The Winemaker

by Charmaine Pauls

  She jumped up. “I want love, Etán. I want dedication. I want addiction. I don’t want second-grade care.”

  “I’m offering you all I’ve got. It’s a hell of a lot more than the revenge you seek with Marcos.”

  “You’re offering me a quick roll around between the sheets. I guess what you have to offer is not enough, coming from a man whose heart has turned to stone.”

  He straightened. “I don’t mean to offend you. I think you need someone, and I won’t hurt you.”

  “How can you be so sure?” A voice deep down inside of her told her the truth. A man like Etán had the power to break her heart one time too many. “I need love, not sex.”

  “It’s true. I know it. I’m offering you sex until you find love. You can use me until you’re back on your feet.”

  “Your offer is a half-baked potato, a flag flying half-mast. Sorry, baby, it’s all or nothing.”

  Etán looked at her, his expression simultaneously puzzled and amused.

  She checked her watch. “Would you believe it? Time for my session with Margarita. Gee wiz, time flies when you’re having fun,” she said before stomping past him.

  * * * *

  The second séance with Margarita was supposed to be less severe. It was worse. Luca looked from Zenna, contorted in pain, with accusation to his mother. Ana looked at him with compassion, shaking her head. She knew what he was thinking. He couldn’t interrupt. His empathic nature reached out to Zenna and the pain she was experiencing. He wanted it all to stop, but it would only mean they would have to start all over again. It looked worse than what it was, her eyes said to her youngest son, but he crossed his arms and turned away from her.

  Ana’s head moved to Etán. He understood the unspoken command in his mother’s eyes. God knows, he was as tight as a string, watching Zenna suffering like that, but they all knew there was no other way. It took every ounce of his self-control not to tear Zenna away from Margarita’s hands. He couldn’t stand to see her like that, but neither could he turn away. He watched her, every nerve in his body tensed to the point of snapping. Her agony was killing him. If it was a nail in his coffin, how much more was Luca suffering? His brother had a soft spot for the girl, and, on top of that, he was a lot more sensitive than Etán allowed himself to be.

  He nodded at his mother and turned to Luca, placing a hand on his younger brother’s back. “Let’s get some air, shall we?”

  Luca shrugged the hand away. “I’m staying here with her. You go if you can’t stand it. I want to be here for her when she comes around.”

  Etán gently nudged his brother a few steps away from the three women, until they were out of a whisper’s earshot. He lowered his voice. “Luca, you’re upset. It’s not going to help her one bit. She needs strength. Let’s step outside, just for a minute, until you can get a grip on yourself.”

  Luca glanced back over his shoulder to where silent tears were flowing over Zenna’s cheeks. His body shook. He seemed to make up his mind, and wordlessly, his face sullen, he walked through the door that led to the veranda, Etán on his heel. Once outside, he took a deep breath.

  “I can’t take it, man,” Luca said into the distance.

  “We knew it was going to be tough. There’s no other way.”

  Luca turned. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  Etán’s tone was stern. “It means you can’t show it. It won’t help her.”

  Luca glared at his brother. “You’re a cold hearted bastard.”

  Etán tensed further. “I didn’t say I liked it either. It has to be endured. There’s no other way for her to save herself.”

  “She needs to be loved, man.”

  “We all support her.”

  “I don’t mean sisterly love, Etán.” Luca looked at his brother, a deeper, unspoken knowledge in his eyes.

  “I’ve offered her all I’ve got, Luca.”

  “Well I guess it wasn’t such an attractive offer if she didn’t take it.”

  “What more do you want me to do?”

  “If you don’t do more, she is going to run into the arms of someone else.”

  “Zenna is her own person, Luca. She has to make up her own mind.”

  “Not when we both know she is hiding from her true feelings.”

  “Zenna is on the rebound, Luca. Whatever she feels is related to her need for security.”

  Luca stared at Etán for a hard, cold moment. “Fine. If you’re not man enough to admit to your feelings, I will claim her. To hell with you. She’s had enough rejections for one lifetime.”

  “What do you mean, ‘claim her’?”

  “Don’t worry, Etán. I’ll do what needs be. You are obviously not qualified.”

  “Don’t talk to me about doing what needs to be done. I don’t remember seeing you in this house and around the office as much as since Zenna arrived. You never took your part of the responsibility in this family, so don’t preach to me about duty. This is why you are suddenly here so often, isn’t it? It’s about her. Why not be man enough to admit it?”

  Luca’s eyes were like disks of ice. “Fine,” he bit out coldly. “I’ll be man enough. I’ll take her.”

  “Didn’t you boys forget about a crucial question in all of this?” Ana said from the door. They both spun around to face her. “You didn’t take Zenna’s wants into consideration.”

  “That’s the whole point,” Luca said, his eyes fixed on his brother. “I am taking her feelings into consideration. It’s Etán who’s not. He seems to like toying with her.”

  Etán moved forward. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’ve seen what you do to her, man. You work her up and then leave her cold. Do you think it helps making her feel any less rejected?”

  “I made a point. I showed her she didn’t love Marcos.”

  “Hell of a way to make a point, Bro.”

