Page 74 of A Vineyard for Two
It was a fifteen-minute drive from the family estate to Mathers Vineyard. It was possible that she could have driven here, parked the car and not noticed anything. No, that was preposterous. Wasn’t it?
‘Did you notice anyone around when you left?’ Constable Graves looked to Brookes.
‘No. If I had, I sure as hell wouldn’t have left Harper here on her own.’
‘I’m not sure if there’s much we can do at the moment. Your car probably won’t be drivable for a while. Keep a lookout and if you see anything suspicious, give us a call right away,’ Constable Graves said. ‘And Brookes, try not to take the law into your own hands.’
‘I can’t make any promises.’
THIRTY-FOUR
Harper shivered, partially from the cold and a bit from fear. Someone was targeting her specifically, but who and why, she couldn’t fathom. She went back inside while Brookes remained outside finishing up with the Constable and Sergeant. He seemed friendly with one of them and she wondered what the Constable had meant about Brookes not taking the law into his own hands.
In the kitchen, she took out two wine glasses and found a lone unopened bottle on a small wine rack in the kitchen which she hadn’t noticed before. Opening it, she poured two glasses, then sat the bottle down beside them. Leaning against the counter, she took one glass, swirled the wine around, sniffed, then took a sip. The first one always took a little longer to savour the taste and discover the hidden tannins. It gave her something else to focus on and calm her mind.
‘Your hands are shaking.’ he said reaching for her glass and putting it down on the counter before taking her hands in his and pulling her towards him. She let him hold her for a moment and in his arms the tension released, and she was no longer afraid. That feeling of safety was too comforting, and she pulled away.
‘Do you want me to take you home? We can get a tow truck in the morning.’
She shook her head as she picked up her wine.
‘I’ll make sure one of the rooms upstairs has spare sheets.’
She smiled. He was being polite, a gentleman. But with each passing moment, all she wanted to do was to lead him into the bedroom and rip his clothes off. Instead, she took another sip of wine. ‘I can do it myself.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘You’ve said that quite a few times of late.’
‘I’m not afraid of being honest with you.’
Maybe some things do change. Six years ago, he wasn’t always honest, but neither had she.
‘Don’t tell Georgia about this. I don’t want to worry her.’
‘Believe me, it’s not me you have to worry about. Word will get around and by the time she’s having her morning cup of tea, she’ll know what’s going on. Constable Graves likes to talk with his wife, and his wife likes to talk to everyone.’
‘Fantastic.’
‘You know how it is. Everyone knows your business before you do around here.’
She laughed. She loved and hated that about the place. Secrets did not stay secrets for long. ‘Do you think whoever it was will come back?’ The idea that someone was going to such lengths to scare her was worrisome. What had they intended for tonight? What would have happened if Brookes hadn’t shown up when he did? Playing the what if game wasn’t going to help her, it only increased her anxiety. Maybe she should have left immediately, maybe she shouldn’t have come at all.
‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘I don’t know.’
‘I’m scared.’
‘I wish there was something more I could do.’
‘Coming back here was a bad idea. I should have stayed in the city.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Brookes said, stepping away and looking her straight in the eye.
‘Nothing.’
‘What aren’t you saying? Has this happened before?’
Putting the wineglass to her lips, she recalled as time passed. Years ago, when she was still living here. Still calling the estate home and planning a future with Brookes. She still remembered like it was yesterday. At first, the hints had been subtle that she hadn’t noticed. After a time, the threats became more prominent. Thinking back, she should have told the police, but she packed her bags and left.