“It’s only a week away. Why don’t you come back and be my beau for the night?” she said. “Several people have asked after you recently. It would be a good chance to be seen.”
“No thanks, Maggie. I’d better stay put for a while once I get home. Besides, you know I hate those black-tie affairs.”
“But it’s good for business and I like to have an arm to lean on.” Maggie’s charity events had often been a good platform for keeping his wine on the sought-after list.
“I know, but not this time. Surely you’ve got a pair of arms who’d happily take up your offer. What was that I read about a senator?”
“Absolutely nothing but gossip, mon cher frère.” She gathered up their plates. “I’ll make us some coffee.”
Euan couldn’t help but grin as she swept out the door. He’d heard a whisper before he went away that she had been seeing a federal politician of some sort. Maggie had never married but there had been several special men in her life over the years. The last one had actually moved in but he’d died quite suddenly a year later. Maggie had been quiet for a long time after that. Euan hoped she had found someone to share her life with. She was only a year older than he, and was still a very attractive woman. He particularly liked the way she kept her hair long and always wore it up in a graceful style. He couldn’t imagine her without long hair.
He took the last of his wine out onto the balcony. It was a balmy night. The lights of the city sparkled across the water in front of him and, higher up, he could see the blinking lights of a plane, disappearing north.
It made him think of the young woman he’d met on the flight from Adelaide. He wondered how she was getting on.
“What about you?” Maggie interrupted his thoughts, bringing out her freshly made coffee and placing it on the table. “Did you find someone nice to entertain you while you were away?”
“It’s not as easy as it used to be.”
“Don’t tell me you’re admitting to ageing.”
“Perhaps I’m getting wiser.”
Maggie’s laugh tinkled in the warm air. “That would be something to behold.” She raised her coffee cup to his. “Here’s to love. We’ve had our moments. May there be something more left in the pot for both of us.”
Euan raised his cup. His head filled with memories of the smiling, auburn-haired woman he’d left behind in Sydney. He hadn’t told anyone about Dianna yet. He avoided his sister’s searching look and drank.
* * *
“Keely. I’ve been texting you.” Marty’s voice sounded a long way off through the press of bodies on the balcony overlooking the street.
Keely turned around but the crowd seemed to sway and the pain that had niggled at her stomach all night jabbed harder. She was hot. That’s why she’d come out onto the balcony, searching for some cooling air – but it hadn’t helped. The thump, thump from the band boomed out around them.
“What are you doing out here?” Marty yelled in her ear. “Don’t you want to dance?” He had been on the dance floor half the night, obviously at home among the gyrating bodies, keeping time and moving fluidly with the beat. Keely had ventured out onto the floor with him a few times, but she’d felt cumbersome and often lost sight of him as he danced through the crowd.
She swayed again and gripped the rail for support. Nausea pushed up into her chest and little beads of sweat formed on her brow and around her lips. When the others had eaten their meals she’d only picked at a plate of wedges and she’d only had two drinks all night, neither of which she’d finished.
“Are you okay?” Marty leaned closer, a concerned look on his face.
“Hey, you two, what are you drinking?” Steve elbowed his way onto the balcony. “It’s my shout.”
Keely peered at him over Marty’s shoulder. She gagged, pushed away from the rail and past the two men, and made for the toilets.
“Someone’s had a bit much already.” She heard Steve’s chuckle behind her as she forced her way back into the heat of the club. She didn’t care what he thought; she just had to get to the toilets.
In the relative quiet of the ladies’, she leaned back against the bench and gripped it with both hands, praying for the pain to ease and for a cubicle to be empty soon.
Two girls followed her in. They wore short skirts with skimpy tops over flat chests and their faces were heavy with too much make-up; unsuccessful attempts to make them look older. They both eyed her up and down with interest.
“You don’t look too good,” the taller one said.
“Have you got someone with you?” the other asked. She had brilliant red lips and bright eyes that darted quickly around the room.
