Bella's Vineyard Read Online Free PDF Page A

guarantee of any security
in the connection.
    “You’re not in
England anymore, Bella. Everyone out here lives in relative isolation, so help
is often a long time coming. It mightn’t hurt if you could get a guy up here to
keep watch.”
    “Andrew will
come soon,” said Bella, sounding doubtful even to herself.
    “Your brother is
not the sort of man I’m thinking of,” said Vance. “I mean someone who’s handy
with a gun, and who can maybe help you out around the place.”
    “I’ve been
talking to May about getting the vineyard up and running,” said Bella. “She
says it might take a couple of years before we can grow decent crops again, but
she knows some of the Chinese men who used to work here, before Griffiths and
his people chased them off. She’s going to approach them and ask if they’ll be
willing to work in return for some of the profits.”
    “That’s not a
bad idea. How can she be sure they’ll come back?”
    “She thinks
things have changed. The other landowners are starting to resent Griffiths,
whereas before they all fell into place behind him. Apart from Aunt Bella. She
knew all along he was a bad man.”
    “You know he
wants to buy this place off your brother.”
    Bella was silent
for a moment. “I had a feeling that’s why he wanted to talk to Andrew. He’s
wasting his time. The vineyard isn’t for sale.”
    “Your brother
might have other ideas.”
    “I don’t care.
It’s not for sale. I gave up everything to come here. I’m not about to turn
around and go back again.”
    “Well…” Vance
looked at her for such a long time that she began to feel self-conscious. She
knew her hair was not as neat as it could have been and she was wearing an old
blue gingham dress of her aunt’s, having been too exhausted to unpack clean
clothes the night before. “You were right about English women, weren’t you?”
    Bella smiled. “I
told you not to underestimate us.”
    “I don’t, Bella.
But you shouldn’t underestimate Griffiths and what he’s willing to do to win
this place. Men like him don’t have the same sense of fair play that most
decent folk do. He’s building an empire and he doesn’t care who he buries under
its foundations.”
    Bella shivered,
feeling for a moment as if the sun had gone in. “Let’s talk about happier
things,” she said. “When will we meet Gloria? I was thinking last night that …
well … if she needed somewhere to stay, I mean if she came to visit you, she’d
be very welcome here.”  Bella had thought no such thing, and could not
comprehend why she suddenly blurted out the offer. Later, when she began to
dread Gloria’s imminent arrival, she would wonder what on earth possessed her.
    Vance stayed for
a little while longer, and then started back for the town.
    “You did good
catching that rabbit,” he said, when he was sitting on his horse ready to go.
“But it was a bad idea not to kill it immediately.  They sense weakness.
Whatever you do, don’t let him talk you into giving him a name between now and
supper time.” He winked at her and rode away.
    Bella watched
him, and found she still looked for him when he was far out of sight.
    She turned and
went back into the house, thinking that it was time she unpacked. But first she
went to the rabbit in the kitchen. She gently lifted him out of the box and
held him close, feeling his velvety soft fur against her cheek. “Because you
fought so valiantly, I’m going to call you Hector.”
     
    “I’m just going
out to talk to Shen,” said May, coming downstairs wearing her riding jacket as
Bella was on her way upstairs to unpack. “I hear he’s working at one of the
gold mines.”
    “Will Shen want
to come here if there’s gold to be found in the mines?” asked Bella.
    “Ain’t much gold
left, honey. Most of the prospectors have taken it. It’s just penny ante stuff
nowadays. Enough to buy a man a meal a day and a room above the saloon.”
    “But it’s still
more than I can