The Quilt (26 page)

“So, young man let’s see how much you have listened.  What are you drinking?”

Paul
hesitated.

“A m
erlot.”

Sid smiled and nodded.

They finished their meal a
nd without asking Sid drove back to the vineyard.  He took out a pile of papers and passed them over to Paul.

“I have put together a lot of information and I think it would be nice if you were left alone to have a good look through it.  Make yourself at home.  I am s
ure you have had enough of us.  Here is a copy of both titles.  They are for sale together or separately, we don’t mind either way.  There are also projections.  They are on the conservative side but the figures are based on the revenue generated by similar restaurants and cafés in the area.  I have factored in the cost to furnish and complete the buildings up to the stage needed to operate.”

He wandered out and returned a few minutes later with a tray containing six small carafes of wine.  Each was numbered
, but there was no other information on the glass.

“Have a nice evening
, and as you have come a long way to see the vineyard, have a good look around.  I’ve written a description of each of these wines.”

He pointed to a piece of paper on the tray
.

“Let’s see if you have learnt enough to put the right
numbers next to the description!”

Paul glanced down at the paper
.

“But there are only five descriptions
.”

“So there are.  One of them you haven’t tasted before and
it isn’t described.  I can’t make things too easy now can I?”

After Sid and Mari had left there was enough daylight to walk down to the beach again.  Paul went in the opposite direction, this time stopping to watch some yachts that were racing, and taking time to talk to a young couple that were walking their dog.

By the time he got back t
he sun had started to set over the city.  It was casting a red glow across the water below.  Sea birds were returning to land and a warm breeze flowed through the house.  Automatic lights activated around the pool, illuminating the surface with a soft glow.  He changed into shorts and dived into the cool depths of the water.

Paul was grateful tha
t he was able to return to the vineyard for a second time.  He felt more able to be constructive, without first impressions clouding logical thoughts.  He had walked to the restaurant before going down to the beach and could now visualise the space as a functioning business, similar to the café they had visited earlier in the evening. 

He settled in
to the comfortable depths of the lounge suite, took out Sid’s notes and poured a small quantity of the first wine.

Mari and Sid arrived with a bag of warm croissants and homemade strawberry jam the next morning. 

“Did you sleep well?” 
Mari called out as she was preparing coffee.

“Yes
, it is very peaceful here.”

“It was the wine
.” 

Sid called from outside where he was turning on the pool pump.

“Let me have a look at what you made of those wines.”

He took the notes and went through them. 

“Very good and you are correct, it was number four that wasn’t described.  Did you like it?”

“Yes
, it was my favourite but please don’t ask me to critique it.”

“That young man was our Reserve from two years ago.  The very best we have produced to date.  Well worth putting down for a few years, it will
only become mellower and develop more depth over time.”

Mari and Sid dropped Paul off at the ferry terminal, although he would have been happy to walk the short distance.

“Here is the name and number of our solicitor and accountant.  I will phone them both and ask that any information you want is made available.  If you have
any problems with them hiding behind claims of confidentiality give me a call.”

Sid dropped his voice and
looked at Paul steadily.

“This is a huge decision
, Paul, and will require a large commitment financially and personally.  Take your time, telephone if I can answer any questions and if you are in doubt keep looking, there will be something else out there for you.”

S
id extended a hand and then spoke again.

“Did you say you ne
eded finance left in if you did decide to go ahead?”

“No
,” Paul replied.

“But
, I could do with your knowledge, expertise and guidance being left in.”

Sid
smiled and extended his hand.

“I am sure both Mari
and I would be happy to organize that for you, young man.  Time is something we have plenty of.”

Chapter
22

“
Sandy”

Unlike the mammogram and ultrasound, the core biopsy was painful.  They punched down hard into the lump leaving an angry purple bruise that remained visible for weeks.

With
the discomfort came fear. Sandy’s moods began to swing even more severely.  She could lash out, lapse into silence or sob uncontrollably without warning.

A forma
l letter arrived from the Wine Bar advising Sandy was in breach of the terms of her contract.  Joanne skimmed through the contents that outlined inappropriate conduct and threatened termination of her employment if there was another incident.