Keely didn’t answer. She feared if she opened her mouth she’d vomit right there. They pressed in on either side of her. Why hadn’t she stayed back at the hostel?
A toilet flushed and the door opened. Keely pushed past the startled woman trying to get out and just made it inside the cubicle as the vomit rose in her throat. She wasn’t sure how long she half lay, half sat by the toilet as the nausea and pain continued to sweep over her. She hadn’t even locked the door but she didn’t care. She was vaguely aware of flushing toilets, banging doors and chatting voices, before her surroundings began to recede as her vision went dark.
On the edge of the blackness voices asked if she was okay. Rough hands tugged the strap of her purse over her head. Keely groaned as her insides cramped up and she collapsed on the floor.
Her next impression was of firm arms lifting her, concerned voices, someone asking what she’d been drinking, had she taken anything, the thump of the band receding, the cool outside air and Marty’s worried voice saying her name. She was aware, in vague snatches, of the inside of the ambulance and arriving at a hospital. Someone poked and prodded and asked her questions she could only answer in gasps. Finally, gratefully, she was disappearing down a long tunnel and she slipped willingly into the pain-free void.
CHAPTER 4
“I don’t need a party, Pappou.” Kat swung her head and smiled pleadingly.
“Nonsense. You haven’t been to the River for years. Not since you were a teenager. Now you have returned, a fine young woman. We need to celebrate.” Theo rubbed his hands together. “Anyway it’s not a party, just dinner with a few friends and family.”
Kat shook her head. With Pappou and Yia-yia there was no such thing as ‘just dinner’. There would be at least thirty people with the family alone. Theo’s three sons and their families all lived nearby or further south at the Ocean Dynasty property. Everyone was involved in the family business, from tending the vines to making the wines to selling them.
Only Kat’s immediate family lived interstate. Her mother, Theo’s only daughter, had married a winemaker. Kat had been born and raised in the Yarra Valley in Victoria. Whether you liked it or not there was no escaping the family business whether in eastern Australia or the West. That was her big problem.
“Okay.” There was no point wasting her breath trying to stop him. “I’ll go see what I can do to help Yia-yia. She’s not as young as she used to be you know. You mustn’t work her too hard.” Kat chided him with a smile on her face. She knew Yia-yia would not slow down. The house was her domain and she ran it like clockwork.
“Humph!” he snorted. “That woman is the slave driver. If ever I sit down it’s out of her sight otherwise it’s Theo we need this, or Theo you should do that. I tell you, Katerina, a man is not boss of his own day.”
She smiled. He sounded so henpecked but there wasn’t a word of truth in it. He was a shrewd taskmaster who kept his sons and their families dancing to his tune. He allowed Yia-yia some authority in the house but otherwise his word was law and it was always wise to remember that.
“Best to keep out of her way.” He threw his arm around Kat’s shoulders and drew her close in a conspiratorial embrace. “Now come on. You haven’t seen the extensions to the cellar door. We’ve been so busy since we finished them we haven’t had an official opening. It’s very fit
ting we should have the dinner there. Then Yia-yia can put her feet up. Your cousin Michael is in charge of the kitchen in the restaurant.” He guided her away from the house, up the path through the garden towards the newly refurbished cellar-door building.
Kat pictured her dynamic grandmother whose biggest joy was serving meals to her family. If Michael was in charge, Yia-yia would not be pleased. Pappou didn’t understand that in her eyes the cellar-door dining room would be an extension of the house, and she wouldn’t be happy if she was not allowed to serve dinner for her family. As much as Kat loved him, she was sad he didn’t see his plans might not always make others as happy as they made him.
Now was probably not the time to discuss her future with him. It could wait a little longer till the novelty of her arrival wore off. She would be here a couple of weeks; plenty of time to talk things over with Pappou.
* * *
“Keely, come on Keely, open your eyes now.”
Keely heard the voice but she didn’t want to leave the safety of the warm cocoon.
