CHAPTER FIVE

TWILIGHTHADFALLEN over the town, giving it a magical look. Nathalie felt like they were the only two people who existed. Instead of driving her straight back to the mobile home, Dominic took her on a long drive around the other side of the vineyard, letting her see the vast property.

"The air smells so sweet, I feel like I'm in a dream. There's a peace here in the vineyard impossible to describe, yet it's alive. Glorious! I read an article on the Fontesquieu website that said there is something special about the manner in which vines in France attach themselves to the landscape. The author suggested that France is where the vines are supposed to be."

Dominic nodded. "My family believes as much."

"So do I."

He glanced at her. "When I took you to the winery, I wondered if you'd seen the plaque on the wall right by us."

"I did. It said, ‘God planted the best vines on earth here in Provence.' I loved it." She drew in a deep breath. "Seeing all this with you, I believe it."

If the man sitting next to her had been Antoinette's heart's desire, it was understandable that she'd succumbed to him. But more and more Nathalie was beginning to feel that he wasn't Alain's father, and she didn't want this evening to end.

Maybe he was reading her thoughts because he said, "Do you mind if we make a detour to Saint Jeannet before I take you back home? My brother asked me to check on a special shipment of red wine my grandfather has been waiting for, and until Etienne gets better I'm trying to help him. It'll only be ten minutes out of our way."

The question filled her with exhilaration. This would give her more time to be with him. "Tell me about the shipment of red wine, Dominic. I thought you only produced rosé wine."

"We produce everything."

"Even sour wine."

He smiled. "That too."

"Will you tell me what you know about the emperor Charlemagne? I hear there's a story to do with him and red wine."

Dominic chuckled. "One of those stories is purported to have to do with his fourth or fifth wife. She was a beautiful German princess with many gifts and he adored her. When she died, he never remarried. But getting to the point, being a tall proud man with a prominent white beard, he wanted to look his best for her when they were married. Yet there was one problem."

Everything the brilliant man sitting next to her said or did enamored her. "What was that?"

"According to history, he was a big meat eater and red wine drinker. But she didn't like the red stains on his beard."

Nathalie studied the red stains on her own fingers and could well understand.

"Word has it that she demanded he drink only white wine. From then on only white grapes were commanded to be planted on a certain section of the hill. That's when Corton-Charlemagne in Burgundy was born and still continues."

"I had no idea. How fascinating."

"Except that it's partly myth. Other sources say it was Charlemagne's mother who didn't like her royal son looking terrible with those dreadful red stains."

She laughed. "That sounds more realistic."

"Are you ready for this? Some sources say he didn't have a beard. According to scholars, it was customary in the Middle Ages for artists to put facial hair on the rulers, symbolic of their virility."

"Oh, dear—don't tell me that and ruin this picture I have of Charlemagne with his barbe fleurie."

It was Dominic's turn to laugh that deep laugh she loved. "Too much authentic research destroys most of our beliefs."

"You're right. It's much more fun to enjoy our own version of life. Since I'm with an expert and we're talking about red wine, please explain about red grapes having many secrets. I cherish the memory of you taking me on a tour of the winery."

His hand reached over to clasp hers, sending waves of longing through her body. Both their emotions were spilling over. "To keep it simple, all grape juice is white. Only the red skins contain a dark pigment. If the juice is separated from the skins shortly after being crushed, it remains white."

"I see."

"If the juice is left in contact with the red skins during fermentation, it becomes that delightful pink color. Left longer, it becomes red wine."

"I'm embarrassed to know so little about it."

He turned to her. "That's because you're not a wine drinker. Those who are show surprise to learn that eighty-eight percent of the wine produced in Provence is rosé. It has a delicious fruity flavor. Some people refer to it as summer water."

Another chuckle came out of her.

"Other drinkers prefer white wine, which is sweeter. Red wine is heavier. But as I explained, our winery produces everything."

During their conversation, she hadn't realized they'd reached the town of Saint Jeannet. He pulled up to a big warehouse before letting her go. He flicked his gaze to her. "I'll only be a minute."

The whole time they'd been talking, she realized she hadn't asked him any personal questions. But after hearing he'd been away from Vence for so many years, she was beginning to think he couldn't have been Antoinette's lover.

It was a lovely night to be out, and being with him was so stimulating to her, there weren't enough hours with him to satisfy everything she was desperate to know. Her whole body tingled from his touch.

He'd returned to the car while she'd been deep in thought. "Let's go."

"Was the shipment there?"

"Not yet. I need to inform Etienne." He pulled out his phone to text him, then started the car and they left for Vence.

"Will your grandfather be upset?"

