Chapter One
“I see although you missed Nick’s funeral service, a hint that there might be
money in his will got you here now.”
Lucy flinched at the scorn contained in the words hissed into her ear as
she entered the hotel lounge where her godfather’s funeral tea was drawing to
a close. She turned her head to see who could be addressing her with such
controlled but undisguised anger. A pair of masculine ice blue eyes stared into
hers.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Thankfully the calmness of her voice didn’t betray her alarm at being addressed so aggressively by a complete stranger. Albeit a tall good-looking stranger with a soft American accent. His chiselled face radiated dislike. His lips curved slightly upwards at her response, but not in a welcoming fashion.
“My apologies, you are Lucy Morgan, Nick’s goddaughter, aren’t you?”
She nodded her head stiffly in reply. Something about him seemed familiar but she couldn’t place where she might have met him before. A fleeting thought surfaced at the back of her mind that if their meeting had been under other circumstances she might even have considered him attractive.
“Dominic LeFevre.”
Angry heat swiftly replaced the cold fear which had coursed through her veins when he’d first accosted her.
“Uncle Nick mentioned you. You’re the wine man.” She returned his stare.
When her godfather had first told her about his retirement foray into the world of winemaking he’d talked about Dominic, his knowledge, his genius and how fortunate he’d been to secure him as his business partner. She might even have seen a very old picture of him together with Nick when they had first entered into partnership, Maybe that was why he appeared familiar. What Nick hadn’t told her was how unpleasant he was.
“Lucy, my dear, and Dominic.” A small elderly man in a regulation black morning suit coughed politely as he addressed them both.
“Mr Fullwood,” Lucy smiled warmly, pleased to see her uncle’s solicitor.
“I’m so sorry I missed the service, my flight was delayed.” She resisted the temptation to peek at Dominic to see his expression. Insufferable jerk, it would serve him right for jumping to insane conclusions about her.
“Perhaps in a short while we can convene to one of the side rooms where I can speak with you both once the other guests have gone?”
“Of course, I need to find Aunt Maggie and see a few of Uncle Nick’s friends before they go.” Lucy’s throat thickened as she glanced around the room. She knew many of the people there, yet it had been such a long time since she’d last been home. They all seemed suddenly to have aged overnight. She should have come back sooner, but Uncle Nick had given her no indications that he had been as ill as he was. Somehow, he’d always been so full of life; she’d thought he’d be around forever. Now it was too late. She was too late and she hadn’t even had chance to say a proper goodbye.
She turned away quickly before either Mr Fullwood, or the hateful Dominic LeFevre could see the tears in her eyes.
“Lucy, I didn’t think you were going to make it.” Maggie, her late uncle’s sister swept her into a hug.
“My flight was delayed and then I couldn’t get a cab.” Tears spilled involuntarily down Lucy’s cheeks. She’d spent a restless night pacing the floor of the departure lounge waiting for her plane to be called. Then, her luggage was last to appear on the carousel by which time all the cabs had gone from the rank. She’d arrived too late for the actual funeral service. Instead she’d dashed into the hotel where the funeral tea was being held without having a chance to tidy herself up. She’d even had to leave her small case behind the check-in desk in the lobby.
“Oh, my dear, come and get some coffee and have a sandwich.” Her kindly Aunt Maggie led her towards the buffet table chatting away to her as they walked.
“I should have been here for you.” Guilt mixed with grief as she walked with her aunt.
“You’re here now and that’s all that matters.”
Lucy wanted to ask if her aunt if she knew much about Dominic but before she could frame a question she was surrounded by people who remembered her from when she’d been small. By the time she’d swapped memories, cried, laughed and condoled with her fellow mourners the crowd had thinned. Yet all the time she’d been moving around the room she’d been conscious of Dominic LeFevre’s icy gaze boring into her between her shoulder blades.
“Everyone is leaving now dear, Mr Fullwood asked if you’d go and meet him in the ante room off the lobby. I think he has some legal things to sort out with you and Dominic.” Her aunt touched her arm to attract her attention. “Remember you’re coming back home to me after, no nonsense about staying here in the hotel.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you later; I’ll come back after I’ve seen Mr Fullwood.”
