Sundown Crossing (23 page)

For the rest of the afternoon Angie and Carla debated the possibilities of what they could and couldn’t do. The bottom line was that they didn’t have sufficient funds, especially now that a large packing shed had reneged on taking the table grapes they’d grown from the coming harvest. They worked out two plans: the first was that Carla would go to the bank manager and renegotiate their loan. If that was refused, the back-up plan was to sell their uncultivated acres and hope that one of the vineyards that bordered that part of the property would buy them.

Tuesday evening, after dinner, a knock on Sundown Crossing’s front door startled Carla, Angie and Sam.

‘Are we expecting anyone?’ Angie asked, looking at Carla. ‘Paul?’

‘Not that I know of. Paul’s in Adelaide till Friday,’ Carla advised as she went to answer the door. Walt and Frances Conrad, looking embarrassed, stood on the doorstep. Carla’s blue eyes turned glacial. Since the news of the ruined shipment she had found it hard to think pleasant thoughts about the Conrads. Walt’s ‘organising’ could cost them the vineyard if the bank rejected the new loan application or if an adjoining vineyard chose not to buy those acres.

‘Sorry to call so late. We’ve just driven back from Victoria,’ Walt said in a rush. ‘I wanted to see you both, to explain…’

‘You did that on the phone, Walt. Angie and I understand the situation,’ Carla’s tone was laced with frost.

‘May we come in for a minute, Carla? Walt has, well, I think we might be able to help you with your financial problem.’

Carla looked at Angie, at how her blonde eyebrows rose questioningly. Personally, she doubted that anything the Conrads could do would help but what harm could there be in hearing them out? ‘Come in.’ She turned to her son. ‘Sam, it’s a school night. Time for bed.’

Sam, stretched out on the rug in the living area, bargained, ‘Aw, Mum, just another minute, please? The movie’s almost finished.’ He grinned with triumph as his mother, distracted by the Conrads’s arrival, acquiesced.

Walt was obviously good at reading body language so he knew better than to give Carla a hug and Angie a peck on the cheek. Instead, a guilty smile plastered itself across his face as he and Frances sat at the dining table and waited for Angie and Carla to join them.

‘I can’t tell you how bad Frances and I feel about what happened to the shipment,’ Walt began, his usual booming voice subdued. ‘I know you think badly of me because of that and I’d like to try to make things up to you.’

‘By paying us the full value of the shipment?’ Angie asked straight out, glancing meaningfully at Carla.

‘Well, no, that wasn’t my intention. Let’s face it, the wine’s gone and you’ll be financially out of pocket. Still, I have another proposal that, if acceptable will work in both our favours.’

‘And what might that be?’ a stony-faced Carla wanted to know.

‘Several years ago Frances inherited her mother’s house in Angaston. It’s an old place, not worth a fortune. For the time being it’s tenanted but if we sold it you could have enough of the proceeds to tide you over till the next vintage is ready to sell.’

Finding it hard to believe that he intended to
give
them the money, she asked, ‘You mean a personal loan?’ Was he completely stupid? Carla wondered. Didn’t he understand that they were running tight because they already had a loan that had to be repaid.

‘Not exactly a loan, Carla,’ Frances put her two cents worth in. ‘Walt and I, we see it more as an investment in Sundown Crossing. We would expect that our injection of funds would entitle us to a partnership in your vineyard. It’s what Walt needs, don’t you see? A vineyard that he can become involved in again but not have sole responsibility for.’

‘Angie and I talked about bringing in a partner—Paul van Leeson would be our first choice but we decided against it. And, while my name might
be on the title deed I already have a silent partner, Angie.’ Carla stared pointedly at both Conrads before continuing. ‘She’s invested capital in the vineyard and we have a fifty-fifty arrangement regarding profits.’

Walt’s features contorted into a displeased line. ‘My dear, do you have much choice in the matter?’ His gaze narrowing on her, he added, ‘Or have you completely lost faith in me and Frances because the shipment was lost?’

‘Walt, you’re being frank with me so I’ll return the favour. I’m not keen to have anyone else financially involved in my vineyard.’ She smiled at her partner. ‘Angie and I have a perfect arrangement, so bringing in a third party could upset that balance. While I appreciate the offer, I have to say no.’

‘How do you think you’re going to survive?’ Frances, clearly annoyed, asked. ‘You’ll be dead lucky if the bank gives you an extension. That Basil Coulthard’s a mean little so and so.’ She nodded knowingly at her husband. ‘We know that for a fact.’

