The Vineyard in Alsace

by Julie Stock

  I sent a quick reply taking him up on his offer and then went downstairs to the kitchen in my pyjamas. Papi was busy making himself some breakfast. Mum and Dad were already outside working in the garden. I imagined Lottie was still in bed. She probably needed the rest more than anyone else.

  ‘Bonjour, chérie. Did you sleep well?’

  ‘I did Papi, thanks. How about you?’

  ‘Not too badly for an old man. What time will you need to get away today?’

  ‘I probably ought to go straight after lunch. What shall we do this morning?’

  ‘How about a walk across the vineyards? It looks like it’s going to be a reasonable day.’

  ‘That sounds wonderful.’

  After breakfast, I had a quick shower and got dressed before saying hello and goodbye to my parents. Then we set off through the trees towards the footpath that led through the vineyards.

  ‘So, what do you think about Lottie’s news?’ he asked, after we’d been walking for a while.

  I glanced at him and smiled. He was still so in tune to my feelings, even though we hadn’t seen each other for ages.

  ‘Well, I’m relieved everything’s out in the open now and that we can help her get through the pregnancy. It would have been awful for her to go through all that alone. I hope she decides to stay at home, where she will be well looked after and cared for.’

  ‘One thing we all know about Lottie is that she’s headstrong and she likes to make up her own mind. We won’t be able to pressure her into doing what we think is best.’ I stopped to admire a bright pink wild flower before catching up with Papi a few feet further on.

  ‘Hmm. I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t want to pressure her. I just want her to be safe but I can see she might view that differently. She loves adventure. It’s why she went travelling in the first place, after all.’ We started walking again and I found myself thinking about how similar Lottie and I were.

  ‘She needs a sense of purpose. She’s not the sort to sit around waiting to have the baby.’

  I’d missed Papi’s wisdom in the years that I’d been away.

  ‘Yes, you’re right. The last thing she’ll want to feel is trapped into staying here. I know that feeling only too well.’

  He paused for a moment before continuing. ‘Anyway, that’s enough talk about Lottie. Tell me more about you and Didier.’

  ‘Things are going pretty well,’ I said with a smile, ‘now that we’ve accepted we both made mistakes before. So, we’re not blaming each other any more and we’ve both agreed to try again. I do feel a bit wary about whether to get completely involved again, though, especially so soon after splitting up with Paul.’

  ‘Well, that’s the trouble with our hearts, isn’t it? They rarely do what they’re told.’ His eyes twinkled, despite his serious tone. ‘You have to take a leap of faith in deciding whether this is the right man for you. There’s always a risk that things might not work out between you. You know this already. Only you can decide whether it’s worth the risk to your fragile heart. I think if you loved each other before, you can love one another again. Perhaps you should see this as a second chance to put right the wrong decisions you both made before.’

  ‘Oh, Papi, you’ve summed it all up very well, as always, thank you.’ He took my little hand in his big, crinkly one and I felt protected from the outside world at once. ‘Maybe I’m just naturally wary, although I know Didier is a good man and I can still see all the goodness in him. I know he would care for me. We’ve both learned a lot in the time we’ve been apart.’ I fell silent and turned to admire the panoramic view of the thriving, green vineyards. As we’d been walking for about half an hour or so, we turned to circle back home for some lunch.

  ‘You and Lottie have both experienced that need to go out and explore the world. Now, for different reasons, you both have to decide whether you’re content to settle back into life here.’

  Didier

  On Sunday morning, I took Chlöe to the supermarket to shop for the things we’d been unable to get at the market the previous day. She loved helping me to find things and to put them in the trolley. When she got tired, I lifted her into the seat where she delighted in giving me instructions.

  We were going to my mum’s for lunch, and Henri was invited too. I was hopeful that grandma might even look after her little grand-daughter while I went to pick up Fran. It would be good to spend a bit of time with Fran on my own. Chlöe and I had spent a lovely afternoon with Henri the previous day, during which he’d told me all about his plans to go and see Ellie the following weekend.

