The Island

by Mary Grand

  Juliet sat down on the edge of her bed; she needed to stop fretting. She checked her phone, just gone half twelve, time to try and rest. However, just as she was about to lie down, a WhatsApp video call came through on her phone.

  She pressed receive and saw Gabriel smiling back at her.

  ‘Hiya,’ he said and scanned his phone around the room, ‘like the lodge?’

  Seeing the chandeliers and rich patterned carpet, she was confused until she figured out that, of course, this wasn’t a lodge. For some reason Gabriel was at the main house on the vineyard where Maddie lived.

  He tried to smile, but his eyes were screwed up and anxious. ‘I came back to the house because Maddie phoned to say she didn’t feel too good. I will stay up here; they can phone me if anything crops up at the lodges.’

  ‘Oh dear, what’s the matter?’

  He shook his head. ‘She’s got a really upset stomach. She looks so pale and keeps being sick. I’m hopeless when people are ill.’

  ‘Do you need to get a doctor?’

  ‘I don’t know. Maddie hates them. I rang Barbara, you know, who runs the shop, did you know she used to be a nurse?’

  ‘Of course. She’s a good person to speak to.’

  ‘Well, she had a FaceTime with Maddie, and just told me to make sure she doesn’t get dehydrated.’

  ‘Good, I’m sure your mum is grateful you’re there.’

  Gabriel held up the red fish she’d given him earlier. ‘I shall put it on my bedside table later.’

  ‘Lovely. It’s so hot, isn’t it? I have all the windows open. I think someone here has just gone out for a walk, so I think we’re all struggling to get cool.’

  ‘No one can sleep in this, can they? It’s not helping mum.’ He paused. ‘Sorry, she’s just called out. I was only ringing to say goodnight, see you very soon.’

  ‘Night. Hope your mum is okay.’

  ‘Thanks… see you then.’

  He rang off and Juliet lay down on the bed. She heard the sound of the gate banging; whoever had gone out couldn’t have shut it properly. Too hot to move, Juliet picked up her phone again. She lay scrolling, looking at emails, pictures, playing a mind-numbing game. But nothing seemed to lull her off to sleep.

  As the grandfather clock chimed one, another WhatsApp video call came in from Gabriel.

  ‘Sorry, I hope you weren’t asleep. I just needed someone to talk to.’

  His face was creased with anxiety this time.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Juliet asked, concerned.

  ‘I’m a bit worried now to be honest. Maddie is still being sick.’

  ‘Could you ring Barbara again?’

  ‘I don’t like disturbing her when it’s so late.’

  Juliet heard the ring of the house phone at Gabriel’s house and his face lit up.

  ‘That might be her, sorry, I need to go,’ he said.

  ‘Okay, but get the doctor if you need to.’

  Almost as soon as she’d put her phone down, a text came through from Alistair in Edinburgh. She’d let him know she’d left China, but she hadn’t spoken to him since. She guessed he was wondering how the commission was going and if she had any decisions about moving up there. Juliet decided to phone him, and, despite the late hour, he answered. She explained everything that had happened since she’d returned, and as she did so she realised just how extraordinary the past few weeks had been. Alistair was very sympathetic and told her to take her time. They left it that, with her saying she would be in touch once she had a better idea of what she would be doing next.

  Juliet was exhausted at the end of the conversation, and before finally closing her eyes, she got up and peered out of the window again. The light was off in the workshop; whoever had been there had come back in. There was an unease about the night. She’d be relieved when dawn came, the light of a new day.

  11

  Juliet woke the next morning from a deep sleep. She looked at her phone – it was twenty-five past six. ‘Shit – Gabriel.’

  She threw on some clothes, dragged a brush through her hair, dashed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. What a state, she thought glancing in the mirror, but there was no time to do anything else. She rushed back to her room, grabbed her phone and ran downstairs.

  Juliet put her phone into her handbag and then reached up for the patio door key, but it wasn’t there, and as she pulled the door, she found it unlocked. Whoever went out through the gate or to the workshop had forgotten to lock up when they returned. She pulled the door closed behind her, there was nothing else she could do; it was light now, her mother would be up soon.

