Carla spun the wheel to get out of trouble. ‘Stupid place to leave paint tins. I’ll have Tran move them in the morning,’ she grumbled as she righted the steering wheel. A month ago they had ordered several litres of green paint to spruce up the storage shed and the winery during winter, the best time to do property maintenance because the vines were dormant.
As she drove towards her grandfather’s property, Carla reviewed how the dinner invitation had come about. She had managed to see her grandfather twice while he was convalescing and the change in his attitude towards her had been remarkable. She had expected awkwardness, even hostility and had been prepared to weather it but she hadn’t had to. He had been amazingly civil towards her and Sam and she, trying to make sense of the change in him, assumed it was because of his heart attack. His brush with death had mellowed him.
Then, a few weeks after Carl had come home Greta had phoned and asked her and Sam to have dinner with them on Saturday night. Swallowing her surprise she had accepted. Now, though, she was nervous and a little apprehensive. Talking it through with Angie, her friend had stated that she believed something important had occurred to make Carla’s grandfather change his stance towards her and that it could be something more profound than the heart attack. Carla shrugged as she turned onto the long drive that led to Stenhaus. Did it really matter what Grandfather’s motivation was so long as it had happened? Probably not. All she could hope for was that in time all would be revealed.
Driving up the crushed gravel drive with its border rows of pencil pines and rose bushes she was reminded of the only other time she had come to Stenhaus, and been insulted by her aunt. Lisel would be there tonight. She knew from her brief relationship with Josh Aldrich that it was common practice for all Stenmarks to dine in on Saturday nights. Coming face to face with her again was going to be a challenge, to say the least, but she knew one thing—her blue eyes glittered with determination as she thought it—no matter what, she had no intention of backing down or kowtowing to the disapproving, sharp-tongued Lisel.
Greta welcomed Carla and Sam at the front door and ushered them down the wide, tiled hallway into the atrium’s informal dining-cum-family room.
‘Traffic was light,’ Carla said, explaining why they were twenty minutes early.
‘Not so many tourists around in winter. It’s good that you’re early, we’ll have time to talk before Papa joins us.’ Greta took Carla’s arm. ‘Come and sit by the window. Luke will be down soon, he’s the family’s unofficial drinks maker.’
Sitting, Carla cast her gaze around the room. ‘This is delightful. I love the glass, the tiles, the rug.’ She stared at a set of Australian outback paintings on one of the walls. ‘It’s very warm and welcoming.’
‘Thank you. Your friend Paul designed the room and Papa allowed me a free rein with the decorating. I’m pleased with the result and so is the rest of the family. Papa spends a good deal of time in this room, what with it being close to the kitchen, the patio and the vines.’
‘I can understand why,’ Carla said with an approving nod.
Entering the room, John, Greta’s husband, came over and shook Carla’s hand. ‘It’s nice to see you here, Carla. You too, Sam.’ He had a cloth bag in his left hand, which he passed to Sam. ‘Some of Luke’s toys from when he was young. Thought you might like to play with them.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ Sam said politely, after checking with his mother that it was okay. Then he dumped the toys on the floor near the sofa and began to sort through them. He held up a spinning top. ‘What do you do with this?’
John knelt and showed him how to push the plunger up and down until the top gathered speed and began to whir madly, emitting a high pitched whine. When John let it go it careered across the floor.
‘That’s cool,’ Sam was duly impressed.
Luke, dressed casually in a cream turtleneck sweater and charcoal grey slacks, arrived. His smile was wide with pleasure as he saw Carla and Sam and, after taking drinks orders he went to the well-stocked bar to organise refreshments. Passing out the drinks, he held his glass high and gave a toast. ‘To new beginnings.’
Carla smiled. She knew that he was referring to the fact that after being in the Barossa for more than two years she was close to being united with her relatives. ‘I’ll drink to that.’
Five minutes later Carl Stenmark entered. An awkward silence descended on the room for several seconds until he approached Carla and Sam. As she rose from her seat Carl placed his hands on her upper arms. ‘Carla Hunter and Sam, know that from this day on you are welcome at Stenhaus as members of the Stenmark family.’
