looked at him directly. ‘He should have his solicitor look them over before he does anything, shouldn’t he? I think I should get in touch with the law firm that deals with his affairs.’ It was a subtle warning, designed to let him know that she wasn’t going to stand by and see her father put under pressure. ‘Only, like I said before, I don’t think he’s in any fit state to deal with these kinds of problems just now, do you?’
Her expression was faintly belligerent, her jaw tilted, and Nick’s gaze flicked over her, taking it all in. ‘I was just telling you the history of the place, that’s all,’ he said in an even tone. ‘I don’t want to get into an argument with you.’
She backed down a little. After all, she was on his territory, she was a guest here, and this was perhaps the wrong time and place to thrash out their differences.
‘I’m just concerned for my father,’ she said.
‘I know that, and I respect you for it.’ He studied her thoughtfully. ‘But if you really care about him, you would probably do well to persuade him that his life would be easier if he were to offload the worries of the business onto us. That way he could relax and enjoy his remaining years.’
She stiffened. ‘I think you’re mistaken if you believe I’ll do your deal for you.’ She sent him a flinty stare. ‘I haven’t had many weeks to get to know him, but it’s been long enough for me to begin to care what happens to him. I didn’t know what it was to have a father until now, and I’ve started to realise that it’s something precious. I never imagined I would feel this way, about him or his land—so I’m not likely to suggest that he changes anything.’
She threw him a quick glance. ‘I expect you’re equally protective of your parents—more so, in fact.’
He nodded. ‘I’m not criticising you in any way.It’s natural that you should want to protect Jack’s interests… but I’m sure he’s astute enough to recognise a good deal when he sees one, and ours is far above anything he would get on the open market. Instead of trying to shield him, you could show him that it’s the sensible route to follow.’
‘I don’t think so. I think you and your father need to back off.’ She hesitated as a thought struck her. ‘I don’t believe you’ve ever mentioned your mother…’
‘No.’ His eyes were briefly troubled. ‘She passed away some years ago…it was a virus, a nasty one that attacked her heart. The doctors did everything they could, but it wasn’t enough to save her. I think she was already weak from a chest infection that laid her low.’ He looked at Katie. ‘I loved her dearly. She was a wonderful woman.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Katie pressed her lips together in a moment of regret. ‘That must have been hard for all of you—your brother and your father.’
He nodded. ‘Alex—my brother—was in Canada when he heard she was ill, but he came back as soon as he found out. At least we were all able to be with her at the end, and that makes it a little easier for us to bear.’
He moved away from the deck rail, becoming brisk and ready for action as though he wanted to shake off such sombre thoughts. ‘Shall we go over to the winery? I said I’d take you on a tour after all.’
‘Yes, I think maybe we should.’ She followed him down the steps, saying, ‘I was expecting some of your family to be here today—your father, maybe, or your brother.’
He shook his head. ‘My father had to go into town, and Alex is in Los Angeles on business. I told him all about you, and I know he wants to meet you.’
Katie wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Why would he have spoken to his brother about her? Unless, of course, he’d simply confided in his brother that a new girl had wandered in on his horizon… but perhaps she was misjudging him. It could be that her father was the factor in all this. The Bellinis were strongly allied to him through their business dealings, and it was probably only natural that they would be interested in the fact that he had a daughter—one that he had kept secret for a good many years.
They walked along a path leading from the house towards a collection of buildings some five hundred yards away. Nick pointed out a large stone-built complex where the grapes were processed, and then indicated another outbuilding where the offices and labs were housed. ‘I’ll show you around there later on,’ he said, moving on.
She nodded. ‘I know next to nothing about wine-making, I’m afraid.’
‘You’re not alone in that,’ he murmured. He paused by a heavy wooden door set into a stone arch. ‘Through here is the entrance to the cellar,’ he told her. ‘It has walls that are some fifteen inches thick, and it’s a cool, well-ventilated environment, essential for producing good wine.’
The wine-tasting room was in a building set a little apart from these processing areas. The outer walls were painted in a soft sunshine yellow, and there were tubs of flowers and hanging baskets facing out on to the courtyard, giving it a mellow, cottage-style appearance.
‘This is so pretty,’ Katie said, glancing at the winery and looking back at the chateau in the distance. ‘Your father must be really pleased to live in such an idyllic place.’
‘I’m sure he is. I know I loved it. I was brought up here, and it was a wonderful childhood.’ He looked around. ‘It might be a good idea to sample the wines out here. Perhaps a table in the shade would be best.’ He indicated a table in a far corner that was bordered by diamond-patterned trellises on two sides.
‘Come and make yourself comfortable,’ he said, holding out a seat for her, ‘while I go and fetch the wines.’
He returned a moment later, bearing a tray. ‘We’ll try a Burgundy-style Pinot Noir first of all. It’s our pride and joy, the best vintage yet. See what you think of it. It’s made from black grapes that grow on the cooler slopes.’
Once she was settled, he handed her a glass filled with dark red wine, and she took a sip. It was rich and smooth, with a hint of spice and an aftertaste of black cherry plum. Katie savoured it, letting it roll over her tongue before she swallowed it. ‘I can see why you’re excited about this,’ she said. ‘I’m not a wine buff, but I do know what I like, and this is delicious.’
Nick said quietly, ‘Joseph Bellini would have been proud.’ He turned to Katie. ‘This is what his hard work was all about, and nowadays we do our level best to live up to his vision. As well as this special wine, we produce our own Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s stored in barrels made of French oak and allowed to mature over many years. The oak helps to smooth out the harsh tannins and introduces softer, wood tannins.’
Katie nodded and tasted the wine once more. ‘Don’t you have a problem if my father’s vineyard produces similar wines? Doesn’t that put you in direct competition with one another?’
He shook his head. ‘Your father concentrates on Chardonnay. He had a really good season last year, and the result should be a superb wine.’ He picked out another bottle. ‘This is one of his Chardonnays,’ he said, pouring white wine into a glass and handing it to her. ‘Try it. I think you’ll like it. It’s full of fruit flavours—like pear, apple and melon.’
Katie sipped the wine and tried to forget for the moment that Nick and his family were doing their level best to pull her father’s business out from under his feet. How could she be drawn to a man who would do that? He was the enemy and yet she was calmly sipping wine with him and enjoying the comfort of his home. She felt like a traitor.
