A harsh laugh tore from her. “So, in fact, they were incredibly generous and supportive. They paid above the market price at the time, and from what I understood, they struggled to raise the money. After Grandfather died, the life interest in the château reverted back to their family.”
“Why did your father lie?” Sue’s soft voice questioned.
“Because he didn’t want to admit he’d made a foolish decision, selling when he did. He’s resentful of their success.” Bella rubbed at the tense muscles of her neck. Money and control defined her father, those items always had. But destroying a man’s reputation was a serious matter. She’d do everything possible to redress the wrong.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Sue said. “I think your idea of introducing Etienne to everyone before the launch is a good one. Bring him over to us tomorrow at lunchtime. I’ll invite a few people. And don’t worry, Bella. I’ll tell them the score.”
Bella hung up, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes. If she hadn’t learned of this situation, many may have boycotted the launch out of a misguided sense of loyalty to her father. And now John had seen them at the string quartet recital together, he’d probably intensify the whisper campaign against Etienne. She glanced at her watch and then picked up the phone. She had time before this evening’s party. And a showdown with her father was well overdue.
****
Etienne needed coffee and croissants for the morning. And an excuse to get away from the vineyard. Everywhere he looked reminded him of Bella. He even imagined her scent in the air, and the frustration she’d had to leave tore a hole in his gut. In town, he could pick up some chocolates to present to his hostess for lunch tomorrow.
Etienne drove quickly and expertly through the narrow roads toward Aqua Blanca. A warm breeze wafted in through the half-open window, bringing the realization that change was in the air. And Bella was the catalyst. A newly envisioned future stretched before him. One with a flourishing vineyard filled with people...filled with friends. A future to share with a totally unique, caring woman.
Bella was open and honest. He enjoyed her company, and any reservations that lingered about taking her to bed had dissolved in the heat of their mutual attraction.
As he drove down Aqua Blanca’s main street in search of a parking spot, he caught a glimpse of his smiling face in the rear-view mirror. And felt his smile widen, and his heart lift at the sight of a familiar blonde striding with determination toward the local café, The Tin Cup. His hand rose to the horn.
John St. Clair stepped from the café.
Etienne’s hand paused.
St. Clair’s arm went around her shoulders.
Bella didn’t pull away, but smiled him a greeting. In the next moment, they disappeared from view.
Etienne’s grip on reality shifted. His hands slackened on the steering wheel. She’d told him she didn’t speak to her father, but nothing in her body language today backed that up. She’d smiled at St. Clair and walked into the Tin Cup like a lamb by his side.
As if pursued by the hounds of hell, Etienne gunned the engine and sped down the street. He tried not to condemn her without a trial, but all the same, the clench of distrust tightened in his belly.
****
What should have been a joyous occasion, the first time he’d been invited to lunch by one of his neighbors, was tainted by Etienne’s broodings about the woman who sat at his side in the car. The squat adobe building with the terracotta tiled roof squatted like one of the older buildings in the French countryside, transplanted into Californian soil. Etienne pulled up outside it, and turned off the engine.
As the engine’s noise faded, a tall redhead strode from the house, smiling a welcome.
“Bella.” She clutched Bella close, and then released her to greet Etienne. “And you must be Etienne. Welcome to our vineyard. I’m Sue.” She reached for his hand. “And I’m very glad to meet you at last!” Genuine warmth shone from her eyes.
Etienne smiled, glad for the distraction of another person. “I brought you some chocolates.” He handed them over.
“Wow. How did you know?” Sue’s eyes twinkled and she darted a quick glance at her friend.
Bella shook her head. “All his idea, Sue. I had nothing to do with it.”
“Well, Etienne, just so you know,” Sue’s voice lowered, “you couldn’t have bought a better present if you’d tried. I’m a confirmed chocoholic. Come in and meet the others.”