  She saw Gabriel’s car at the gate and waved to him. She ran down the path, through the gate and had just started to get into the car, when she saw Anwen coming up the road. Juliet was puzzled to notice that Anwen was wearing the same black dress as the night before and yet Cassie had said Anwen was safely in bed. Perhaps she had been the person who went out at half twelve?

  ‘Hang on,’ she said to Gabriel and she ran down the road to check on Anwen.

  ‘Morning, Anwen, you’re out early. Are you okay?’

  ‘What?’ asked Anwen crossly.

  ‘I asked you if you are okay?’

  ‘Of course.’

  Anwen went to walk on, but Juliet frowned. ‘You didn’t get locked out, did you?’

  ‘Of course, not.’

  ‘Oh sorry, you’re in the same dress as last night.’

  ‘I came out for a walk.’ Again, she tried to walk away, but Juliet persisted.

  ‘Did you open the patio doors then, have you got the door key?’

  ‘Listen, Juliet, I don’t have any shitting door key.’ Her voice was raised now. ‘For God’s sake, I just want to go back to bed.’

  Juliet blinked, rather taken aback by Anwen’s brusqueness. ‘Of course. Um… the patio door is open.’

  Anwen scowled and walked past her, pushing open the gate.

  Juliet stepped back, shocked at how rude Anwen had been and then went back to Gabriel.

  ‘Everything okay?’ he asked.

  ‘Just had a bit of a set to with Anwen. God she is so prickly. What on earth is she doing up at this time?’

  ‘Maybe she just couldn’t sleep in this heat and went for a walk to cool down.’

  Juliet noticed then how tired he looked. ‘I suppose so. Anyway, how is Maddie?’

  ‘A lot better thanks, although she got really rough. Barbara came round in the end, thank God. She rang 111 and a doctor spoke to Maddie at about three. She had started to settle down by then and so he said to see how she went. Barbara was brilliant, I was so glad she was there.’

  ‘What a night. You should have cancelled me this morning.’

  ‘Oh, it’s okay.’ Gabriel looked at her and his face relaxed into a smile. ‘It’s good to see you and anyway I have to be up, the lodges are fully booked. I know it’s not that many but there is always lots to do.’

  They drove down onto the main military road. Juliet looked over at the light blue sea, the white chalky cliffs in the distance; it was a beautiful morning. As they turned into the road that led to the vineyard, she saw a van ahead of them driving into Compton car park, no doubt some early morning surfers.

  They reached the vineyard quickly, a large, smart sign welcoming them to ‘Laurent Vineyard’. Juliet remembered what Cassie had said about Maddie adopting her family name here. It certainly looked impressive, with a list of opening times, tours, a site map with directions to the winery, shop, and restaurant. The small site with the lodges was to the right and set slightly apart.

  ‘Can we drive up and just check Maddie’s okay?’

  ‘Of course,’ Juliet replied.

  They drove along a well-maintained road which was lined with poplar trees. With the sun and the vineyards sloping down the hill, it was like stepping into a slice of the South of France.

  The beautiful old house was a large, stone building, styled as a manor, with ivy creeping over the walls and around th
e windows. It looked out over the tidy rows of vines, and even from here Juliet could see the grapes weighing down the branches. Next to the house was a small field of lavender, a sea of lilac, the scent thick in the air. In the distance, the sea sparkled – it was idyllic.

  The restaurant and winery were further on. Juliet could see cars parked there already and tractors driving between the vines, as well as people on foot working.

  ‘It’s so busy here, so early in the day.’

  ‘Yes, not long until harvest,’ said Gabriel. ‘There’ll be a tour later, and of course the restaurant and shop will be open. It’s all quite small-scale but still a tremendous amount of work.’

  ‘Cassie was saying this used to just be farmland, but it’s hard to imagine. It’s like being in France now.’

  ‘I know, and I think people around here were a bit shocked by the changes here all those years ago. My father and his family had done very little work themselves here, the farming was by tenants. My father wanted to live the life of the landed gentry, hunting and riding, that kind of thing.’