“Exactly how many d
ays are you not at work Sandy?”

Sandy’s face was impassive
.

“What the hell is it to you?”

“I realize you are anxious, but you cannot continue to treat people without respect.  You need support and you need to remain employed, generate an income and keep busy.  Have you explained what is going on?  Surely they would be more understanding if they knew.”

“It’s none of their bloody business
.”

There was a brief period of silence.  Joanne
eyed the door. 

“You have to try to remain positive.  The results
of the biopsy could be negative and at this rate you will unemployed.”

“Do you really believe that
, Joanne?”

For a moment Sandy hesitated and a series of emotions played over her face.

“You know something? I really don’t care if I am unemployed.  You seem to be managing quite well without a job and without anything to do.”

There was no point in responding.  Joanne walked to her room and picked up a book.

The following day Joanne exhausted her list of contact numbers for Sandy.
  Her mobile went unanswered, her friends had not seen or heard from her and Sandy had failed to turn up for her shift at the Wine Bar.

A courier delivered an
official letter advising Sandy that her employment had been terminated and that dismissal was effective immediately.

Sandy arrived back
at the villa late in the afternoon.  She offered no explanation or apology.   

“Why am I not seeing Dr Hansen?  He is my doctor!”

Sandy’s voice had risen
to the edge of hysteria. Waiting patients looked up uncomfortably from behind their magazines.  The starchy receptionist looked flustered.

“
Sandy, Dr Martin is one of our most respected specialists.  He only visits this clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays.   Patients often have to wait weeks to get an appointment with him.”

“
I really don’t care, my doctor is Dr Hansen, not Dr Martin!”

Before the conversation had the chance to escalate
, Joanne put her hand on Sandy’s elbow and steered her away from the unfortunate woman behind the desk.   A few minutes later she ushered the disruptive Sandy into the breast surgeon’s office. 

Doctor Martin was a middle-
aged, unmemorable type of man. He had a slightly disinterested manner and, while extremely competent, he had a reputation for being abrupt when consulting his patients.

He lifted his eyes from the file sitting on his desk and cleared his throat as they entered.

After a brief introduction and a courteous handshake
he addressed Sandy.

“The b
iopsy is suspicious for breast cancer.  There is a lymph node involved.”

He
cleared his throat again and looked from Sandy to Joanne before he went on.

“You are likely to need surgery and further treatment depending on the type of cancer cells found on histology
.”

He glanced at his notes and spoke again without expression.

“I have taken the liberty of organizing an MRI scan at the hospital.”

H
e reached over for a leaflet containing information about the procedure.

“Here is the referral.  The appointment details
are on the front of the form and you will find additional instructions on the reverse side.  Have you got any questions?”

Neither Joanne nor Sandy had spoken a word during the
five minute consultation. 

The enemy
now had a name.  It was called breast cancer. 

Chapter
23

“
Finding Direction”

Paul turned the bottle around in his hand, Marinella Estate, underneath, in italics was the translation “from the sea”. 

There had been so much to take in
that he had not remembered the name on the large elaborate sign that was displayed at the entrance of the vineyard.  He smiled.  It not only described the vineyards location perfectly, but also was Mari’s name in Italian.   By association that had to be a good.

He picked up the two bottles of
Reserve red wine Sid had given him, his digital camera and his laptop.

“G
irl, it is time to face the music.”

Jess
looked up and thumped her tail on the hard floor.

Jean was in the kitchen finishing the preparation for the roast meal she was cooking. 

Sean looked up from the paper he had been reading.

“How did it go?  Are those bottles from the vineyard?”

“Well
, and yes.  Is there a corkscrew in the kitchen?  I’ll open one and let it breathe before dinner.”

He went in
to the kitchen and rummaged in the drawer.

“Is this what you are looking
for?”  Jean handed him the corkscrew.

“What is the property like?”

“You would love it.  The views are beautiful and there are so many options that haven’t even been explored.  I’ve taken photos which I’ll put up on the laptop.”

The photo
s he had taken were clear and sharp on the large screen. 