They walked through the white-painted house to an expansive dining room. Soft music played—overlaid with the hum of conversation. A gleaming polished wood table in the room’s center held colorful bowls of tapas, and bottles of wine. Before long, Etienne was in a lively debate about wine production techniques with a warm and friendly group, all of whom seemed genuinely interested in the difference between French viticulture and American. He could feel Bella’s gaze on him from across the room where she chatted with Sue, but resisted the urge to turn and look.
In the car, she’d seemed tense. He’d given her every opportunity to mention the meeting with her father—even asking what she’d done yesterday afternoon after they’d parted.
Her gaze had darted away and she’d licked her lips quickly before brushing off his question.
Etienne’s heart plummeted at her evasive tactics. She was lying. By omission anyway. His gut tightened and he struggled to concentrate.
Sue’s husband, Brad, waved a hand in the air, saying something about pruning techniques.
Etienne’s thoughts drifted back to Bella. She’d seemed so different, so caring. But all the time, she’d been meeting with her father—and enjoying his company if her remembered expression was anything to go by. He glanced over to where she stood.
The azure sundress clung to every curve, perfectly showcasing her breasts in the tight bodice. Her long legs looked even longer in matching blue strappy sandals. When he’d picked her up earlier, the flash of attraction always there between them flared to instant life, despite his anger.
“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” Brad murmured, following his gaze. “Sue and I were so relieved when she...” He broke off and shot a glance at his wife.
Etienne felt his eyebrows rise in query.
“Aw hell.” Brad continued with a shake of his head. “Maybe I shouldn’t say anything, but we were so glad she stopped dating that jerk, Brian.”
The mention of another man’s name linked to Bella’s sharpened Etienne’s senses. “Brian?” Curiosity forced the name from his lips.
Brad leaned closer. “They dated for about six months before she broke it off,” he said in a low voice. “Her parents loved him. Called him ‘the perfect husband’.” Brad’s lip curled. “He looked the part. And he had the pedigree. John St. Clair is all about breeding. That and money.”
Jealousy bit at the thought of a rival for Bella’s affections. “He sounds perfect.” Etienne gritted his teeth and clenched his hands at his sides. No-one could say he had the perfect pedigree.
“On paper,” Brad agreed. “But in reality, he was a complete jerk. A completely controlling megalomaniac who ended up getting thrown into jail for threatening Bella. He moved to Boston, where he’s no doubt stalking some other poor woman.”
Etienne struggled for control at the thought of Bella in danger. If he ever met this Brian, this man who’d hurt her... He crossed his arms and forced his violent reaction down. “And Bella’s parents—were they supportive?” A part of him registered that he should be having this conversation with Bella, rather than Brad, but he ignored it. He had to know.
“Anything but,” Brad said. “They threw her out. She moved in with her grandfather after that.”
Angry at the pain her parent’s rejection must have caused her, Etienne glanced over to where Bella chatted with a friend. She tossed back her hair, and smiled, shooting an arrow of regret through him. “She must have been very angry.” He drained his glass, barely tasting the merlot.
“She told Sue she felt de
vastated, as if her father considered her a piece of meat to be sold to the highest bidder. She threw herself into work. It’s good to see her looking so happy.”
Was she using him to show her father she could be with whoever she wished? The memory of her father’s arm around her shoulders flashed before Etienne’s eyes. Or was her father pressuring her somehow, to plot Etienne’s downfall? His fingers tightened around the stem of his glass. Whatever she was up to, he’d discover it.
****
This day had gone from bad to worse. Bella sat in the cool interior of Etienne’s car and wondered what the hell she’d done wrong.
He’d been coldly courteous since he picked her up at her apartment, treating her like a stranger.
She’d put it down to nerves at the evening to come, but his attitude all evening had been inexplicable. No repeat of the passionate embrace he’d given her this morning. No teasing banter. She missed it. When he’d arrived to collect her at the end of the gathering, she’d reached up for his kiss, and the cool brush of his lips against her cheek had shocked as much as a slap would. “What’s the matter?” she asked, relieved her voice sounded cool and steady.