Lucy sucked in a long, deep breath before making her way to the ante room. She was grateful for her aunt’s invitation to stay at her late uncle’s house. It had been her childhood home, a refuge from the horror of boarding school and her absentee parents. At the same time she dreaded thinking about going back there knowing Nick would never walk through the door again to make her laugh at one of his awful puns.
Mr Fullwood and Dominic were seated on dark brown leather armchairs in the bay window of the small room. Both men stood as she entered and waited for her to take a seat. Lucy folded her hands in her lap and tried to compose herself even though her heart rate had speeded and her palms were clammy with sweat.
“Thank you both for remaining behind. I realise this is a trifle unconventional, but Nick was not a conventional man.” Mr Fullwood gave a small smile.
Lucy smiled in response. That was certainly true, Nick Bell had spent most of his life flouting convention. He’d built his fortune that way, taking gambles on things other people wouldn’t have considered.
“In accordance with Nick’s instructions his estate has been divided between the various causes he supported.”
“And Aunt Maggie? He always said he’d look after Maggie.” Lucy interrupted.
“Yes of course, Maggie has inherited your uncle’s home and a generous annuity.”
Lucy relaxed a little in her seat. Maggie had looked after her Uncle Nick for over twenty years. He’d always promised that his spinster sister would have a home for life.
“The reason I thought it better to speak to you both together concerns Nick’s business interests - namely his fifty per cent share of Oakdale Vineyard.”
Lucy felt, rather than saw Dominic stiffen.
“Mr LeFevre, I understand that you own the other fifty per cent of the business?” Mr Fullwood continued.
She ventured a peek at Dominic. It was impossible to read his expression. She twisted her hands in her lap and wondered where this was leading. Her uncle had always joked that he’d leave her a drop of wine in his will. She hoped that this talk about the shares wasn’t leading to anything more than that.
“Lucy, Nick has left you a few personal items of furniture and art which he particularly wanted you to receive. Maggie has those at the house.”
She nodded her head, relief stealing over her.
“Nick also wanted you to have his half share of the vineyard.” Mr Fullwood proceeded to name a valuation sum for her inheritance which took her breath away.
“Of course, Miss Morgan, I will be more than happy to buy you out, at full market price for your shares of course.” Dominic leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Lucy’s face.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible for at least twelve months.” Mr Fullwood gave a dry, apologetic cough. “Nick stipulated that in order for Lucy to receive her bequest that she is to work in the business for twelve months and is not able to dispose of her shares until after that time.”
Lucy stared at the solicitor. “Work in the business? What? I don’t know anything about wine except how to drink it.”
The firm set of Dominic’s mouth indicated that he wasn’t thrilled by the announcement either. “And what if she fails to comply and doesn’t stick out twelve months working at the vineyard?”
“Then the shares would immediately be placed for sale on the open market and the proceeds from the sale given to charity.” Mr Fullwood gave another of his polite coughs. He continued to explain the fine print whilst Lucy sat, dazed trying to take it all in. Dominic stayed silent but she sensed he was busy memorising the details.
“There is a lot to think about and no doubt you will both wish to discuss the bequest. I will of course confirm everything in writing and I am quite happy to see either of you at anytime if you have further questions about the bequest.” He offered his hand to Dominic before stooping to kiss Lucy goodbye. “I take it you’ll be staying with your Aunt Maggie for a while? I’ll direct your correspondence there.”
After the elderly solicitor had gone Lucy sat for a moment in stunned silence.
“I think we need to talk,” Dominic said.
“Um, yes I suppose we do.” Lucy scrambled to her feet, her legs shaking. She collected her handbag from the side of her seat.
He got to his feet. “Can I give you a lift to Nick’s?”
Lucy tilted her chin upwards to meet his gaze. “You aren’t afraid I might only accept a ride from you because of the money?”
A dull flush lit his cheeks at her tart response. “I’m sorry, I owe you an apology. I was extremely rude to you when we first met. Nick was my friend as well as my partner and my emotions were running a little high.”
She was tempted to snap ‘you think?’ but instead she resisted.
“Funerals have a way of doing that. I would have given anything to have been at the service.”
