She closed the door behind her and leaned against the solid wooden surface, realizing that she was shaking. There was no question that Judd thought he’d caught her in flagrante delicto. Anna pushed herself away from the door and forced herself to walk through to her en suite bathroom, peeling the rest of her clothes off on the way. What should it matter what Judd Wilson thought? It wasn’t the truth, so as far as she was concerned it shouldn’t matter one iota. Even so, as she stepped beneath the spray of her shower, she couldn’t help wishing she hadn’t put that look of disapproval on his face.
By the time she’d dressed, reapplied her makeup and swept her hair up into an elegant chignon, she’d missed predinner drinks. She joined Charles, Judd and Nicole as they walked through to the dining room. Despite her text to Nicole, her friend obviously hadn’t had time to change out of her work clothes—or perhaps had chosen not to, knowing it would rile her father.
“Sorry I’m late,” Anna said breathlessly as she entered the dining room.
“You’re here in time for the important news,” Charles said with a thread of emotion in his voice that put Anna’s nerves on edge.
She took her seat, opposite Judd, feeling the blue fire of his gaze upon her as she did so.
“What important news?” Nicole asked.
Anna felt her throat close and her chest tighten. This wasn’t going to be pretty. As dependable as Nicole was in a business setting, she wasn’t known for deliberation or contemplation when it came to her private affairs. Impulsiveness and impetuosity were more her mark in trade. She wasn’t going to take the news of her father’s plans happily. Especially not when she’d worked so hard at his side all these years, striving constantly to be everything he needed in business and in family.
Charles seemed oblivious to Anna’s distress and to the storm that was brewing. He was puffed up with pride. Anna hadn’t seen him this animated in some time. He picked up his glass and gestured in Judd’s direction.
“I’d like to propose a toast. To my son, Judd. Welcome home, where you truly belong.”
Anna hazarded a look at Judd, watching to see if this open declaration that he was definitely Charles’s son would have an effect on him at all. She was disappointed. He merely nodded toward his father and raised his own glass in response.
“Aren’t you repeating yourself, Dad?” Nicole asked. “Didn’t we already go through this last Friday when Judd arrived?”
“No, I’m not repeating things at all. It is a relief to an old man to be able to acknowledge his family, all his family, now that the results have come in. And to that end I have a small presentation to make.”
Charles patted a long, narrow envelope that sat on the tablecloth next to his place setting. He picked it up and handed it to Judd.
“You’ll find it all in there, son. Exactly as I promised.”
Even though he knew there had never been any doubt about his paternity, Judd felt a thrill of exhilaration surge through him. Here it was, the moment he’d been waiting for, for most of his adult life. His father handing him the tools with which to pay him back for what he’d done to Judd and his mother all those years ago. Tomorrow he would have a solicitor draw up the share-transfer papers in order for him to present Nate Hunter with an offer that the man could not refuse. The controlling interest in Wilson Wines for the princely sum of one dollar. Judd took the proffered envelope.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, surely you don’t have to call me ‘sir,’” Charles blustered. “If you can’t call me Dad, then at least call me Charles.”
“Thank you, Charles.”
He saw the hope in his father’s eyes dim a little. There was no way he could call this man “Dad,” not after all these years. He scanned the two women at the table. Anna sat there, frozen, as if she was expecting something terrible to happen and she was totally helpless to prevent it. He began to get some understanding of the reason why when he saw his sister’s face.
Confusion battled with irritation across her features and it didn’t take long before she was demanding some clarity about what had just been passed over to him.
“What did you promise, Dad?” she asked, a fine tremor in her voice betraying her heightened nerves.
“Only what Judd has always been due, Nicole.”
She flung a dark-eyed glare at Judd. “And that would be?”
“The deed to the house and a controlling interest in Wilson Wines. The rest will go to you on my death, as you well know,” Charles interjected. “Now, shall we have another toast and get down to the business of enjoying the wonderful meal I know Mrs. Evans has prepared?”
“A controlling interest in Wilson Wines?” Nicole’s voice rose on a note of incredulity. “Dad, what are you doing? He doesn’t know the first thing about the business.”
“He has experience with the wine industry in Australia. And now that he’s home, he has time to learn how we do things here,” Charles said, as if that was the end of the matter.
“That’s not fair. I’ve given everything to Wilson Wines, to you. And you just go and give it all away, just like that. To a stranger?”
“He’s your brother, he’s not a stranger,” Charles snapped back, the color in his cheeks an unhealthy ruddy red.
“He may as well be.”
Judd felt he should say something, but he held back. When he followed through on his plans for Wilson Wines, his sister would be glad she didn’t know him better and would probably never even want to see him again, anyway. The knowledge gave him a sharp pang of regret. They’d both been cheated of so much by their father’s dictatorial decisions. Maybe he’d be able to find her something to do within The Masters’.
Across the table, Nicole laughed, but the sound held no humor in it. Anna reached out and took Nicole’s hand in hers, squeezing it tight, but Nicole shook her off, turning on her instead.
“You’re just as bad. I suppose you knew about this?”
Anna’s expression told his sister all she needed to know.
“I can’t believe it. Betrayed by the only two people in the entire world that I love.” She pushed her chair back from the table and rose. “I can’t stay here and listen to any more of this. It’s just wrong.”
“Nicole, calm yourself and sit down,” Charles interjected. “This is how things should have been all along. You know it as well as I do. I never made you any promises about Wilson Wines. Just you wait, you’ll find some young man who’ll sweep you off your feet and before I know it you will be married and raising a family. Wilson Wines will just be a hobby for you.”
Judd might not know his sister well, but even he could tell that that had been the dead-wrong thing to say. “A hobby?” Nicole’s voice rose steadily. “I can’t believe this. You can’t be serious. Wilson Wines is everything to me. I love the business, love the industry—everything I learned was so I could run the company one day. I’ve lived under the same roof as you all my life, worked beside you every day I possibly could to try and earn your respect, and yet you don’t know me at all.”