“Keely, do you remember what happened?” The male voice persisted. “Open your eyes.”
There was a slight pressure on her shoulder and she opened her eyes in a panic, reaching for the strap of her bag. Her arm stung and a hand gripped it firmly.
“Steady on. We don’t want you pulling your drip out.”
A tall man in a white shirt was bending over her. Keely pulled away in alarm.
“It’s okay,” he soothed. “You’re in hospital. You’ve had an operation. My name’s Ben and I’m looking after you today.”
Keely licked her dry lips and tried to take in her surroundings. She did recall dreaming she was in some kind of recovery room. Now she was awake and definitely not dreaming. She was in a hospital ward.
“What time is it?” she croaked.
“It’s nearly midday. Do you remember them bringing you in last night? You’ve had your appendix out.”
Keely recalled the pain. Nothing hurt now but she still felt nauseous. Midday? Her last memory was going into the toilets at the pub. That had been about midnight. Where had twelve hours gone? She licked her lips again.
“Would you like some ice?”
Keely nodded and accepted the cooling chips gratefully.
“Is my purse here?” she whispered.
“All your gear is in this cupboard.” Ben bent down beside her, opened the door and poked inside. “No bag. Only the clothes you came in in, I’m afraid. Did you leave the purse with someone?”
Snatches of events came back to her. She saw the two girls and felt the strap being pulled away. “No,” she said. “I think it must have been stolen. And my phone.”
“Can we call the police for you or is there someone else we can contact?”
Keely’s thoughts flitted erratically. She knew no one in Perth except for Marty, Mike and Steve.
“A friend, relative…?”
“Hello, our mystery woman is awake at last.” Another nurse bustled up. “You’ve been out to it for a while. Are you up to a few questions? My name is Pam. Your admittance details are very sketchy. Someone left this backpack and bag at the front desk for you. There’s a note.”
Keely answered Pam’s million questions, endured more checks from Ben then lay back exhausted, the note Pam had brought still clutched in her hand. She opened the scrappy bit of paper. It was from Marty.
Packed up your bag and checked you out so you don’t have to pay another day. Manager says you can come back if you want. They won’t let me up to see you and Steve has got a free ride for us so can’t hang around. We’re off south. Steve is going to teach Mike and me to surf. Hope you’re better soon and your holiday goes well. We might catch up again somewhere.
Marty.
The backpack was still beside her on the bed. She ran her fingers over the comforting shape of her jewellery making kit, squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the tears and let the dark cocoon of sleep wrap around her again.
The next time she opened her eyes a golden light was filtering through the windows and a different nurse was checking her over. This time her head didn’t feel so thick and she didn’t have to fight so hard to register her surroundings.
“How are you feeling?” the nurse asked.
“Okay.” Keely was glad the nausea that had plagued her for days was gone.
“Can you drink some more? We’d like to be able to get rid of this drip for you.”
She offered Keely a spare pillow with instructions to press it against her stomach then helped her ease into a sitting position. She passed Keely a glass of cordial and watched her drink it.
“Well done. Once you can tolerate some food we’ll be sending you home.” The woman smiled and moved off to her next patient.
Home, Keely thought. She had a sudden idea that her parents would be worried about her but then she remembered ringing them on her mobile when she’d arrived at the hostel. If she rang them now she’d be teary, they’d get upset and they’d want to get on a plane and come over and her holiday would be ended before it had begun.
Perhaps she could go back to the hostel but it conjured a lonely picture. There was no one who knew she existed now that Marty was gone. She didn’t even have her wallet or her phone.
She took another sip of her drink then gripped the glass tightly, angry at the position she found herself in. She’d lost everything on the first night of her holiday. Then she heard her mother’s words – ‘put your card and some money in your backpack’. Keely looked around. The backpack was no longer on her bed. She tried to sit up and reach the cupboard but a jolt of pain made her gasp. She eased back against the pillows.