  ‘I couldn’t believe it when I heard her voice at the other end of the line,’ he’d said. ‘She sounded exactly the same, and I knew I had to see her again as soon as possible.’ He went all dreamy-eyed, and Chlöe and I had laughed at him.

  ‘So, she liked your suggestion of going to stay for the weekend?’

  ‘She screamed down the phone!’

  Chlöe giggled again and he blushed.

  ‘When are you planning to go?’ I asked, passing round a bowl of plums.

  ‘Would it be okay for me to leave on Friday so I can meet her when she finishes work? I’d like to stay till Sunday afternoon as well, if that would be all right. That means I’ll be in late next Monday too.’ He’d never had a day off in all the time I’d been working with him. With no close family of his own, the vineyard had become his way of life.

  ‘That’s absolutely fine Henri, don’t look so worried, really. We’ll manage without you.’

  Henri was still smiling when we arrived at my mum’s just before lunch. I teased him about it as soon as Chlöe disappeared off to the kitchen.

  ‘You are like a puppy, you are so lovesick.’

  ‘I am in love for perhaps the first time in my life. What do you expect?’ He patted his heart.

  I realised it would do him good to get away and that by Friday, Fran and I might well be glad to see him go. For now, I patted his arm and stood up to go to the kitchen and find out what my mum was cooking for lunch.

  ‘So Maman, can I do anything to help?’

  Chlöe had a little apron tied round her waist that I recognised from when I was a child myself. She was busy shelling peas for the main course. Meanwhile, my mum was preparing a salad for the starter.

  ‘Please can you prepare the apples for the tarte aux pommes while I make the pastry?’ She passed me a bowl of apples and the apple corer and I rolled up my sleeves.

  ‘I wanted to ask you a small favour,’ I said, once we’d both got started on our jobs. She looked up briefly from rolling out the pastry. ‘Fran is coming back from her parents’ today and I offered to pick her up from the station. I wondered if I could leave Chlöe here while I go and get her?’

  ‘Of course. You’ll pick Chlöe up on your way back, will you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Would you like to bring Fran in with you?’

  ‘Not this time, Mum. I think she’d need a bit more notice but I do want you to meet her soon.’

  She nodded and we left it at that.

  Fran

  Papi and I arrived home just in time for lunch. Lottie was up and looking a lot brighter than the day before. I gave her a hug.

  ‘You look so much better. Did you sleep well?’

  ‘Like a log. It was my best night’s sleep in ages. I’ve been sleeping on my friend’s couch for the past couple of weeks and it was incredibly uncomfortable.’

  ‘Are you going to stay here now, then?’ I kept my voice light so she wouldn’t think I was pressuring her.

  ‘I don’t know yet, Fran. I have a lot to think about. I’ll be here for now, though.’ She gave me a lovely smile and I felt like she’d turned a corner.

  It was soon time for me to leave. I stood on the doorstep, hugging first Papi and then Lottie tight, not really wanting to let either of them go. When I finally released them, we all had tears in our eyes.

  ‘Je t’aime Papi,’ I mumbled.

  ‘Mo
i aussi, ma mignonne.’ He coughed to mask his emotions and put his arm round my mum.

  I turned to Lottie. ‘If ever you need a break and want to come and stay, just let me know. I have a spare room and there’s always plenty going on at the vineyard.’

  ‘The harvest can’t be far off now, can it? I’d definitely be up for that.’

  Everyone stood on the doorstep, waving at my dad and me as we drove away, until we turned the corner and could see each other no more.

  Later, on the train, I wondered about Lottie’s plans for the future. My parents were worried about how she was going to bring up a child on her own, and so was I. I just hoped she would accept their offer of support.

  As the train approached Strasbourg, my mind turned to Didier. I was so looking forward to seeing him again and feeling his warm embrace. I thought about what Papi had said about taking that leap of faith and I realised he was right. Didier and I had wasted too much time on the wrong people. It was time for us to find out if we were really meant to be together.