  “Excuse me,” Ana interrupted, “but I think you are going to have to continue this fight at some other time. We’re done. Luca, she’s asking for you.”

  Luca glanced at Etán, an accusing look in his eyes, before he followed his mother back to the study. Etán followed two steps behind, feeling like a bomb ready to explode.

  Zenna was drenched in sweat. She looked tired and drained. Her face was pale, her lips unnaturally white. Etán watched as Luca knelt and picked her up in her arms, saying some words of comfort into her ear, before he carried her past his brother, down the hallway, and to her room. Etán watched as Zenna put her head on Luca’s chest.

  The control he needed over the situation slipped from his hands. Again. He really believed he had it all worked out. Now it seemed he was wrong. Luca was the one having it under control all of a sudden. Since when had his carefree, baby brother developed into a man with such a sense of duty?

  Etán was left alone in the study. He found it hard to keep calm. The thought of Luca with Zenna in her bedroom was almost too much to bear. There was only one remedy. He walked to his office and buried himself under a heap of work. The racking should be close to complete.

  Chapter Twenty

  The morning would have been beautiful—cold, but sunny. The morning should have been a happy one with all three of the new Sol y Sombra wines receiving winning reviews. The morning would have been perfect if it wasn’t that Etán stared through the window of his office, enduring the sight of Luca taking Zenna for another one of their long walks. They were laughing. Zenna actually looked relaxed for a change. Despite the guards following a few paces behind them, he noticed Luca often touched her hair. Sometimes he took her hand to pull her in one direction or another.

  Luca put his arm around her as he pointed out details about plants, trees, or flowers. She laughed when he picked a flower and tucked it into her hair. They kneeled on the lawn, collecting peacock feathers. Etán watched their stroll until they finally disappeared from his sight, his hands behind his back. He had never imagined his heart could feel any worse than the time Sanita had told him she
was leaving.

  “They make a nice couple, don’t they?” Emmie spoke behind his back.

  Etán turned slowly, his face a mask. “Is that so?”

  “So sweet, the way Luca fusses over her.” She smiled dreamily. “I hope someday someone will fuss over me like that. I think I have to trade my boyfriend in for another one.”

  Etán sounded more irritated than he intended. “Do all women need to be fussed over?”

  “Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, we all need a little bit of fussing. You look like you could do with some.”

  Etán walked back to his desk, looking through the files that contained the wine notes. “I hate a big fuss,” he said dryly.

  “Then why so tense, today?”

  “If I wanted a psychological evaluation, I would have gotten a professional one. How far are you with my sales report summary?”

  Emmie looked hurt. “I was just trying to be nice, you know.”

  Etán sighed. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Just ignore me today, all right? I’m not in the best of moods.”

  “Etán, you haven’t been in the best of moods for days now. What’s eating you? Is it the wine? Is something wrong with the vines? The last time you acted like this was when we had that bacteria in the cellar, when the temperature control broke and all our wine turned into vinegar overnight.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with the vines, the temperature control, or the wine. Get back to work, will you?”

  “Fine. You could cheer up a little. It is Friday, after all.”

  “I don’t do weekends, remember?”

  “Oh yes, I forgot. Mr. All-work-and-no-play.”

  Etán didn’t answer. He already had his nose in a file.

  Emmie sighed, and walked back to her desk.

  Early Friday afternoon Etán saw Pedro’s car approaching and turning toward the office building instead of the house. He walked outside to greet his father.

  Etán smiled. “You don’t look too bad for a man who had to fend for himself for most of the week. Missed Mom’s cooking?”

  Pedro chuckled. “You have no idea, but I missed her more.”

  He regarded his father with a sense of admiration. His parents had a very special relationship. He felt sorry he was the one to put his family to shame, the first one in his line of ancestors with a divorce behind his name.

  Pedro put his hands in his pockets. “The vineyard is looking good. Shall we take a walk?”

  Etán knew it was his father’s way of telling him they needed to talk. He fell in beside Pedro, walking in the direction of the vineyards.

  Pedro kicked a pebble with the tip of his shoe. “Luca seems to be spending more time at the estate. Could it be he is finally taking some interest in the business?”

  Etán smiled wryly. “I think his interests rather revolve around Zenna.”

  “Is that so? Interesting development. Either way, I’m pleased he is starting to show some form of interest. I’d never force something on him. You know how your mother and I feel about that. We’ve always wanted you to do what makes you happy. Emmie tells me he’s been asking for financial reports and going over sales figures.”

  “Mmm,” Etán said, “he has done that. Even made some good suggestions as to how to cut back on production costs, and he has interesting ideas on how to increase our sales potential.”

  “I would like to see that at some stage. He has always been good at finance. Not that you’re bad at it, but you’re better at development.”

  They carried on walking for a while in silence, and then Pedro stopped, peering out at the expanse of golden vines stretching out before them. “Do you enjoy what you are doing, Etán?”

  “I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he said honestly. “It means the world to me.”

  “Your grandfather was a little bit disappointed when I told him I was going to medical school. He was an excellent winemaker. Then he told me not to worry, that making wine runs in every second generation. He was right. I am proud of what you’ve achieved.”

