Bella's Vineyard (5 page)

“None at all. It
will be nice to know that your pile of pancakes won’t be wasted in future. How
many workers will we have?”

“About ten to
start with. There’s Shen, his two sons, a few brothers or brothers-in-law. Or
both. They’re a tightly knit group and I forget how they’re related to each
other. Then there’s me, you and your brother.”

“I think … I
think it will just be me and you,” said Bella. “But I’ll pay you back for
whatever Andrew has.”

“Miss Bella,
you’re a kind, proud girl, but don’t you think you should let your brother
stand on his own two feet? You say you don’t give in to his bad mood, which is
fine, but you do seem to forgive him for all his other transgressions. One day,
you’ll meet a man you want to marry and your brother will have to sort his own
problems out.”

“He’s family,
May. I can’t leave him to his own devices. But I will be more careful in
future. There’s a bank in Milton, yes?”

“That’s right.”

“We’ll put all
the money we earn in there. We won’t keep anything in the house, and Andrew
will just get an allowance. How he spends it is up to him. He’ll just have food
and a roof over his head. But I can’t turn him out. You should understand that,
better than anyone.”

May reached over
and patted Bella’s shoulder. “Okay, we’ll do it your way, but I ain’t gonna
tread on eggshells around him.”

Bella turned her
head to May and smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. It will do him good to realise
he’s not the apple of everyone’s eye.”

“And what about
that good-looking marshal? Is he going to be the apple of your eye?”

“I’ve told you,
May, he’s spoken for. I do not steal other women’s fiancés.”

“She’s a long
way away in Chicago, and you’re here, Miss Bella. Last night he said he
wouldn’t see you for a few days, yet this morning he turns up again.”

“I think he
feels responsible for us,” said Bella. “Because of what happened on the coach.
I’m sure he was only being kind.”

“You’re a very
smart young woman, honey, but I don’t think you’ve much experience of men. I’ve
seen the way he looks at you.”

“Now stop it,”
said Bella, smiling sadly. “If I dare to hope, I’ll just get my heart broken.”

“So you have
thought about him.”

“How could I
not?” said Bella. “There are handsome men in England, of course there are. But
there’s something about him. A presence I’ve never seen in a man before.
Whatever happens, I don’t think I’ll ever forget how he stood up to Tom and
Bill on the coach. He was absolutely fearless. The same with Mr Griffiths
today.” She put her glass down on the floor with a loud thump. “Oh, look at me,
half a glass of wine and I’m talking like a silly schoolgirl.”

“That ain’t the
wine talking,” said May.

Chapter Four

The days that
followed kept Bella too busy to worry about Andrew. He came and went as he
pleased – she did not like to ask where he got the money from - whilst other
landowners called to welcome them to Milton. Many promises were made about
continuing to allow the water to keep flowing and cattle to graze on the parts
of the land that were not given over to viticulture. Those landowners involved
in the same business as Bella advised her of how to ensure her crops could be
rejuvenated, and begin to bear fruit as quickly as possible.

“We all help
each other out here,” said one landowner, Ike Peterson. He had arrived at the
vineyard one morning with his wife, Henrietta. They sat around the table on the
porch, drinking lemonade. “We’d like to start by inviting you to our daughter’s
engagement party next Sunday.”

“Yes, do come,”
said Henrietta. She was a motherly woman, who Bella guessed had once been
pretty, before blooming a little too well under the California sun. “We’re
always short of young people at these affairs. The new marshal is coming. He’s
already caused quite a few hearts to flutter in the town.”

“He seems like a
good man,” said Ike. “He’s already fired two deputies who were on Griffiths’
payroll. Milton has a chance to thrive with a man like that in charge of law
enforcement.”

Henrietta was
more interested in the party than local politics. “There’ll be dancing, and
food, and my husband has hired a band from Nevada city, haven’t you, Ike?”

“You had her at
‘the new marshal is coming’,” May murmured at Bella’s shoulder, as she put a
plate of cookies onto the table. Bella hoped she was the only one to hear it.

“Your brother
will also come, we hope,” said Henrietta. “Such a handsome young man. Between
him and the marshal, the young ladies of Milton are spoiled for choice. Your
brother is very polite. I met him in the town only the other day. I love the
way he speaks. Like a real English lord.”

“We’d be
delighted to attend,” said Bella. “If my brother can’t come, I’m sure May will
be happy to take his place.”

There was an
awkward silence. “Yes, certainly,” said Ike. “Certainly. You’ll be very welcome
Miss Tucker.”

“I doubt it,”
said May, without a trace of malice in her voice. “But I’m darned if I’m
letting Bella travel back alone at night.”

When the
Petersons had left, Bella found May in the kitchen. “The Petersons weren’t very
warm towards you. Have you had a falling out with them at some point?”

May stopped
washing the dishes and turned to face Bella. “Honey, there’s things you don’t
know about me. Things I’ve been afraid to tell you, in case it turns you
against me. But I should have known it would become obvious, by the way people
are with me.”

“Why are they
like that, May?”

“I told you the
other day that your aunt and me looked after each other because we didn’t have
husbands. The truth is neither of us wanted a husband. Because … well … we had
each other. Do you understand?” May paused to allow the significance to sink
in. “I didn’t wanna tell you, you being such a nice young lady and all that,
and maybe you don’t wanna get mixed up in such things. I’ll understand if you’d
rather I up and left.”