Carla secretly agreed with Frances but wouldn’t admit it. ‘His is not the only bank in the Barossa.’

‘Maybe not,’ Walt conceded. ‘But are you aware that the Stenmarks have Coulthard in their pocket? Rumour has it that he passes on information regarding interesting loans to Luke Michaels,’ he said as he waggled a finger warningly. ‘Don’t think you’ll be able to keep
your financial problems a secret. Good news in the Valley travels fast, bad news travels faster. And old Carl’s been waiting for something like this to happen to you. I know how he acts, he’ll move in for the kill as soon as he finds out that you can’t pay your bills.’

‘We are aware of that, Walt, and the fact that you’ve helped to give Rhein Schloss the ammunition they need,’ Angie pointed out, without malice.

Abruptly, his chair scraping on the timber floor, Walt stood, his fair skin turning florid with irritation because Carla hadn’t accepted his suggestion with due gratitude. ‘I came here with the best of intentions when, legally, I owe Sundown Crossing nothing. Clearly, both of you are still too upset to consider the proposal logically. I understand that.’ He gestured for Frances to get up. ‘Just think about my offer—it’s genuinely meant to help—and let me know one way or another.’

Carla was about to tell him what he could do with his offer but before she did she glanced at Angie who shook her head. She understood the gesture. Why burn bridges before she had to for, in reality, his offer might be the only one they could get. ‘We’ll do that, Walt,’ she promised as she saw them to the door.

As soon as the Conrads had gone and Carla had got Sam off to bed, she and Angie sat on the sofa and talked.

‘What do you think?’ Carla asked.

‘Gut feeling?’ Angie queried with a grimace. ‘I’m not sure. They both come over as well-meaning but…it’s all wonderfully convenient for them, isn’t it. The shipment gets ruined. Suddenly they find funds to see us through, and Frances makes a coy remark about Walt wanting to be actively involved with a vineyard again.’ Her eyebrows wiggled up and down. ‘That’s something I don’t need. Another party having access to everything, telling me, us, how to run the vineyard. Rolfe gave me carte blanche with the winemaking process, as you have. I don’t relish someone else wanting to influence my choices.’

‘I didn’t buy that either,’ Carla agreed. She leant into the sofa and rested her head against its back. ‘Still, at this point we can’t afford to close the door completely on their offer.’

‘I know,’ Angie sighed. ‘And to quote Shakespeare in
Hamlet:
“there’s the rub”.’

Later, in bed, Carla tossed and turned, thumped her pillow, threshed under the covers until they twisted annoyingly around her body. Was she crazy, or was she guilty of trying to make an impossible dream possible? Should she do what a small voice inside her head was suggesting? Give in, sell up, go back to Christchurch. No one could say she hadn’t done her darnedest to make the vineyard viable. She and Angie had worked their guts out to make the dream a reality but…how long could she go on telling herself that everything would be all right
because, when they surmounted one hurdle, there was always another, and another…

How bad would it be to admit defeat?
Bloody hard,
she admitted. Not least of which was giving up on her father’s dream and being seen to give in to pressure from the Stenmarks. Well, not all the Stenmarks, just some of them. Thinking about her family turned her thoughts to Luke and Aunt Greta. If she went back to Christchurch she and Sam would lose contact with them. She could stay in South Australia but somewhere outside the Barossa, which would also mean she wouldn’t see Paul. As well, Sam would lose the friends he’d made at school and rugby and have to start over again.

Oh, things were a mess all right, thanks to Walt. She could cheerfully throttle him and his proposal. Pummelling the pillow again, she tried to will herself to fall asleep.

Basil Coulthard salivated with anticipation as he dialled Luke Michaels’s business line. What he had to tell Luke would surely earn him an extra case or two of Rhein Schloss’s delightful wines.

‘Luke, it’s Basil.’

Luke Michaels pulled a face on the other end of the line. He didn’t like the snivelling bank manager but in the past the man had proven his worth with timely information.

‘So, Basil, what’s happening?’

‘Carla Hunter’s been in. She wants to rewrite her loan. Says she needs more money and a
longer term to pay it back. Thought you might be interested.’

Like others in the Valley Luke had heard of Sundown Crossing’s misfortune. He’d been unsure of what he could do to help, knowing Carla’s independent streak. Now there might be a way.

‘She’s a good risk, Basil. I mean, the bank can’t lose, can it? If you give her what she wants and she reneges, you’ll simply repossess the vineyard then sell it off, won’t you?’