‘Oh, Papa.’ Greta, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears, rushed to her father’s side and kissed his cheek. ‘What a wise and good decision.’
‘I’m…Overwhelmed.’ For a moment or two Carla couldn’t speak or swallow the lump that lodged in her throat. Her father would have been so pleased and Angie’s jaw would drop with amazement when she was told. She glanced towards Luke, who grinned at her, then at Greta and her husband and, lastly, her gaze returned to her grandfather. Two sets of blue eyes meshed. ‘It’s been a long time coming,’ her eyes twinkled with a mixture of cheekiness and feelings she no longer had to hide, ‘but worth the wait, Grandfather. Thank you.’ The next instant she was enveloped in a bearish hug and in Continental fashion, kissed on both cheeks.
‘You and I have a lot to talk about, Granddaughter, but not now. Now it is time for a celebratory dinner. Come to the table. You will sit on my right, with Sam next to you,’ Carl ordered, his own voice gruff with suppressed emotion.
Luke’s expression, watching what was unfolding, couldn’t have been more delighted. His grandfather had come round, and given his stubborn streak and the type of man he was, that was a miracle of no small proportions. He’d been told that his mother had given his grandfather Rolfe’s journal to read and that it had had an enlightening effect and, albeit thirty years too late, made Carl realise he had acted hastily. The past could not be changed but he could tell by the old man’s expression, the warmth in his eyes when he looked at Carla and Sam, that he would do his best to make amends for the injustice wrought upon his second son. And so it was indeed a momentous day at Stenhaus and, now that Carla was, literally, returned to the fold, he could set in motion his own actions, something he wanted to succeed in with all his heart, to explore a deeper relationship with Carla. When that happened, what a formidable team they would make in the Barossa—his experience in the winemaking business and her passion and outgoing personality.
As everyone sat in their allotted seats Carl noticed one seat was not occupied. ‘Where is Lisel?’
‘Sulking in her room,’ Greta vouched what she thought to be the truth, ‘because I told her that Carla and Sam were coming to dinner.’
Carl’s happy expression sobered and his eyes hardened. ‘Is she sick?’ He watched Greta shake her head after which he turned his gaze towards his grandson. ‘Luke, go and get her. Lisel is part of the family and she will eat with the family.’
‘Grandfather, dinner might be more pleasant without Lisel’s presence,’ Luke offered what they all knew to be fact.
Carl would not be moved. ‘Go fetch her.’ And as Luke walked towards the doorway which led to the hall, he added. ‘Lisel forgets whose house she lives in. While she resides here she will abide by my rules or…’ While he left the sentence unfinished everyone at the table knew how he’d intended to finish it. Dismissing the problem of his difficult daughter, he turned his attention to Sam. ‘Tell me, Sam,’ he said, his voice gentle, ‘how’s the rugby going?’
‘My team’s running in first place, sir,’ Sam offered the information freely, grinning at the older man.
‘Good.’ The head of the house turned his gaze on Greta. ‘I’m sure we’re all hungry. We won’t wait for Luke and Lisel. Have Margit serve the soup, will you, please Greta.’
‘Yes, Papa.’
Everyone was halfway through the first course by the time Lu
ke returned with a reluctant, sullen-faced Lisel. She refused to touch the soup after she sat in her chair and stared alternately at Carla, her father and various set pieces on the table, without joining in the conversation. Haughty, she exuded an image of sophistication in a black woollen dress with a cowl neckline, the frock’s severity softened by several rows of cultured pearls around her neck.
Invariably, at Stenhaus dinner time, the conversation turned to the vines and winemaking.
‘Tell me, Carla, with the misfortune of last year’s vintage, can you continue working the vineyard?’ John asked the question so many people in the Valley wanted to know the answer to.
‘I believe so.’ Her reply was quick and honest. ‘Some insurance money will be coming our way, and I’ve had an offer for someone to come into the vineyard as a silent partner. However, I’d prefer to extend my loan, providing the bank agrees.’