Etienne stared through the windshield at the road ahead. His large, tanned hands gripped the wheel tightly. “Nothing.”
A tense silence stretched, but he didn’t elaborate. She pulled in a shaky breath, and pushed harder. “There must be something. You’re ignoring me. Can we talk about it, at least?” This time, she didn’t care if she sounded desperate, she was in much too deep to let this problem go.
“I’m just tired. And you must be too. We’ll be at your apartment soon.” His jaw clenched in a tight line.
Bella mustered all her courage. “I want to go to the château,” she said, twisting her hands together in her lap. “I want to talk.”
“Well, I don’t.”
A cold shiver danced up Bella’s spine.
He’d never spoken so rudely. Never been so icily dismissive. Maybe the woman she’d been once would have acceded to his demand and accepted his harshly spoken words. But the relationship growing between them meant more than her pride. “Etienne.” She had to pierce his distain. She just had to. “Please don’t shut me out.”
He slanted a quick glance her direction through narrowed eyes.
Desperation clenched at her insides. The growing relationship between them couldn’t end like this, it just couldn’t. “Talk to me.” She heard the plea in her voice, but didn’t care.
With a brief jerk, he nodded. “I’ll take you to the château, and we’ll talk.”
The harsh lines of his face might have been carved from granite. Tension thick as fog filled the car between them.
“And then I’ll take you home.”
Darkness swathed the château. Etienne flung open the car door, and stepped out. “We’ll talk in the kitchen.”
His uncharacteristic rudeness had Bella biting hard on her lip to resist shouting. Restless energy buzzed through her veins as she followed him inside. Maybe he’d heard of her father’s poisonous whispering campaign against him. If so, he had no right to blame her. She’d even forced herself to meet with her father to warn him to desist from ruining Etienne’s reputation. The scene that followed had left her shaking but defiant.
Her father declared she’d never see her mother again if she didn’t apologize immediately.
Bella loved her mother, but not even her father’s vicious threat would sway her. Her father’s actions were unpardonable, and she’d tell him so, whatever the consequences.
Etienne flicked on the kettle and flung grounds into the cafetiere, slamming the cupboard shut with unnecessary force.
Such palpable anger, in another man, might be frightening. But she had nothing to fear from him, he’d never hurt her.
“So?” He turned and leaned a hip against the counter. “What do you want to talk about so urgently?” He crossed his arms, and stared through narrowed eyes.
“I want to know why you’re behaving like this. As if I’m nothing to you,” Bella answered in a calm voice.
“Because you are nothing to me.” His brown eyes burned. “Except a business associate.”
Her heart hammered in her chest. “And this morning? The kiss? The picnic? Things were very different then.” Her voice faltered, but she swallowed, and pressed on. “You thought me more than a business associate then.”
“Then I thought perhaps we could have an affair.” His cold tone chilled. “After this evening, seeing you with your friends, I realize you are not the sort of woman who’d be capable of a casual affair. That’s all.” His eyes shuttered and he turned away to pour boiling water over the coffee grounds.
“That’s not all.” Bella heard her voice rise. His change of attitude had happened before they’d even got to the party. She had felt his repressed anger simmering just under the surface. “You’ve been like this since you picked me up.” She stared at his rigid back, at his stiff, unyielding shoulders, and choked back the urge to cry.
Silence stretched for long, uncomfortable minutes.
Bella breathed in deeply. She clenched her eyes tight, and searched deep for unplumbed depths of courage. He might not like it, but she would get to the bottom of this—even if she had to goad him into action. The stab of her fingernails in the center of her palms as her hands clenched hard, hurt. “Be a man, Etienne. Tell me the truth.”
Etienne swung around and gripped her upper arms.
Electricity arced from the point of contact, flooding her system like always at his touch.
His mouth twisted. “Be a man? You dare to suggest I’m not?” His mouth ground down on hers.