‘Th-that’s the bank’s normal procedure,’ Basil said, a little put off by Luke’s irritated tone. ‘S-so…you think I should…I mean, remembering what you said when she first took out the loan, I thought Rhein Schloss would prefer me not to…you know!’ There was silence on the other end of the line for maybe seven seconds or so and the longer it went on the more his prominent Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

‘You’re the bank manager so I wouldn’t presume to tell you what to do. But, theoretically, as you can’t lose, why not give Carla what she wants and make the terms easy for her.’ Luke cleared his throat before adding, ‘I’d take it as a personal favour, if you know what I mean.’

‘Oh!’ For a moment or two a perplexed frown creased the bank manager’s bony forehead then it cleared as enlightenment came. ‘All right, Luke, I’ll get right on it.’

‘And you won’t mention our conversation to Carla, will you?’

‘Er, um. Of course not.’

‘Then we understand each other perfectly. You can expect a bonus delivery to your house in the not-too-distant future. Bye, Basil.’

Luke replaced the phone’s receiver, his expression thoughtful. The muscle in his jaw flexed up and down as he thought about how he was going to deliver his decision to the board meeting in an hour’s time. Mother, who wasn’t a board member anyway, would be pleased but she was the only one likely to approve. His features formed another grimace as he anticipated the response. He could expect it to be a fiery meeting.

A tense silence greeted Luke’s report about Sundown Crossing and his suggestion to Basil Coulthard that her loan be renegotiated.

‘Why did you do that?’ Lisel, instantly on the attack, asked. ‘Due to Conrad’s stupidity we have Carla where we want her. Without funds it will be easy to squeeze her out of the Valley. We’ll be rid of her and her brat once and for all.’

Luke stared at his aunt stolidly for several seconds before he answered. ‘Once I would have agreed with you, but I’ve seen what she’s achieved in the time she’s been here and I think Sundown Crossing deserves to be part of the Valley. I suggested that Basil okay the loan.’

‘You’re joking, surely,’ Lisel threw back at him, glaring across the boardroom table at the man she’d championed since he was a small boy.

John Michaels interjected. ‘That wasn’t part of Rhein Schloss’s plan, Luke. You should have
consulted us before you gave the bank manager the go-ahead.’

‘As president of the company I had to make an instant, executive decision. I made it. It’s that simple.’

‘Simple, my arse!’ Lisel retorted, ignoring her father’s disapproving scowl.

So far Carl hadn’t said a word, he was letting others attack Luke, taking in the reactions, and listening closely to his grandson’s responses. He had taught Luke to be a decision-maker because the time wasn’t far off when he would be the company’s CEO. Everyone sitting around the boardroom table knew that. Lisel’s response was to be expected because she hated Carla, every word Lisel said about Rolfe’s daughter told him that. And John, while he might be Luke’s father, was a company man through and through. With him the good of the company transcended all else.

Josh Aldrich, who’d recently been elevated to the management position of plant production and despatch manager, and now oversaw the process from harvesting to shipment of orders, had begun to sit in on monthly board meetings. He shook his head in disbelief and said, ‘It’s pretty obvious why Luke did what he did.’

Lisel swivelled the upper part of her body around to face Josh. ‘Then perhaps you’ll enlighten us.’

Josh nodded. ‘Luke probably won’t like me saying this, but I think members of the board
should know that Luke’s been seeing quite a lot of Carla lately. He’s fallen in love with her.’

‘What?’
Lisel shrieked like a banshee. ‘No, no!’ She stared at Josh then at Luke. ‘You can’t have. Tell me Josh has it wrong.’ She began to wring her hands and fidget with the paperwork—a revamped advertising program—in front of her. ‘Not Carla, anyone but her.’

‘My personal feelings had nothing to do with my decision. I think we all know that Carla’s vineyard is small fry in relationship to our holdings. I believe it’s just too much trouble, from a business point of view, to continue agitating to acquire it.’

Carl listened to his grandson’s words, then checked the expressions of the others at the table. No one believed Luke. Carl became conscious of a tightening in his chest when he took a deep breath. Luke hadn’t denied Josh’s accusation, he noted, that in itself was telling. Luke, in love with Carla! That wasn’t something he wanted to hear; it would complicate things. An invisible weight, as if something heavy was sitting on his chest, got worse, making his muscles tighten and his breathing become more shallow. He tried to ignore the discomfort; he was upset, that’s all it was. A mutiny of sorts was taking place in his boardroom and he had to stop it from escalating.