"I'm afraid he was born in that condition, but he'll live to see another day."

"What's your grandmother like?"

"She's afraid of him and allows him to rule her life."

"Are you afraid of him?"

"Let's put it this way. I learned not to like him or my father." She winced from so much honest emotion. "They have a hard streak that dominates their existence. As soon as I turned eighteen, I left to go to school in Paris."

"Didn't they try to prevent you from leaving?"

"Yes. They told me that if I deserted the family, there'd be no money, no inheritance. That suited me fine. From my bank account I withdrew the pitiful amount of money I'd earned and bought a third-class train ticket for Paris. I slept all the way. When I arrived, I found a job at a warehouse the next day and bunked with some of the workers until I could pay for a semester of college."

"You're amazing!"

"No—only desperate to get on with the life I wanted to lead. At that point, I took out a school loan and got another job as an eighteen-wheeler truck driver. It paid more and I could sleep behind the cab while I had to make deliveries between classes and on weekends."

"Where did you drive?"

"All over Paris and the outskirts. In the process, I made lots of contacts. After a month, I found a rooming house so I could bathe and eat breakfast daily. That's how I lived while I pursued an education in money management. After college I worked for an investment firm."

Dominic was getting to her in ways she didn't think possible. Nathalie knew he had to be a remarkable man, but hearing some of his history told her she would never meet a more extraordinary human being.

"Did your family know where you were?"

"My cousin Raoul knew. That was all that mattered to me. Do you know the sad part of this is that I wanted to have a close relationship with family, but it never happened. My father is made in my grandfather's image, which explains why we don't get along. Both men are driven and cold."

"What about your mother?"

"She's not as cold, but is in lockstep with him over aspirations for their children. You have to do it their way. There is no other."

Her heart pained for him. "I'm so sorry, Dominic."

"It's life, but I don't want to talk about them. I'd much rather focus on you."

He drove swiftly to the vineyard and pulled up behind her car outside her rental. After shutting off the engine, he turned to her. "We'll only need pickers for another ten days at the most. Since the vendange is so short a season, I'd like to spend as much time with you in the evenings as possible before you go back to work at the pharmacy. How would you feel about that?"

The question sounded like heaven. Nathalie's mind was spinning with possibilities now that she thought he might not be Alain's father after all. "Maybe one evening I'll provide groceries and cook. Another night you could do the same." During one of their conversations she would ask him straight out if he'd known an Antoinette. After that, anything could happen.

"I'll bring the food for tomorrow's meal."

"Um. That sounds perfect."

She undid her seat belt. "Thank you for a lovely dinner and drive. Learning about red grapes has made me feel more legitimate as a grape picker. Good night."

To her surprise, he got out and walked her to the door. "I wish you didn't have to go in." The next thing she knew he'd cupped her face in his hands and lowered his dark head to kiss her. She'd been wanting this all evening.

The feel of his mouth on hers sent rivers of warmth through her body, but his kiss didn't last long enough. She moaned when he stepped away far too soon for her liking.

"A demain,Nathalie." His voice sounded husky.

After letting her go, he walked to his car and drove off. She waited until he'd disappeared before getting in her car to drive home. Her legs had turned to mush. Tomorrow evening couldn't come soon enough.

On Saturday Dominic drove into town for groceries, then went to his office to do work until it was time to drive to Nathalie's. The sun had shone all day and warmed everything. On the drive over, he talked to Raoul.

"Just giving you a heads-up that I'm spending the evening with Nathalie."

"If you want to bring her here, I'll go to the hotel."

"Thanks, but it's not necessary. To be honest, I wouldn't take her to the chateau. Too many eyes. For the rest of the harvest we're having dinner at her place and taking turns cooking meals."

"Cooking."

"That and other things." Dominic chuckled. "You'll have my kitchen to yourself. Nathalie's no longer in a relationship with the man she thought she would marry. Within another week, I'm going to know a lot more about her."

"Do you still feel she's not being completely honest?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But I have to believe it's something I'll be able to handle."

Raoul sobered. "I hope so for your sake."

So did Dominic, who could see her coming up the path. "Talk to you later." He hung up and got out of the car. Whether she wore her silvery-gold hair tied back or loose, she was a vision.

"Imagine meeting you here," Nathalie teased with a smile.

"I've been imagining it since I left you last night."

She blushed and opened the door to her rental. He followed her inside with the groceries. "I'll be out in a minute," she said before disappearing into the back.

"Take your time while I put things away and get our meal started." He'd bought items for his own version of salade ni?oise with fresh fish and rolls.