“Did you come straight here from the airport?” He led the way back into the lobby.
“Yes, my flight was delayed and then I missed the train connection, there were no cabs and it was awful.” She tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat when she thought about her day, Nick, and now this strange bequest.
“Mr Fullwood didn’t say where you were flying in from?”
They halted next to the reception desk.
“I was in Tenerife.” She collected her suitcase and thanked the receptionist.
“My car is parked over there.” Dominic intercepted her case before she
could protest and indicated the large car park outside the front of the hotel.
“What were you doing in Tenerife?”
They stepped outside into the soft dull grey wetness of a late spring evening. Lucy pulled her black jacket around her more closely and kept her head down against the drizzle as they walked to the car.
Dominic opened the passenger door of a large black 4X4 which bore the green and gold logo ‘Oakdale Vineyard’. She scrambled inside while he stowed her case in the boot.
She waited for him to take his place in the passenger seat before she answered his question. “I work for a travel company. I’m a children’s rep.
That’s why it was so hard to get away and to get a seat on a flight. The schools are off this week so it’s a busy time.”
He started the ignition as she fastened her seatbelt.
“Nick didn’t say where you lived. I knew it was some distance away but I had assumed you were in the UK.”
Lucy stared out of the passenger window at the dreary wetness. Her heart ached as she remembered her godfather. For the last two years he had emailed her almost daily, sending jokes, information on causes that he thought she would be interested in and snippets of conversation about his daily life. They had talked on Skype once a week on her day off, where he’d brushed aside her worries about his health with his usual humour.
“I wish I’d had the chance to say goodbye.” Overwhelmed by her emotions, she tugged a tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes.
At least if she’d been in time for the funeral she would have had some sense of closure. Instead she was trapped in this ghastly mockery of reality where she still felt as if Nick would appear again at any moment to crack a joke or give her a hug.
Dominic didn’t reply, instead he put on the car indicator and took the next turn.
“Where are we going? She realised he’d turned off from the road that led to Nick’s house.
“I’m giving you chance to say goodbye.” He pulled into an empty parking space outside the crematorium, before jumping out and crossing around the back of the car to open her door.
Lucy hooked her handbag onto her shoulder and accepted his hand to help her down. His touch was curiously reassuring, helping her to gather her skittering nerves.
“We can go round to the memorial garden, all the flowers are there.”
He tucked her hand through the crook of his arm so that as they walked towards the small redbrick building she could lean on him for support.
The memorial gardens stretched all around the building, green and peaceful despite the drizzle. Flowerbeds crammed with roses of varying colours perfumed the damp air with their heady scent. Dominic led the way around the back of the building to a small enclosed courtyard. A grey stone fountain played in a centre pool and all around the perimeter were the floral tributes from different funerals.
Lucy was glad of his support as they made their way to the area set aside for Nick’s tributes.
“He asked for money to go towards the causes he supported but Nick had a lot of friends who wanted to leave flowers too,” Dominic said quietly.
Her vision blurred as she read the cards, each of them paying tribute to the man who had provided her with the one piece of certainty in her chaotic childhood.
“Thank you for bringing me. I wish I could have been here for Aunt Maggie. This must have been so hard for her.” She dropped his arm to find more tissues from her bag so she could blow her nose.
“We’d better go, it’s getting wetter out here.”
“Goodbye Uncle Nick,” she murmured, taking a last look at the flowers.
Dominic appeared to sense her need for silence when they returned to the car, and to her relief he made no further attempts to engage her in conversation until they had pulled into the sweeping drive of Nick’s former home.
“We need to meet to talk about Nick’s bequest.” Dominic climbed out of the car once more and collected her case from the boot. “Have you ever visited the vineyard?”
Lucy’s pulse quickened once more as he helped her from the car and passed over her case. When he wasn’t being angry he was strikingly handsome. “No, I haven’t been home for over two years. I’ve seen e-mail pictures of course.”
He walked with her the couple of paces to the front door. “If you’re free tomorrow I could pick you up and give you a tour. We could talk over lunch?”
“That would be nice.” She heard her aunt’s footsteps hurrying along the polished parquet floor of the hall to let her in. “Would you like to stay for coffee? I’m sure Maggie will have the kettle on.”