  ‘Did he resent what Maddie did?’

  ‘He would grumble sometimes but he also knew things had to change; they weren’t making any money and yet he kept spending it, sending Harry to an expensive prep school, and things like that. It was Maddie who saved this place.’

  ‘Hang on, so Harry went away to school, but you didn’t? You stayed local and went to school with Cassie.’

  ‘Maddie would never have let me be sent away.’ He opened the car door. ‘Right, just hold on a tick, I’ll be quick.’

  Gabriel jumped out of the car, ran into the house, and returned a few minutes later.

  ‘Do you fancy coming in and saying hi to Maddie?’

  ‘Are you sure she’s up to a visitor?’

  ‘Yes. Come on in, it will cheer her up.’

  As they went into the house, Juliet glanced into the sumptuous room to her right, the one Gabriel had spoken to her from the night before. She knew Gabriel’s home was very different to her own, with rich embroidered rugs, gold gilded frames and mirrors, white satin chairs with gold surrounds. At either end of the room hung crystal chandeliers, reminding her of a chateau she had visited on holiday.

  When they reached Maddie’s bedroom Juliet saw it was also very ornate and dominated by a four-poster bed with lace hangings and rich flocked wallpaper. Maddie was propped up, her head resting on crisp white pillowcases.

  ‘Bonjour, Juliet.’ She looked pale and exhausted, her voice quiet and a little shaky.

  ‘I am sorry you were so poorly last night.’

  Maddie flapped a hand in the air. ‘It was only sickness; Gabriel worries about me too much.’ She smiled at him. ‘But I know I am lucky to have a son who cares.’

  ‘I would have been useless without Barbara,’ said Gabriel. ‘She’s coming round later when things are quieter in the shop.’

  ‘I told her not to worry, but she has always been such a good friend.’

  ‘She’s bringing you some clear beef soup; she said it would be good for you. I’ll pop down and put a tray ready for her.’

  Maddie gave her son an adoring look. ‘You spoil me.’

  As Gabriel left the room, Juliet went to look out the window. The contrasts between the lilac of the lavender and the green fields of vines was spectacular.

  ‘The vines look good,’ Juliet said, not really having any idea how they should look.

  Maddie sat up and pointed to the window. ‘I am very pleased with the vines this year. If the weather holds, it will be a good year for our white sparkling wine. Have you ever tried it?’

  ‘Yes, I think Dad bought it for Mira’s wedding.’

  ‘Oh yes, that’s right, he did. Could you pour me some water please?’

  ‘Of course.’ Juliet poured some water from a neat carafe by the bed into the drinking glass next to it. She pointed to a family photograph next to Maddie’s bed. ‘We were looking through Mum and Dad’s old photos yesterday. There was one of both of our families on the beach. Your husband was so handsome, wasn’t he?’

  ‘I remember when I first saw Clarence, he looked like some Greek god. Women were always attracted to him; I had to fight them off when we came back here. I knew all the women in the village had been after him. I remember your mother seemed quite sweet on him too.’ She gave Juliet a knowing grin.

  Juliet laughed. ‘Cassie was telling us about how he came over to France and rescued you from your run-down vineyard. What a love story.’

  The sweetness on Maddie’s face melted away. She pushed herself to sit even more upright in the bed and her eyes flashed with fury. ‘My parents’ vineyard may have hit bad times, but we were very proud of what my father had accomplished. I learned all my skills there, I would like to think this is the vineyard my father would have built if things had worked out differently for him.’

  Juliet stepped back from the bed. ‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.’

  ‘No, people never know the trials we go through. The truth was Clarence was charming but hopeless, he’d have probably ended up having to sell this land, frittered it away. I was devastated of course when he died, but all of this has come from my hard work.’

  Maddie rested back on her pillow.

  Gabriel came in and seemed to immediately pick up on the strained atmosphere.

  ‘Is something wrong?’ he asked Maddie.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ said Juliet. ‘I made an insensitive remark about Maddie’s family vineyard in France.’

