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“I was working on a group project,” Lilliana says. “My partner ran late—”
“You know better than to offer me excuses,” says Edward. “Lilliana is a sophomore at James Madison University,” he says to me. “She’s double-majoring in business and finance. Hoping to secure herself a directorial position here at the vineyard. Christopher intends to do the same. Isn’t that right, son?”
“Yes, sir,” he says.
“We’ll see which one of you makes the cut.” Edward frees the cork from an open bottle of the vineyard’s Pinot and begins pouring. Lilliana’s barely a year older than me, and Christopher and I aren’t eighteen yet, but Edward pours us full-sized glasses anyway.
“It’s tradition,” he says with a wink. “Where’s the fun in living on a vineyard if you can’t enjoy the fruits of your labor?”
I don’t live on a vineyard. And I’m willing to bet no one at this table has spent a single afternoon laboring in the fields.
“When in Rome,” I say.
Taking his seat at the head of the table, Edward raises his wineglass, and the others raise theirs. I do the same.
“Blood, family, legacy,” he says. “These are the foundations of a good life and a great business. Blood is everything. It is where you come from, what you are, and often, an indication of how far you will go.”
Chastity scrapes an impatient fingernail against the cream-colored tablecloth. Lilliana frowns at her plate. Christopher listens intently, like a soldier awaiting orders. As for me, I’m just trying to get through the moment with a straight face.
Blood is everything?Is this guy serious?
“Mariah is a member of this family,” says Edward. “I hope that we can all do our best to welcome her into the fold. Her lineage is rooted deep within these lands. Her blood is in the soil, the fruit, in the wine itself. I have no doubt that she will bring something very special to this operation.” He lifts his glass higher. “To the bonds of family.”
“To family,” Chastity says flatly.
“To family,” Christopher echoes.
Lilliana glares at her brother. “To family.”
Four pairs of eyes settle upon me.
I clear my throat. “Right, family.”
Edward brings the glass to his lips and drinks deeply. Chastity follows suit. Christopher and Lilliana drink, as well, and although I’ve never been a big fan of the stuff, I figure I might as well finish off the tour with a tasting.
I don’t expect to like the wine as much as I do. It’s smooth, but not bland. Bitter yet sweet, with hints of ripe plums, tart cherries, and the tang of copper pennies.
Before I know it, I’ve downed half my glass.
“Good, yes?” Edward says, smiling at me.
I dab the corners of my mouth and nod.
“Delicious.”
Chapter Five
Mariah
Mercifully, the rest of dinner goes by without another cryptic speech. The food is decent, the conversation light, though Edward’s odd habit of pitting his kids against each other actually has me feeling sorry for them. It’s no wonder they started out hating me; he did everything he could to put them on the offensive, short of introducing me as the next challenger for the Red Cliff throne.
Before anyone can suggest a game of Monopoly, I thank Edward and Chastity for dinner and excuse myself to my room for the night. I take a hot shower and crawl into bed to listen to some Nirvana. Halfway through “Come as You Are” I have to switch to The Cure, because thinking about Kurt Cobain has me missing my mom again, at a time when all I want is to forget about my own life and the things I’ve lost.
In three weeks, I’ll be home, I tell myself. The house I grew up in will be mine, and I’ll have enough money to live there by myself for a while, as I figure out my next move.
I’m drawn into the shallow depths of a restless sleep by the breathy voice of Robert Smith promising to always love me.
My mind wanders through various dreamscapes like an innertube floating downriver. I’m in a car on the highway going eighty, even though I don’t have my license. I’m trying to order spaghetti at a restaurant, but I have no mouth. My server, a large red-haired woman, gets impatient with me and moves on to a different table. I cry red-wine tears that stain the tablecloth.
