and stepped away from the table. Harper was putting two and two together, and she didn’t like it. As they moved away from the veranda and towards the cellar door, she grabbed Zoe’s arm and pulled her back.
‘What is the offer for?’
‘To buy into the estate.’
‘What?’
‘Georgia is getting older. She thinks it’s time we think about the future. She’s being realistic and maybe a little hasty, but we have to respect her wishes.’
‘What about Leo? What about you?’
‘Leo has other plans. And me, well, you know me and getting my hands dirty. The vineyard has been losing money for years. It needs someone to inject some funds into it. There’s a lot of potential, but potential is useless if there’s no capital behind it.’
‘I thought Leo and Brookes were working together on it. And Hugh’s inheritance — we could use some of that, couldn’t we?’
‘There’s only so much two people can do. And when there are variables outside of our control, which, let’s be honest, the past few years haven’t always been favourable.’
‘She wants to sell the lot?’
‘A portion of it. I think she wants to strike a deal where she can remain living in the house until her last breath. Leo is in agreeance, although he was hesitant at first.’
‘And Brookes?’
‘Brookes has a few of his own projects underway. He’ll be fine. He’s a fine grape grower and winemaker; good businessman too. He doesn’t need our estate. Besides, the two of you now have Mathers Vineyard,’ Zoe said.
‘That explains why he is so adamant about keeping it.’
‘I don’t think that’s the only reason, sis,’ Zoe said. ‘And you shouldn’t be so rushed to get rid of it. You never know what the future may have in store. You got to stop lying to yourself. It’s okay to change your mind even if you thought you were doing what you wanted. That changes with time, too. Just because you wanted something six years ago doesn’t mean you want the same thing today. You’re a different person. You’ve experienced different things. You shouldn’t expect to want now what you wanted then. Frankly, it would be strange if you did.’
‘You’re selling the family vineyard?’Harper exclaimed as soon as she walked into the hospital room. Georgia was sitting up in her bed drinking a cup of tea. The television was on with a repeat of Better Homes and Gardens — they were making a paella.
‘Well, good morning to you too, my dear.’
‘Georgia, you told me the dinner was about a partnership, not about selling.’
Georgia put down her tea and sat up straighter in bed. ‘It is a partnership, for now at least.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Harper said, folding her arms and leaning against the wall by the open window. She felt stuffy inside and the sterile hospital smell wasn’t helping either. She noticed a fresh vase of flowers on the cabinet, then returned her gaze to Georgia.
‘It’s been a tough few years, Harper. We’re making ends meet, but the vineyard takes a lot of work, you know that. I’m not getting any younger. Tyler is always off in the army. Zoe doesn’t like getting her hands too dirty, and you’ve made a life for yourself in the city.’
‘And Leo?’
‘Leo can’t do it all on his own.’
‘With Brookes?’
‘Brookes is like family, he always will be, but he has big dreams and an incredible vision for the future. Our estate, well, it’s only going to make him feel obligated to stay and help because of the opportunity he’s been given. His dreams are going to go on the back-burner. That’s not fair and it will only lead to resentment.’
‘Brookes isn’t like that.’
‘Not now, but time and age, and lost dreams, that is what they lead to. Resentment is inevitable,’ she said and sighed. ‘If you hadn’t left when you did, you would feel it too. Maybe not immediately, but with time. It’s only natural.’
Resentment, she wasn’t sure about that. Harper had her reasons for leaving, but they weren’t just about career progression or greater opportunities. She loved life in the vineyard, everything from the pruning to the bottling, to socialising with the visitors who came to taste the wine. She’d loved Brookes, too. She had no choice but to leave.
‘What is it, my dear? You look shaken.’
Harper shook her head. ‘It’s nothing.’
‘You know you can’t fool me.’
A tear welled up in her eye, then dropped down her cheek. Wiping it away, she sat and put her head in her hands.
‘I just don’t know what to do.’
‘About what? Staying, going, Brookes?’
‘All of it.’ Harper laughed in between her tears.
‘Listen to your heart.’
‘It’s not that easy.’
‘Sure, it is. You don’t have roots yet. You’re not bound by anything but your own desires; and you’re young, Harper. You’ve got your entire life ahead of you. I know it may seem like you have to know everything right now, but you don’t. You will never have all the answers. The choices aren’t always going to be easy, but you have to stay true to you, if you don’t, then you’re going to live with regrets, and that’s the worst kind of way to live. If it doesn’t work out today, you can make a different decision tomorrow. Just don’t leave it too late to live your dream.’
Harper smiled and wiped away the tears. ‘How do you do it?’
‘I wasn’t always this carefree,’ Georgia said.
‘I don’t believe it.’
‘The freedom comes with age and wisdom. Unfortunately, most of us realise too late and by then we are either too old or too begrudged to enjoy it. There’s too many of those people around.’
‘I don’t know who I am anymore. I feel so torn.’
‘Where do you feel most connected?’
Harper smiled. She didn’t have to think about it. This is where she felt connected. It’s where she felt most at home, like she could be herself. But she couldn’t allow herself that luxury.
When Harper didn’t say anything, Georgia continued, ‘You are fighting something inside. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. But you need to work it out, otherwise it will tear you apart.’
If only it were that easy.
‘You should get some rest.’
‘Harper, I know you love him, and he loves you. What I don’t understand is why you keep fighting it. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but whatever it was, it didn’t stop the love you feel for one another. The more you keep pushing away, the harder it’s going to be to come back. Love like yours it only comes around once in a lifetime.’
‘I know, Aunt Georgia,’ she said, and it was why she couldn’t stay. She loved Brookes, there was no denying it, but staying wasn’t an option. It was because she loved him that she had to let him go.