He glanced at the large steel watch on his wrist. “I’m afraid I can’t. Besides, I’m sure you must be pretty exhausted by now after all the travelling. I’ll see you in the morning about eleven.”
He strode away, waving a hand in farewell as her aunt opened the door.
“Oh, is Dom not coming in?” Maggie asked.
“No, he said he had to get back.” Lucy couldn’t help feeling oddly disappointed by his quick getaway.
“Humph, well he isn’t much of a one for socialising. Nick always used to nag him about being too wrapped up in work. Come on in, you must be shattered.” Maggie helped her to get her case into the hall.
Maybe it wasn’t the thought of spending more time in her company then after all that had made Dominic leave so rapidly, Lucy thought as she followed her aunt along the hall and into the kitchen.
“I’ll pop the kettle on, I bet you’re dying for a proper cup of tea. You always said how you missed your tea when you were away.” Maggi
e bustled around clattering mugs, spoons and other bits of kitchen equipment as she busied herself with making Lucy’s drink.
The house hadn’t changed much since her last visit. The kitchen still smelt of fresh baked bread and percolated coffee. The curtains were still a cheery blue and white checked gingham and Maggie herself, although a little older, still wore her favourite rose pink cardigan. Lucy took a seat at one of the pine kitchen chairs and slipped off her jacket.
“There you go, love.” Maggie placed a mug of tea and a plate of custard creams on the table before taking her seat in the chair opposite Lucy’s.
“Thanks Maggie, you were right, I do need this.” She picked up her mug and cradled it between her hands allowing the heat from the china to warm her skin.
“Did everything go all right with Mr Fullwood? He explained about the house and everything?” Her aunt’s eyes darkened with anxiety.
“Yes, and I’m thrilled that Uncle Nick left you the house. It’s been your home for such a long time.” Lucy gave the older woman’s hand a reassuring pat. “Uncle Nick left me his share of the vineyard.” She took another sip of her tea.
Maggie helped herself to one of the custard creams and frowned. “That must have come as a surprise.”
“Of course, being Uncle Nick there are strings attached.” Lucy wondered if Maggie had known what was in the will. Nick had confided in his elderly sister about almost everything.
“Ah,” Her aunt blew out a breath.
“What was he thinking? I don’t know anything about growing grapes or producing wine. I’m sure Dominic isn’t happy about it.”
“Oh love, you know your Uncle Nick. He worried about you taking those jobs with the holiday companies and he said lately you’d seemed rather unsettled.”
Lucy nibbled at the edge of a custard cream. She thought she’d done a good job of sounding bright and breezy in her emails and during the Skyped conversations with her godfather. She clearly hadn’t done such a great job after all.
Maggie surveyed her shrewdly over the brim of her mug. “He thought maybe a year back home, here, might help you to decide what you really wanted to do. When he knew that he wasn’t going to get better he changed his will. I told him he should talk to you first but you know what he was like.
You do know you can come back and live here, don’t you pet? This is your home too you know.”
Surrounded by the cosy comfort of Maggie’s kitchen, Lucy allowed herself to dream of coming back. Of leaving Tenerife which held both good and bad memories for her, and swapping her tiny apartment share for her old room here in this house.
“That’s really kind of you, Maggie.” To Lucy’s dismay her voice wobbled as she tried to answer her aunt and two large tears plopped onto the scrubbed pine surface of the table.
“Oh love, there now.” Maggie grabbed a box of tissues from the countertop and passed them across to her.
“I’m sorry.” Lucy grabbed a handful of tissues and scrubbed at her eyes and nose uncaring about the black streaks of mascara that appeared on the soft paper.
“What is there to be sorry about? I’d love to have you back here, you know that. I know you have your job and everything but I got the impression that you aren’t as happy out there as you’ve been making out.” Maggie gently rubbed Lucy’s arm, the way she’d always used to when Lucy had been younger and had come home from school upset about something.
“What would I do though at the vineyard?” She didn’t add ‘and what about working with Dominic’, although it was at the forefront of her thoughts.