“Take it easy.” The nurse was by her side again, lifting the sheet and checking her stomach. “I know a laparoscopic surgery doesn’t look much from the outside but you have had your appendix removed. Use the spare pillow to press against your stomach when you move or cough. The pain relief from the op will be wearing off but you’re due for some oral meds. You’re going to be tender for a while yet.”
The woman finished her observations then watched Keely swallow two white tablets.
“Can you pass me my backpack, please?” Keely croaked.
“You’re not going anywhere just yet.”
“No, I want to get something.”
The nurse handed it over. Someone had put her clothes inside. She pulled out her jeans and shoved her hand inside the pack. Her fingers searched for the tiny hidden pocket and the reassuring lump inside. The money and credit card were still there. Keely had an image of her mother’s smug face then she relaxed and slept again.
When she woke next, it was early evening. The drip had gone from her arm and amazingly she felt a touch of hunger. She’d hardly eaten a thing since she’d left home.
The backpack was propped against the cupboard with her jeans neatly folded on top. She looked at them for a few moments while her brain struggled from the fudge of sleep. She needed a plan. Her bag was gone. It had contained her phone and her wallet, which meant everything she needed from bank cards to driver’s licence was gone, but she wasn’t destitute. She had a physical bank card and a hundred dollars in her backpack. She needed a place to stay while she recuperated and organised replacements.
Keely stared hard at the jeans again. Something nudged at the edge of her memory; a scarecrow face, a slip of paper and a voice saying ‘there’s plenty of room at my place’. Sitting up carefully this time, she asked the nurse if she could make some calls.
CHAPTER 5
“Tell me if you need anything, won’t you?”
Keely looked across at Euan’s profile as he concentrated on the road ahead.
“I’m fine, thanks Euan. And thanks again for picking me up and giving me a place to stay.”
“Glad I could help. I don’t understand hospitals these days. Discharging people the day after an operation.” He glanced across at her, his faded hair tousled by the breeze coming in the open window. “You relax and enjoy the
drive. I know I’m biased but I’m taking you to one of the best spots in Australia.”
Keely eased back in her seat again, the pillow he had bought her at a supermarket lying across her lap. The pain could still take her breath away and she was grateful for the security the pillow offered when she had to sit up, or take a deep breath or cough. It was amazing how many times you did those things when you were trying not to. She took in the scenery whizzing past. Open stretches of land gave way to housing estates and large signs boasting the best real estate south of the city.
What a different turn her trip had taken. The previous day, when the doctor had said she could be discharged in twenty-four hours, she’d dug out the scrappy piece of paper from her jeans pocket and rung Euan. His phone had been turned off so, in desperation, she’d tried his sister.
Keely had felt a little intimidated by the refined voice with the hint of a French accent, declaring herself clearly as Maggie Levallier. Maggie had sounded amused at the request to speak with Euan and Keely had wondered if she was doing the right thing, but he’d come to the phone immediately. As soon as she’d explained her predicament he’d insisted she take up his offer to stay at his place.
“There’s only my son Flynn and I, but you’ll have good food and wine, fresh air and the beautiful river itself to heal you.” He’d promised to call to pick her up the next day.
Then she’d rung the police and reported her wallet and phone stolen and the bank to put a temporary hold on her accounts.
True to his word, that morning Euan had collected her and, with great care, sat her on the cracked leather seat of a rather old Volvo. He’d offered to take her to his sister’s apartment while he did a few jobs before the journey home. Keely had preferred to stay in the car than meet the eloquent Maggie.
Now, a couple of hours later, they were zooming south on a sunny afternoon, with the wind blowing in their faces, the radio playing hits of the sixties and Euan’s surfboard strapped to the roof. Keely smiled and shut her eyes. This really was a new beginning. She was going to a place where no one knew her, and anyone who did know her wouldn’t know where she was. She could just disappear.
Something in the Wine Page 3