  I stepped out on to the platform at Strasbourg station a short while later, looking for signs of Didier and little Chlöe. I spotted him at once. He was on his own. I had a sudden moment of panic - was Chlöe okay? - but Didier was smiling and looking very relaxed. He also looked gorgeous in his dark, figure-hugging jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt. I couldn’t wait to feel his body and his lips against mine. He reached out his arms for me and kissed me as though he hadn’t seen me for days. I slipped my arms round his neck, tangling my fingers in his curly hair and pulling him as close as I could. The sounds and smells of the station faded away as I lost myself in his kiss and the taste of him I loved so much. When we finally broke apart, we were both out of breath. He picked up my case and took my hand, guiding me out of the crowds and into the car park.

  Once we were safely inside the car, I felt able to speak again after our breathtaking kiss.

  ‘I missed you, you know.’

  He reached out and took my hand. ‘I missed you too. I wish we’d come with you.’

  ‘I know. I’m annoyed I didn’t even think of asking you. You must come next time with Chlöe. Where is she, by the way? Is she okay?’

  ‘She’s with my mum and she’s fine.’

  ‘Good. I must tell you all about Lottie and her news.’ And for the rest of the journey, that’s what I did.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Didier

  The day after Fran returned from Colmar, I received the divorce papers from Alain. They were waiting for me when I got back from dropping Chlöe at nursery. Even though I knew this was what I wanted to do, seeing it all in black and white was hard to handle. There would be no coming back from it. I put the papers to one side and decided to read everything through properly later when I was a bit less raw about it all.

  There had been no word from Isabelle and I was angry with her. Chlöe seemed happier since we had spoken but a phone call from her mother, however brief, would make her feel better. I had the feeling, though, that once Isabelle received the divorce papers via her lawyers, she would be straight on the phone but for none of the right reasons. I sighed as I threw on my jacket and left the château for the walk to the office. I wished that Isabelle had listened to me when I’d tried to talk to her about it previously.

  After my inspection the day before, I was fairly sure we would start the harvest sometime in the following week. The next few days would be critical. For some of our grape varieties, it was now almost forty-five days since the véraison - or the point when the grapes begin to ripen - and the regulations stated that the harvest should begin when that time was up, or thereabouts. We would begin harvesting those grapes that were fully ripe then and carry on with the process as each variety ripened.

  I reached the office, took off my boots and walked inside, grateful for the warmth from the office heater. Fran was on the phone. She waved hello.

  ‘Salut, Henri, ça va?’

  ‘Oui, et toi? How are the grapes looking?’

  I filled him in on the situation.

  ‘I’d better make sure I’m back for that next week, then. You’ll need all the hands you can get.’

  We always had to call on lots of friends and family members to get the harvesting process done. Although it was an exciting time, it was also back-breaking work picking the grapes by hand. We could have moved to mechanical harvesting to make things quicker but not if we wanted our wines to be graded as top quality.

  ‘Are you going to start with the pinot blanc grapes?’

  ‘Yes, I’ll be watching them very carefully this week.’ Thierry and I would need to make sure we reached the optimum amount of sugar, balanced with a decrease in the amount of acidity, before we started to pick the grapes that go into our crémant or sparkling wine.

  ‘I’ll pray that it doesn’t rain for you.’

  I grimaced as I made a cup of coffee. Rain was the most disastrous thing that could happen to us at this point, and it could make the difference between a successful harvest and a disaster. The impact it could have on our finances didn’t even bear thinking about.

  ‘Would you like a cup?’

  Henri shook his head, as did Fran when I gestured to her. She was on the phone to one of the builders discussing minute details about their quote. The first quote must have come in today following the appointments last week. I was looking forward to studying it, although dreading the cost as well.

  I looked at Fran again as I drank my coffee. She was just as stunning, even with her hair now tied up again and her business-like air in place once more. I remembered the way she’d looked on Friday night with her hair resting on her shoulders. She was gorgeous with or without her clothes on. She glanced up at me, sensing me studying her, and a faint blush crept up her face as if she could read my thoughts. I cleared my throat, not wanting to embarrass her, and turned away to look at some paperwork. Anything to try and help me focus on what I should be doing.