‘I think the bank will be agreeable,’ Carl said quietly, a mysterious twinkle in his eyes. ‘In the past I confess to being your staunchest critic but I respect what you’ve accomplished in such a short time. You and your winemaker deserve the chance to succeed.’
The expression on Carla’s face showed her astonishment at her grandfather making such an admission. ‘We will succeed,’ she replied, steely determination in her tone.
After her father had spoken Lisel’s knife and fork dropped with a clatter as she threw the implements onto her plate. ‘Papa, I can’t believe what I’m hearing. What’s going on? What’s changed? In the past everyone here,’ her dark gaze roamed from one family member to another, ‘has been united in wanting to get rid of her. Now everyone is welcoming her with open arms.’ She made a tut-tutting sound with her tongue. ‘All of you make me sick.’
‘Lisel, you don’t understand. We know things we didn’t know before,’ Greta tried to explain.
‘What rot! You’ve allowed yourselves to be seduced by her resemblance to Mutter.’ She pointed an accusing finger at her niece. ‘Can’t you see what she’s doing? Worming herself into the family to better herself. It’s Rhein Schloss’s money and Stenmark prestige—that’s what she’s after.’
Incensed by the venom in Lisel’s tone, as well as her vindictive expression, Carla retorted, ‘That’s not true.’ She put a protective arm around her son’s shoulders as if to shield him from Lisel’s belligerence. ‘There’s only one thing I’ve ever wanted from the Stenmark family—the chance to be part of a caring family and to give Sam some relatives he could grow up knowing.’
Lisel sneered at Carla. ‘You might fool everyone here with that little speech,’ she stared pointedly in her father’s direction, ‘but I’ll not be taken in by it.’
‘You don’t know me, Aunt Lisel, so don’t assassinate my character,’ Carla responded. ‘You’ve never given me a chance.’
‘That’s right, and I won’t.’ Frustrated because she was unsupported by the family, Lisel’s angry gaze moved off Carla and settled on Luke. ‘And you, my dear nephew, will be the biggest loser.’
‘Lisel, that’s enough.’ Carl rumbled at his youngest child, banging his fist on the table to emphasise his words. ‘I will not have such disgraceful behaviour at my dinner table. The past is past,’ his tone was forceful yet it held a note of regret, ‘and cannot be changed. I have decided to welcome Carla and Sam into our family and whether you approve or not you must accept the situation.’
Lisel stood, scraping her chair on the tiled floor. She tossed her head in defiance of his decree. ‘It’ll be a cold day in hell before I do that.’
Luke watched his aunt stride towards the doorway; her back ramrod straight. He had seen Lisel’s displays of temper before but they’d never been as severe as this, nor had they ever been directed so openly at his grandfather. The depth of fury in her eyes, the state of her emotions and her unfettered hatred for Carla were more of a concern to him than her implication that he would suffer financially. Something peculiar was happening to his aunt, and he could no longer deny it. He knew, through stories his mother had told him, that she had been spoilt as a child, indulged, and that she reacted badly, often nastily when things didn’t go her way as was happening tonight. Lisel Stenmark had a streak of ruthlessness in her nature and though rarely used it was there and, gauging by the depth of her dislike for Carla, who knew what she might be capable of?
He stole a sidelong glance at his grandfather and had to admire the old man’s determination. Lisel’s display had not moved him one whit from his decision because he had decided to right the wrong done to Rolfe and Carla and Sam. Luke knew that the reversal of his grandfather’s attitude would provide a source of gossip in the Barossa for weeks but it could and would also make a huge difference to Carla. Stenmark approval would open doors she had never dreamed would be opened to her and Angie, taking a certain weight off her shoulders and allowing her to continue her business. Additionally, he hoped that it was likely that it would make her more amenable towards his own cause. Good! He began to plan their next outing. Perhaps he would introduce her to golf and see if she had an aptitude for it.
Carla tucked a sleepy Sam into bed and smoothed strands of ginger hair off his forehead.
‘’Night, Mum,’ he said, and yawned. His eyelids drooped and closed.