Bella’s heart leapt. She’d had to push to get a reaction, and didn’t regret it for a moment. Her legs shook, and she struggled to stay upright.
After a moment, Etienne’s mouth softened, teasing her lips apart to plunder her mouth.
Of their own volition, her hands crept around his neck, holding him close. Her chest flattened against his and a wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm her.
Etienne pulled back, breathing harshly. “I don’t want this,” he ground out. “I can’t trust you.” He looked away, but didn’t move.
Couldn’t trust her? The thought ricocheted in her head, bruises blooming in its wake. “You can trust me.” Her palm flattened against his chest, feeling its rise and fall. “I’d never do anything to...”
“Yet you met the man who is determined to destroy me. Destroy everything I care about.” His dark eyes blazed.
Everything fell into place and she relaxed. “My father,” Bella breathed.
“Your father.” Etienne’s jaw tightened. “You met him and kept it from me. Why would you do that unless you had something to hide?”
Bella’s hand fell to her side. She strode on shaky legs to the counter, and picked up two cups. With excessive care, she placed them on the table with the cafetiere, and retrieved a jug of cream from the fridge. “Sit down,” she said in a quiet voice. “And I’ll tell you.”
****
He hadn’t meant for a moment to kiss her, but couldn’t resist the flare of anger at her words. Then, when their lips met, her passionate response had turned his anger into desire. Pure and simple.
Now, as Bella explained what she’d learned from Sue the previous afternoon, and the meeting she’d called with her father to challenge him on his outrageous behavior, his anger melted away. To be replaced with something suspiciously like shame.
“Father felt sure I would apologize for rejecting his choice of my husband.” Bella grasped her coffee cup with both hands, and stared into its dark depths. “When I first met Brian, I liked him. He was kind, charming, and attentive. After a few months, he let the mask slip to reveal his true self. On our marriage, he would be in line to take over my father’s business. Marrying Bella St. Clair had a lot going for it. Prestige, money, power, the whole thing.”
At Bella’s bleak expression, Etienne wished he could turn back time and c
all back his bitter accusation. A parallel groove creased between her eyebrows, and pain filled her expressive eyes.
“Brian wanted me to concentrate on being the perfect wife. He rejected out of hand any of my plans for a career. No wife of mine will have to work, he’d said, she’ll be too busy looking after me.”
“Did you love him?” An unfamiliar pain burned in Etienne’s chest at the thought of her in bed with another man.
“I thought I did, back in the beginning.” Bella’s mouth twisted in a bitter grimace. “Until I saw him for what he really was. A man who didn’t care about me at all.”
“And on rejecting him, your relationship with your parents fractured?”
“Yes.”
Swallowing against a dry throat, Etienne stood and pulled her into his arms. “I saw you smiling with your father on the way into The Tin Cup,” he admitted in a low voice. “You didn’t mention it, and I jumped to a completely wrong conclusion.” The honest integrity in her face couldn’t have been faked. He’d accused her of something she hadn’t done, had acted boorishly. She couldn’t want him now. Regret washed over him in a numbing wave.
Bella’s left hand grasped his jacket lapel and held. She pressed her face against his chest. Her other hand snaked around his waist, holding him close.
“I forgive you.”
He barely heard her faint whisper. Then Etienne kissed her. Lightly, softly, reverently. Tears sparkled like diamonds on her cheeks, and he kissed each one away. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. His heart jolted at the expression in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know.” Her mouth curved into a tremulous smile. “Don’t ever do it again.”
“I won’t.” Etienne kissed her long and passionately until her heavy breaths matched his. He picked her up in his arms, and strode through the darkened château to his bed.
Chapter Seven
Bella swallowed the final mouthful of strong coffee, and forced herself to stop gazing at Etienne like a lovesick teenager. Last night had been wonderful. And this morning too. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving, but the launch party was on final countdown, and she had a meeting with an electrician. “I’ve got to go,” she said. “I have a meeting at ten.”
Love On The Vine Page 6