  Fran

  I sensed Didier’s eyes on me from the moment he walked into the office that morning. Although I welcomed his attentions, I began to wish we were back in my bedroom at the cottage and not in a public place. I felt myself blush while on the phone. Thankfully, he must have seen because he turned away. It was all I could do to listen to the builder after that. Finally, I managed to finish the call. I took a moment to pull myself together.

  ‘Good morning, Didier,’ I said with a grin.

  He turned round to face me and the wicked look he gave me rendered me momentarily speechless.

  ‘Morning. So, you’ve had a quote in from one of the builders already?’

  I swallowed and took a deep breath, wanting more than anything to remain professional in front of Henri, who had also looked up.

  ‘Yes, I was querying something on the quote with them.’

  ‘Can I see it, please?’

  I passed it to him and our hands brushed, making my heart skip a beat.

  He turned over the pages, looking for the final figure. I held my breath, waiting for his reaction.

  ‘Mon dieu! C’est pas croyable! €100,000 for just the Visitors’ Centre and €300,000 for the château.’ His face fell.

  ‘I know. It’s ridiculous, and that’s what I was trying to tell him. He has priced up without doing enough research into the materials, I think. I told him to have another go at it, but this time I only want to see a realistic quote.’

  ‘Good. It will be interesting to see what the other quotes are like in comparison. As you say, it is a bit soon for them to have sent in a quote. That suggests they are not very thorough.’

  ‘I agree. Anyway, if they’re not up to it, I can still go back to one of the other builders on your original list.’

  ‘That’s true.’

  My phone buzzed, catching me by surprise.

  ‘I’m sorry, I should have turned that off,’ I told Didier. I glanced down to see an unfamiliar number. A little butterfly lodged itself in my stomach. It had to be another message f
rom Paul.

  ‘It’s not a problem if you want to read it.’

  I bit my lip anxiously. ‘That’s the thing. I’m not sure if I do want to.’ My finger hovered over the button for a second and then I pressed it.

  ‘Still waiting for you to get in touch with me. I want to see you and I’m not going to give up. Paul.’

  Tears of defeat sprang to my eyes.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Didier asked, coming up next to me. ‘Who’s it from?’

  I passed him the phone and he quickly scanned the text. He put the phone down on the desk and, crouching down next to me, took hold of my hands. ‘I think you should change your number now. That’s the only way to stop this.’

  A tear rolled down my cheek and he wiped it gently away before standing up and taking me into his arms. I heard Henri mutter something about needing to go to the village, and then we were alone.

  I rested against Didier’s shoulder for a few minutes, feeling protected from the outside world by his warm embrace. Then, reluctantly, I stepped back. I reached for a tissue from the box on my desk and wiped my eyes before sinking into my chair.

  ‘I know you’re right but it will make him even more angry if I do that. Do you think I should reply?’

  ‘No, definitely not. It’s his problem, not yours. Get on to your phone company at once. You’ll feel much better if you do.’

  I stared at my hands, feeling guilty as always, but hating the way that this was what Paul reduced me to. I took in a deep breath and straightened my shoulders. Then Didier tilted my chin up so I was looking at him. He smiled at me and I gave him a grimace before sitting down at my desk to get on with the torturous process of changing my number and letting everyone know.

  Didier

  It was a long, difficult day in many ways. To cap it all, Chlöe was grumpy at bedtime, which completely threw me, so it was nearly eight by the time I managed to sit down with the divorce papers. Once I adapted to the legal speak, it didn’t take me long to go through them. Alain had kept things simple, as I’d asked, with no blame attached on either side. He had asked for full custody of my daughter on my behalf, with visiting rights for her mother at a minimum of every other weekend or by negotiation. He also stipulated that as we shared no assets, there was no estate to be divided up between us. As soon as I had read it through, I sent him a quick message asking him to send the papers off to Isabelle tomorrow, by email if possible so that we could sort things out quickly. I was sure she would have something to say about the custody issue but I thought I had a good case to argue.