  “Are you trying to tell me something, Dad?”

  “It’s the land reform bill. We’ve protested it from every possible angle, but there is too much pressure on the country from global anti-discrimination organizations. They’re threatening the country with sanctions.” He shook his head. “The votes are being cast on Monday. My advisors think the Constitutional Forum members are going to vote it in.”

  Etán stopped dead. “What do you believe?”

  “I believe they’re right. Everything points in that direction.”

  Etán felt his heart stopping. “How long?”

  “Once the law is passed, it will go quickly, son. The Buenos Sueños vineyard in Argentina has been divided and reallocated in under a month.”

  Etán wiped a hand over his face. “Are you sure of the claim on our land?”

  “There’s no mistaking. The reallocation proposal has already been drafted.”

  “Is the government so sure of itself? That the vote will be passed?”

  “I’m afraid they are. Because of my personal involvement, I have been excluded from the voting. They have selected someone else in my place to represent me. Someone who is not sympathetic to our cause.”

  “Dear God.” Etán pinched the bridge of his nose. “We have to find a way out of this, Dad. This land has been in our family for centuries.”

  “I know, son. I know. I’ve never wanted anything less for you.” He patted his son on the back. He continued to stare into the distance for a while, and then he turned to Etán.

  “I see you made an interesting announcement. You’re going to send your best ever, a new Merlot, to the Berlin Tasting. Jorge told me you refused to reveal the name. What’s all this secrecy about? You’ve never held anything from the family or your team before.”

  “This is my best one, ever, Dad. I’m going to send it into the world with a grand song, with all the hype it deserves.” He looked at the land surrounding them. “If, and God forbid, we lose this all, at least I will have that. There won’t be a better one after this. This will be the ultimate achievement of my career.”

  Pedro followed his gaze. “God forbid,” he repeated somberly.

  Etán looked at his father. “I will not be a winemaker for anyone else, Dad. If we lose this, it’s over.”

  Pedro shook his head sadly. “I know that too, son.”

  When Etán finally walked back to the house Friday afternoon, he was just in time to see Luca gently wiping Zenna’s brow with a wet cloth. She lay on the sofa in the study, asleep, and shivers ran over her body. He rushed to their side.

  “Is she all right?” he asked Luca in a whisper.

  Luca nodded, his face strained. “A rough session.”

  Etán looked around. “Where’s Mom and Margarita?”

  “Mom and Dad are having a drink outside. Margarita went to lie down. She was exhausted after ... you know...”

  Etán looked at Zenna’s pale face. “How long is this necessary?”

  “Margarita said as long as it takes.”

  Etán sighed. “Do you want me to help you take her to her room?”

  Luca shook his head. “No, she didn’t want to go there. Said she wanted to stay here. Said the visions attacked her more there now. Margarita said it’s normal.”

  Etán felt a pang of guilt eating into his conscience. “Maybe I shouldn’t have given her Catalina’s room.”

  “Is there something you’re not telling me, Etán?”

  “Zenna said she had visions of Catalina in the room. It came to her in her dreams, and it bothered her.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you move her?”

  “I wanted her close to me. I had a feeling she was going to be in danger.”

  “Doesn’t matter anyway,” Luca said tightly. “I’m moving her into my flat soon.”

  Etán tensed. “You are doing what?”

  “As soon as this ordeal is over, as soon as she has control ove
r her mind, and we can do away with all the protection and the guards, I’m taking her home with me.”

  “What does she think about that?”

  “I haven’t told her yet, but she will agree.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “I want her to start her university course in September, the one she had enrolled for, when this is all over. I’m going to help her to start her own travel agency. I want to give her the life she deserves, man.”

  “Her court case is coming up in less than a month. How can you be so sure she’s not going to want to go back to England when she’s no longer required to stay in the country?”

  “Because I’m going to marry her.”

  Etán felt the blood drain from his face. “You are going to what?”

  “I said I would take care of her. That’s what she wants most. That’s what Marcos didn’t give her. We’ll make a hell of a team. An empath and a seer.”

  “Don’t do something crazy, Luca.”

  “Unlike you, I do believe she’s worth it.”

  “You are doing this out of a sense of duty. You don’t have to feel obliged to marry her.”

  “Maybe, but she deserves at least this much. I’ll be good to her. It’s not like there’s anyone else for me, is there? The woman I wanted didn’t want me. The man Zenna wanted didn’t want her. What’s there left to lose? Who else do you trust to make her happy?”

  Etán didn’t answer.

  Luca got to his feet. “Aren’t you going to congratulate me?” he said bitterly. His disappointment in Etán radiated from him.

  Etán looked away. “Not until she says yes.”

  After dinner Etán drank a whiskey in the darkness of the veranda. He had been quiet and preoccupied throughout the meal despite the light, jovial company that surrounded him. His thoughts had wandered to the land claim, to Zenna, and Luca. He hadn’t been there for her. Luca had. She was like a rose, blooming, glowing, growing. She was suffering, but growing stronger at the same time. He felt like a failure, despite the fact Zenna was safe. He felt she had been changing and growing right under his nose, and he had missed out on it all.