“Dominic would soon show you the ropes so you could learn how the business runs. He can seem a bit cold when you first meet him but when you get to know him he’s got a good heart. Nick has lots of books in the study which would help you, I’m sure you’d pick it up without too much trouble.”
“I’ve signed a contract, I’ve got obligations, I can’t simply drop everything and move back here,” Lucy sniffed. It was a mad idea, even if her inheritance was worth so much money. How could she possibly manage everything?
“Do you really want to go back to Tenerife?” Maggie asked.
Loneliness swept through Lucy like a physical ache as she considered returning to the island. It had been such fun when she’d first arrived there. Blue skies, a job she liked and above all there had been Christopher. What a fool she’d been where he was concerned. There wasn’t anything on Tenerife now to really draw her back, except a sense of obligation.
Maggie sighed, “Forget I asked that. You’ve just come home and with the funeral and all the travelling now isn’t the time to be making any kind of decision.”
“I am glad to be back, Aunt Mags. I only wish that it wasn’t for such a horrible reason.”
“I know love.” Her aunt drained her tea and stood, steadying herself with the edge of the table before carrying her empty mug to the sink.
Lucy realised she had been wrong earlier, Maggie had aged. Perhaps it was time she finally came home to take up her unexpected inheritance and to stay with her elderly aunt.
* * *
Dominic headed back to his small cottage on the edge of the vineyard properties. Mr Fullwood’s revelations about the contents of Nick’s will still hadn’t quite sunk in. What had Nick been thinking, to leave his shares to Lucy? The girl had no idea of what was involved in running a business, any kind of business. She was a nursery nurse.
When he’d impulsively made the offer to buy her out he’d known he wouldn’t be able to raise so much capital in such a short time frame. If Lucy decided she couldn’t make it through the twelve months and the shares went onto the open market there were plenty of buyers out there who’d be anxious to snap them up. He and Nick had received offers before, usually from larger conglomerates eager to incorporate Oakdale into their businesses.
The only thing he could do was to persuade Lucy to stay for twelve months working for the vineyard. Somehow he had to find jobs she could do which would keep her happy but not so happy that she wouldn’t be relieved to give him first option to buy her out at the end of the year. It also meant he had twelve months to raise as much capital as possible.
Lamplight shone from one of the cottage windows as he pulled up outside. It looked as though Bob, one of the vineyard workers had remembered to stop by. He slipped his key in the lock and heard the familiar patter of Mutley’s paws on the red quarry tiles of the boot room floor as his dog came to greet him. He grabbed the huge dog’s collar to prevent him from planting his huge paws on his one good jacket.
“Hey, down boy. Did you miss me?” He scratched the dog’s head, fussing him until the animal contentedly settled and followed at his heels as he entered the kitchen.
Dominic slipped off his coat, draped it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs and dropped his keys onto the counter top. He opened the fridge and pulled out a small bottle of lager. Popping the stopper he took a long pull of the cold drink. Tomorrow he had to take Lucy on a tour of the vineyard and convince her she wanted to stay. Not an easy task when they hadn’t exactly got off to the best of starts. To make matters worse there was something about her that unsettled him.
He wasn’t sure if it was the sadness in her dark blue eyes or the frisson of electricity that he’d felt when he’d tucked her arm in his at the cemetery. Either way it wasn’t good. He didn’t have time for relationships, especially ones which mixed business with pleasure. That was a lesson he’d learned the hard way and the reason he’d left his home in California behind to take up a partnership in the UK, in Oakdale. A fleeting memory of Sasha, smiling like a contented cat the last time he’d seen her flashed through his mind.
“Damn you, Nick.” He took another swig of lager. Perhaps by tomorrowhe would be able to come up with a plan.
© Nell Dixon 2012
‘A gentle read that has some fabulous descriptions of the countryside in Somerset. The chemistry between Dominic and Lucy is very passionate.’ DizzyC’s Littlebookblog
‘
Passionate Harvest is a fabulous contemporary romance with an unusual, atmospheric setting. It has Nell Dixon's trademark warmth, humour and smooth prose, as well as a very steamy interlude in deserted field If you haven't yet sampled Nell Dixon's writing, this is an excellent place to start.’ Amazon reviewer
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