By the time she'd emerged in a sleeveless pink blouse and khaki pants looking enticing, he'd prepared café au lait and handed her a cup from the kitchen counter.

"Um..." She took a sip. "Fabulous. You're going to make someone a wonderful wife one day." She always said something unexpected that amused him.

"Our dinner is waiting."

"I know. I can smell the tuna aroma from here." She walked over to the table in the little dining area and sat down on one of the chairs. "This salad is a work of art. You're spoiling me rotten!"

He wanted to do more than that.

They both ate with relish. Being with her made him feel like a light had been turned on, illuminating a world he was seeing only for the first time. "I detect red stains on your fingers."

"Me and Charlemagne," she teased. "They're unsightly, but I don't like wearing gloves. I can't do as effective a job with them on."

"You and a lot of workers."

A laugh escaped her lips.

"Wouldn't you know one of the sons in the Spanish family working by me told me there's a place called the Guinguet that has a live band on Sunday night. Everyone goes there. I pretended I didn't know."

He smiled into her eyes. "I went there a few times in the past myself." Was that true? Had he met Antoinette there? When? "I presume this Casanova intends to take you."

"He knows I'm not interested."

Dominic finished his roll. "That's two down in a week. How come I'm still standing?" The desire to make love to her was going to consume him before long.

A glint entered her gorgeous eyes. "Because you didn't ask me to go to a place where they serve sour wine." With that clever remark, she started to clear the table. "While I clean up, you're welcome to watch TV."

"I'd rather help you." He was determined to find out what she was hiding and handed her more dishes as she loaded the dishwasher.

She darted him a glance. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Not at all."

"Paul said you were filling in for your brother, Etienne, because he'd been sick. What is your official position in your family's business?"

Why did she want to know that? He felt he was getting closer to her secret. "As I told you earlier, I went to Paris and studied investment banking. After graduation I worked for a firm there before I came home four months ago because my father was ill. As it turns out, I've been deciding on the investments the company makes. In other words, I took over my father's job as funds manager."

"I see. Another huge responsibility that takes brilliance," she murmured. "You have to be an accountant whiz too."

"That's part of it. You wouldn't be looking for a career change, would you? Are you after an administrative job and need an in?"

She flushed. "No. I enjoy my work. But I do a lot of thinking while I'm out picking grapes. So much goes into running a family business like yours. It's overwhelming to me. You have to know everything about soil, grapes, weather conditions, and that's just for starters. There's hiring and payroll. I think about the equipment you need.

"Someone has to have the incredible expertise to make wine. Another person has to know how to distribute and advertise. A man like you has to make life-and-death decisions about money. When and where to invest. It all blows my mind."

Dominic stared into her eyes. "Where has all this come from?"

"I didn't realize until my stepfather died how much went into his buying the pharmacy and making it thrive. He had to learn so much to go into business after having worked for someone else. There were nights when he was up until late working on everything. I never understood what he went through." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Now my mother has the load."

"One you share."

"I'm trying. Working on the vineyard has opened my eyes to so many things. We've only had to consider hiring one pharmacist to help out. But we have to provide insurance and make sure we can afford to pay another wage."

"It's a fine line at times."

"It certainly is. Your family has to hire hundreds of workers at harvest time, not to mention your regular employees. Every application has to be vetted. You carry a huge burden in order to pay your employees and deal with all the ups and downs. I can't tell you how much I admire a family like yours that has kept their business solvent for hundreds of years. You have an unmatchable work ethic."

While she'd been talking with such heartfelt emotion, he heard her cell phone ring. "Excuse me a minute, Dominic." She pulled it out of her pocket and checked the caller ID. "It's my mother. She probably wants to know how soon I'll be home tonight."

"You're leaving?"

"I always go home at night." That piece of information came as a surprise. "I'll call her back."

If that was true and she never stayed here alone at night, the news pleased him. "In that case I'm going to leave now so I don't prevent you from driving home too late."

She looked up at him. "You'll come tomorrow evening?" she asked in a throbbing voice. Those light green eyes beseeched him. "I'll make the dinner."

His breath caught. "Try to keep me away. Bonne nuit, Nathalie." This time he gave her a long, hard kiss, then bolted for the door, not daring to stay any longer.

The more she'd talked to him tonight, the more he'd been ensnared. No other woman he'd known had shown her kind of sensitivity and understanding of his family's unique work. The well-heeled type of women in his family's world weren't interested in much more than his overall financial worth.

But his fear that it could be a front was ripping him apart. Was it possible she'd seen Dominic somewhere and planned to work at the vineyard to get close to him? The thought pained him when he wanted to pull her down on the couch and start kissing the daylights out of her. Hell and hell.