  ‘You are not to worry,’ said Maddie with a sigh. ‘This is such a difficult time for me. I am, as you say, oversensitive.’

  ‘Last night was the anniversary of my brother Harry’s death,’ Gabriel explained.

  ‘I’m so sorry, of course, you mentioned it,’ said Juliet and turned to Maddie. ‘We had Rosalind’s meal last night and I saw photos of you all at the party the day she came home as a baby. It reminded me how grey it had been that day. Did you know the oak tree in our garden was struck by lightning that night?’

  ‘Your father told me. It was struck at the same time as my boy was killed; nature knew something monumental was happening. What a night. So often I think, if only we had stopped Harry going out, but he was determined to train for some marathon. He was out there every night, even when it was late.’ She looked out of the window.

  ‘It was a tragedy,’ said Juliet.

  ‘It is a terrible thing to lose a son. Nothing prepares you for it. It was awful losing Clarence only six months before to cancer, but Harry’s death was devastating. He went out and never came back. I was here with Gabriel and his friend Ed, Barbara’s boy. We were so cosy in the house, no idea of what was happening. It was fortunate Barbara had just come round to pick Ed up when the police came. I don’t know how I would have coped without her. It was awful and you know Harry was due to move to France the very next day to start a wonderful new job. I think sometimes if he’d just left a day earlier, well, he would still be alive.’ She paused and then added, her voice quiet, broken, ‘They never found out who was driving the car you know. I try not to be angry but, it’s not right is it, someone out there, living their life when my Harry’s life was snatched away from him.’

  ‘It was awful, Maddie, but as you say, a long time ago now. You should rest,’ said Gabriel.

  ‘I am sorry I am such a burden to you. I am just a tired old lady that is all,’ Maddie said weakly, and Gabriel patted her hand.

  ‘There is nothing remotely tired or old about you. You rest now, and you’ll be back at work tomorrow running rings round us all. Now let me move your phone within reach.’

  Gabriel moved the phone next to the bed and glanced at the carafe of water.

  ‘I’ll go and fetch you some fresh iced water.’

  Juliet decided it was time to leave Maddie to recover.

  ‘I hope you feel a lot better soon,’ she said and headed downstairs with Gabriel. She followed him into the kitchen. It was a beaut
iful room, just like the pictures she’d seen in magazines of French country kitchens, although this was clearly not for show – this was the real thing. There were strings of onions, bunches of herbs drying. No tiny jars of herbs on a flimsy spice rack, but large jars of basil, and opened packets of mustard and coriander. Juliet breathed in the most wonderful aroma of garlic and fresh fruit.

  Gabriel ran back upstairs. She heard him shout, ‘I’ll be back in an hour, phone me if you need anything,’ as he came down.

  Once back outside, Juliet could feel the warmth strengthening in the sun. There were more cars now over at the winery, and more tractors driving between the vines.

  ‘You and Maddie have every right to be proud of this place, you know,’ Juliet said. ‘I was surprised just now when Maddie said Harry had been planning to go and work in France. Wasn’t he interested in making a life here?’

  ‘No, this wasn’t the life Harry wanted. And he was lost when Dad died; they had been so close, they both loved to go hunting and shooting together. Harry was also pretty wild, drinking and things. As much as I didn’t want him to go away, even I could see he needed to make a fresh start somewhere else.’ Gabriel smiled.

  ‘But if he was going to France… wasn’t that to work in a vineyard?’

  ‘God no. Dad had connections with a chateau in France where they organised game shooting. He’d taken Harry out a few times. Harry loved it over there, and his plan was to sell his portion of the land here to us and use that money to buy into the business over there.

  ‘Oh I see, I assumed all this land would have belonged to Maddie when your father died.’

  ‘It’s very complicated but basically the land was passed down to me and Harry, with the vineyard profits going to Maddie. Anyway, all that was left was for Harry to sort out a few things in France, sign the papers to finalise the sale of his land here and he’d have been set up in his new life over there. It was really tragic; he was so close to living his dream.’

  ‘I’m very sorry, it’s all so sad.’