Page 1 of A Vineyard for Two
ONE
The highway stretched, and every so often a truck zoomed past, heading in the opposite direction, taking much more of the narrow road than it should. From time to time, a reckless driver tried to overtake, but even with no oncoming vehicles, there was the risk of a kangaroo, wallaby or even a deer running across the road. Harper would have preferred to take the route during the day, but the week’s events had not unfolded as she’d planned. If she had it her way, she wouldn’t be driving down the New England Highway in the first place. She vowed long ago that she wasn’t going to come back. Not unless she had to; not unless someone died. Had she not gotten the call from her brother, who insisted she make the journey, she would have found an excuse not to come. He told her there were things that needed discussing, family matters that couldn’t be talked about on the phone or via a Zoom meeting, and he emphasised that Aunt Georgia was not going to accept ‘no’ for an answer, not this time. He told her to leave her fancy suits behind. As if she had too many of those these days. Sure, when she’d first left, she had a wardrobe full, and places to wear them too. The past few months she’d gone out less and less, instead opting to commit herself to work. But that was another life. One that she’d moved on from too. Neither her aunt or brother could have known that, nor could have any other member of her family. She hadn’t spoken to some of them in almost two years, hadn’t seen them in at least five, or maybe it was six. It didn’t really matter, anyway; it was a long time ago. The call had come at a convenient time, though. She was planning to disappear for a few days, so agreeing to drive out to the country became all the easier. Now, as she stared in the rear-view mirror, the occasional headlights from behind put her on edge. Ever since leaving the city, she’d paid attention to trailing cars, but so far, her suspicions had been unwarranted. While she hadn’t informed anyone of her plans, she preferred to remain vigilant.
The town lights glowed in the distance. She passed the exit into Stanthorpe and kept heading south. She doubted there’d be a place to stay tonight. She should have booked in advance, or at least called in to forewarn them. But she didn’t want to be a burden, and she didn’t want anyone waiting up for her. That would mean talking, questions, reminiscing of sorts. She didn’t want any of that either. What could be so important that they couldn’t do it over Zoom or WhatsApp like normal people?
Harper glanced at her phone. Only one bar of reception thanks to her choice of phone providers. Technically, she was still working, and she needed to stay connected. This was going to be a nightmare, or potentially an excuse to keep her stay to a minimum. These days she only needed an internet connection and the bulk of her investigation had already been conducted. Now it was just about putting together a report and submitting it. With any other given financial crime detection, it would have been a simple type up a report and save, but there was nothing simple with her current position and she’d discovered anomalies in several real estate accounts that led to further investigation and would end up being forwarded to the police, which is just another reason she’d agreed to return to her hometown. A few days away from the city would give her some clarity and put her out of harm’s way should the fall out get nasty.
Passing the strawberry farm, Harper felt a nervousness in her belly. A few more kilometres and she spotted the sign to turn off for Glen Aplin. Indicating, she pressed on the brake and the car slowed. After letting another late-night driver pass, she turned onto the narrow road. The family vineyard sat a few kilometres further and stretched far and wide. She noticed the vines first, standing tall and bare. It would be another few months before the first leaves showed; sap appeared, and the buds burst, which required all sorts of nurturing and protecting during the season to give the grapes the best chance. They’d remain dormant over the winter, but the work still had to be done, pruning and removing the previous year’s remnants to prepare for a new one. It was like a lottery. There were so many factors at play. A frosty night or a stray deer could eat half the year’s crop in a single night, resulting in severe losses. Vineyards had gone bust for those reasons more than once. She had preferred more stable investments, ones she had more control over, anyway. Running a vineyard may have been in her blood, but it wasn’t for her. It was just another thing she and her family couldn’t agree on.
A dim light shone from the driveway. She slowed the car again and brought it to a stop on the side of the road, then switched off the headlights. The family home was a hundred metres down the driveway, obscured by tall cypresses. It was just past midnight and unlikely for anyone in the house to be awake, not when they had to be up at the crack of dawn.
Harper turned the engine off and sat in the darkness. She locked the car, reclined the seat back, then closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted back to six years ago when she’d decided that leaving was the only option. Her brother’s words burned in her skull.
‘You’re going to turn your back on your family? Just leave it all behind?’
‘I’m not going to stay where I’m not wanted,’ Harper said as she stuffed the bare minimum of clothes into an old suitcase. It would be enough to get her through the first few weeks.
‘Not wanted? Get out of your own head, Harper. This is your home; you owe it to them.’
Owe. She seemed to owe a little of something to everyone. More reason to leave, more reason to not come back.
‘This is for the best, for everyone.’
Harper's eyes shot opened. She must have dozed off, and it took a moment for her to register where she was. There was a knocking on the window. She turned to see her older brother standing by her car door, about to knock again.
Bugger. He must have seen the lights when she pulled up. Inclining the seat, she then rolled her window down.
‘You’re not even going to get out of the car?’ he said.
‘I didn’t want to wake anyone.’
‘Pull into the driveway. There are a few empty spots next to the garage. You don’t want to be here when a car speeds past and clips you.’
‘I don’t want to be a bother.’
‘You’ll be more of a bother if the local police get called and see you sleeping on the side of the road.’
‘Is that illegal here, too?’
He shook his head. ‘Don’t be an idiot, Harper.’ He turned and started making his way back to the house on foot. She should have offered him a lift back to the house, but he probably wouldn’t have taken it. She took a few deep breaths before starting the engine and switching on her headlights. He didn’t turn around, just kept walking ahead. She followed in the car, trailing behind him.
Harper parked where he’d suggested. She paused, second-guessing whether she should get out of the car. She was here now, and he was standing by the steps waiting for her. There was a chill in the air, she could see it, and he wasn’t wearing anything more than a sweater. She didn’t want to be blamed for him catching a cold. Sighing, she turned off the engine, opened the door, got out, and grabbed her overnight bag from the boot. She wasn’t staying long, so she had only grabbed a spare change of clothes. If everything went according to plan, she’d be on her way back to the city within forty-eight hours.
Inside the house, Harper’s gaze shifted from wall to wall, doorway to doorway. Her brother had left a dim light coming from the kitchen, but she could see that mostly nothing had changed in six years. The same family pictures sat on the mantlepiece in the living area. The dining table stood centre as if in one of those regal homes, covered by a perfectly fitted tablecloth, and a candelabra in the centre.
‘Tea?’ her brother said, but didn’t wait for an answer as he filled up the kettle and switched it on.
‘It’s late.’
‘We’re up, anyway.’
‘What about Sara?’
‘What about her?’
There was a resignation in his tone.
‘We don’t want to wake her.’