Sean looked at each picture carefully asking questions as they went.

He studied the restaurant area and tasting room.  He was interested in the empty rooms and the reason they had been constructed. 

Sean and Jean listened as Paul outlined the his
tory of the vineyard and the plans the current owner felt he was no longer able to achieve. He told them about the island and the olive groves, the growth in the area and the untapped potential of the property. 

“I spoke to
John Rendell yesterday.  Obviously, he is not familiar with the area, but he does have contacts in the industry and has put in a few calls for me.”

Paul looked up at his father
.

“He rung me back last night an
d was quite positive about the island.  He managed to locate someone that actually lives over there.  He feels if you purchase carefully, your investment would be sound.  He thinks the asking price per acre is realistic but, of course, that would depend on the turnover, buildings and plantings.”

Sean scrolled back to a photo of the restaurant.

“The buildings certainly look well-constructed.”

Paul poured them a small glass of the velvet red wine.

“That is very good. Did the owner suggest how you would go about educating yourself; obviously there is a lot to learn.”

“
He recommended I enrol in a correspondence course to learn the theory, but to become good at the trade he said I would have to be involved in the actual process. Sid is happy to work with me while I learn.  They both would love the opportunity to have some input as the vineyard and restaurant are developed.” 

Sean nodded
and started to go through the paperwork.

“
He’s been very thorough.  He has included a recent valuation, copy of the planning approval for the restaurant so far, Certificate of Titles and list of plant and equipment.”

“The property
is vacant possession.  Sid and Mari don’t live on the vineyard.  They have a small house above the beach.  If we decided to go ahead they have given me the option to move on to the property before settlement.  Of course, I would not leave until Blake and Caroline have found a suitable manager to take over Twin Pines.”

Sean nodded and started to read the
business plan and projections Sid had included.

“This is interesting.  He has based his projections on actual income from similar establishments.  There certainly appears to be potential to
expand into the tourist industry.”

Paul nodded in agreement
.

“
The property is in two titles.  If we considered purchasing both it puts the budget a little over what we have discussed.  It doesn’t add to the financial viability of the vineyard so, perhaps, it should not be part of the negotiation?”

“
I will talk to the accountant about it tomorrow.  Personally, I think if the island was to increase in value as predicted, it would give you an option at a later date.   You should maximise your potential for capital gain.  Even from a tax point of view taking on something like this that is in need of development is a wise move.”
 

“We will ring our s
olicitor and accountant tomorrow.  If they both are in agreement and if this is really what you want, I suggest you make it happen.”

Blake Shaw picked up the telephone on its second ring.

“Hello
, Sean.  How are things going over there?”

They discussed the normal farm business, the price of meat and wool, the spring fert
iliser application and the weather forecast.

“I
am after a favour.  I was wondering if you would let me fell some of those big, old macrocarpa tree’s next to the old track?  The ones right on the through road, so there would be easy access in and out and no chance of causing damage when they come down.   I am more than happy to pay for them.”

“Go ahead
, Sean, take what you need.  Some of them are getting pretty big so it’s probably better to take them down now before they fall.”

“In the back of the Shearers Quarters there is a storage space.  Would you mind if I rented it for a few months
.”

Blake laughed
. “I really don’t know what you are up to, but if I can help, you only need to ask.”

“
That is much appreciated.  I’ll come over tomorrow and mark the tree’s I would like to take.   I need to get them felled and dried as soon the weather clears up.”

“
I will give you a call tomorrow night.  Oh, and Sean, you will owe me a dozen cold beers when you are passing.”

Sean laughed
.

“
Sean? I almost forgot.  The roading authorities wrote to me earlier this week.  They are realigning that stretch in front of the farm and consider the old redwood a hazard to passing traffic and in high winds.  Do you know the tree I am talking about?”

“Yes
, I know the one you are talking about.”

“
Is it of any use to you?  It would save me getting a crew in especially to fell one tree.”

“I
’m sure I can find a use for it.  I will ring the contractors tomorrow.”

Sean hung up. 

It should have been cut down years ago he thought.  It was the last string that tied the toxic Allan Clarke to the planet.