“Oh May was that
all?” Bella walked across the kitchen and took May’s hand. “I think I guessed
on some level the day I arrived. It was the way you talked about Aunt Bella.
And your boots being at the side of her bed.” Bella smiled and blushed a
little. “They seemed as if they’d been there all along. I knew there was a
reason she left England all those years ago. The family secret, whispers at
get-togethers, that sort of thing. Father always knew, I think, but he loved
his sister, and always spoke of her with affection. I don’t pretend to
understand such things, obviously no-one has ever explained the details to me,
me being a nice young lady and all that.” She grinned. “But it seems to me that
if you’re lucky enough in this cold, hard world to find someone to love, and
who loves you in return, then no one has the right to judge you or say you’re
wrong.”

“Honey, you
truly are your aunt’s niece. She’d have been so proud of you.” May’s eyes
filled with tears as she put her arms around Bella and hugged her roughly.
“Darn it, I’m as proud of you as if you were my own kin.”

Over a cup of
coffee at the kitchen table, May told Bella everything. About dreadful time she
tried to explain her feelings for Bella’s aunt to her parents. That was when
May’s father turned her out. Her mother had tried to intervene on her behalf,
but to no avail. May had to meet her mother in secret, but those were rare and
precious occasions.

“It was the worst
kept secret in Milton,” said May. “Still is. I guess people just don’t know how
to take me. Oh, they’re civil enough. I am a woman after all, so they think
they have to be. Your aunt was okay, because she dressed like a lady all the
time, so at least they could pretend she fit in. I’m still not one of them. My
brother … well, you met him. We never did like each other before I come here to
live. I don’t have to tell you his feelings on the matter. Since my mama died,
and then your aunt Bella, I’ve got no family to speak of.”

“Yes you have,”
said Bella. “If you were Aunt Bella’s,” she paused, “intended, that makes you
my aunty too. I think. Goodness, it’s complicated isn’t it?”

The two women
looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Bella wanted to
look her best for Amelia Peterson’s engagement party. She told herself it was
because she was making her debut in Milton society, and that it had nothing to
do with the fact Vance would be there.

“What do the
women wear to parties around here, May?” she asked. They were in her bedroom,
and Bella was once again throwing dresses all over the floor. This time it was
in frustration at finding nothing she felt was suitable. She had pretty
dresses, but each time she held one up against her in front of the mirror, she
ended up imagining how Vance might see her, and was left feeling inadequate.

“You’re asking
me that?” May raised an eyebrow and gestured to her faded shirt and leather
chaps.

“What have you
seen them wearing?”

“Your aunt
bought a really pretty dress just before she died. She was going to wear it to
the cattleman’s ball, but then she got sick. It’s a pretty little garment.
White lace, with ruffle type things here…” May pointed to her shoulders, then
shrugged. “You’ll find it in her wardrobe.”

Bella searched
and found the dress May described right at the back, still wrapped in tissue
paper. “We’ll have to take it up a little,” she said. Her aunt had been a
little bit taller than her. That didn’t matter on the day dresses, which were
cut to midi-length so as not to get in the way of work, but the ball gown hung
past Bella’s feet. “And I think the ruffles can go.” To Bella, it seemed they
made the dress more suitable for an older woman, but for her it felt too fussy.
By the time they had finished several hours later, the excess ruffles had been
removed, leaving the dress with a clean-cut sweetheart neckline and a wide blue
sash around the waist.

They were eating
a dinner of steak and fried potatoes when Andrew arrived back from Milton.

“Bella, I’ve
found a way to get out of this place,” he said, sitting down at the table.
“Arthur Griffiths has offered us a fair price for the vineyard. We can go back
to England, pay off my debts and have enough to live on.”

“We’re not
selling the vineyard, Andrew,” said Bella, putting down her knife and fork.

“Bella, dearest,
at least think about it.”

“How much money
do you owe?” she asked. Andrew looked at her and May sheepishly.

“Not much. I can
soon pay it off. With your help.”

“I don’t have
any money. You took it all, remember.”

“Do we have to
discuss this in front of the hired help?” asked Andrew, his voice rising to its
familiar petulant tone.

“May isn’t the
hired help. She’s family.”

“There are some
things you don’t know about her,” he said, glowering at May. May stared him
down, until he was forced to shift his gaze to the tablecloth.

“I know
everything there is to know,” said Bella firmly. “I know she’s generous enough
to keep us in food for a while.”

“Which is
exactly what I’m talking about. If we sell the vineyard you can pay her back
what you owe her, and then we can…”

“Andrew, I’m not
going. Not now. May and I have a plan to make the vineyard work. We won’t be
rich, but we’ll be able to make a decent living. Of course, we’ll need your
help.”

“Me? You want me
to work in the vineyard?” Andrew snorted.

“We have some
Chinese workers starting work tomorrow but, yes, we’ll need help.” Bella knew
it was futile to even ask, but she wanted to give Andrew a chance to show his
mettle.

“I’m a
gentleman,” said Andrew. “Just as my father was a gentleman. You don’t honestly
expect me to get my hands dirty?”

“We’ve got to
earn a living, Andrew. May and I can only do so much.”

Andrew stood up.
“You do what you want, but I’m not going to help you in this ridiculous
undertaking.”

“Where are you
going?” asked Bella.

“Back to Milton.
I’m going to take a room there.”

“You don’t have
any money.”

“I’ll do what
I’ve been having to do all week. I’ll borrow some until I win it by my own
skill at cards. At least I’m not relying on charity.”

Bella winced.
Andrew left, slamming the front door behind him. “Oh, May,” she said, pushing
away her plate and putting her head in her hands. “What am I to do with him?”

“You’re to let
him learn that in this country people don’t get what they want just through birth
right or winning it in a game of chance. They have to work for it.”

“I’d love him to
be able to live the life of a gentleman,” said Bella, “but it just isn’t
realistic. Not anymore.”

“Nope. I don’t
like Griffiths very much, but the man hasn’t been afraid to get his hands
dirty.”

“Except when it
comes to killing marshals,” said Bella, shivering.