She straightened up, smiling. He had had a wonderful time at Stenhaus tonight, loving being made a fuss of by his great-grandfather, John and Luke. And how amazed he had been when Greta showed them the painting of her mother. Sam had seen Carla’s resemblance to Anna Louise straight away. She closed the door behind her as she left Sam’s room. At last he was getting the family he deserved to have.
Climbing into bed, shivering in the cold air, she pulled the sheets and doona over her body and snuggled down. She would not forget tonight and believed that it was the beginning of something that would have a great and lasting effect on her and her son. A little over two years ago she had made a decision—a risky one—to uproot herself and him from everything they were familiar with in Christchurch, to start a new life here. Many times she had regretted her decision and feared that she had made a mistake. She’d let herself in for a good deal of heartache too, but hopefully that was all in the past.
Her thoughts focused on Luke. She knew he had had some influence in getting their mutual grandfather to change his stance towards her, but that the real catalyst had been Grandfather reading her father’s journal. And she knew something else: Luke thought he was falling in love with her. Her cheeks warmed as she thought about that. Would that be such a bad thing? Once they had buried their differences, she had come round to liking Luke. Very much. He was good company, affable, intelligent but…she sighed into the darkness. Could she fall in love with him? It would be the sensible, the smart thing to do because they were very compatible. Still, she wasn’t renowned for being sensible when it came to matters of the heart. Having fallen in love with Derek years ago she had then worried herself sick every time he went to sea. Besides, if she were honest with herself, and she tried to be, the reality was that, like it or not, she had a soft spot for her boss, Paul. But he, she believed, was still emotionally linked to his dead fiancée.
Oh. She turned on her side and grumbled into her pillow. Stop worrying about falling in love. There are more important things to think about.
On Monday morning when Lisel parked her hardtop Mercedes sports car in her personal parking space outside Rhein Schloss’s office, the anger she had exhibited on Saturday night had changed to a cold, all-consuming fury. Something had to be done about Carla Hunter and it was clear that she was the only one in the family with the balls to do it.
Her father had been bewitched by Carla because of her likeness to her mother. Greta, her soppy, ineffectual sister, and John always sided with Papa, and Luke, whom she had nurtured since he was small, protected, encouraged, looked out for and who had the most to lose, had become infatuated with the plain-speaking owner of Sundown Crossing. What was it that Carla had said to her at the hospital when Papa had been ill? S
he frowned, trying to recall the exact words: that you could even think such a thing—when she had rightly accused Carla of being a gold-digger—tells everyone here the kind of mind you have. A nerve flicked near the left corner of her lips. How dare the woman speak to her like that? Her lips twitched again in anger. The bitch thought she was sitting pretty now. Papa had given in and welcomed her into the family and, following his lead the rest of the family were making a fuss of her and her son.
Her gaze narrowed thoughtfully as she saw Josh Aldrich stride towards the company’s front doors and she replaced her serious expression with a sly smile. There had to be a way to end this new situation and return life to how it had been before Carla came to the Valley. The smile widened as she continued to stare at Josh. She knew the right person to help her achieve what had to be done. Wasting no time she got out of her car and called, ‘Josh, wait up. We need to talk.’
Angie sat at the refectory-style table in Paul van Leeson’s kitchen watching him prepare dinner for two. Carla had wanted Angie to accompany Sam and her to Stenhaus for their second dinner but she had declined, choosing not to impose on Stenmark hospitality and keen to give Carla and Sam the opportunity to interact more naturally with their family. When Paul had phoned she knew he’d wanted to know if Carla was free and he had issued the dinner invitation to her instead.
She didn’t mind being his second choice because she liked Paul a good deal. Over their time in the Barossa he had become a close friend as well as Carla’s employer and while she no longer voiced the opinion to Carla that he would make a more suitable partner than Luke or the unsavoury Josh Aldrich, she continued to think so.
Over dinner and a bottle of chardonnay they talked.
‘It’s a shame Carla couldn’t come. I’ve been doing some digging on Walt Conrad and I believe she’ll be interested in what I’ve found,’ Paul told Angie.
Sundown Crossing Page 27