Grapes of Death Read Online Free PDF

shocker.”
    â€œAll right,” Elise said, with a frown. “But what’s different about this new proposal? Sounds like the same old song and dance as before.”
    Laura sat back in her chair. “The difference this time is that he’s got a buyer lined up, though he wouldn’t say who.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “And he wants a specific six hundred acres … in the south quadrant.”
    â€œ What ?” Elise jumped up so quickly that she knocked her chair over backward. “But that’s where the first batch of my hybrid vines is planted!”

Three
    â€œHe can’t be serious!” Elise shouted. “I’ve spent the last few years working on those hybrids. They were designed to give River Bend an edge over other wineries. How could he think this would be acceptable?”
    â€œWell, golly, El, let’s just think about that for a minute,” Ross said sarcastically. “Oh, wait—this is Uncle Edmond we’re talking about.”
    Laura frowned. “That’s enough, Ross.”
    â€œBut this makes no sense,” Elise insisted. “I understand Uncle Edmond’s motivation, I do, but what could possibly be the incentive for us to agree to something like this?”
    Laura put up a hand. “Calm down, Elise. I realize this is disturbing, but at least now you can understand why I was so troubled last night.”
    Abigail poured herself a cup of tea and chose a scone from the plate. “I’m with Elise. That deal makes no sense, even for a nutjob like Edmond.”
    Elise righted her chair and sat down. There was something missing, something her mother wasn’t saying—but what? “Mom, last night I asked you what Uncle Edmond meant when he said his plan would solve your problems as well as his own. You told me then that it was all just talk, but that’s not the truth, is it?”
    Laura sighed. “No, sweetheart, I’m afraid not.” She shifted a glance to Ross before continuing. “I know I should have called this meeting sooner, explained the situation long before this, but we felt it would just upset y’all prematurely.”
    Elise looked back and forth between Ross and her mother. She was starting to understand why her brother hadn’t seemed the least bit surprised by this development. “So you two decided to keep something from the rest of us? Is that it?”
    â€œSweetheart, Ross is the business manager for the vineyard, after all. We were only trying to protect you, but I realize now that was a bad call. We should have discussed the problem as a family.”
    â€œYou think?” Abigail gave a disgusted grunt. “Well, we’re all here now.” Folding her arms, she spared her daughter a narrow glance. “Spit it out while we’re all still breathin’ . ”
    Clearly displeased, Laura shot her mother a you’re-not-helping glare. “The vineyard has a balloon payment coming due on the loan we took out when we built Lodge Merlot.”
    Ross finished the bad news. “Unfortunately, with sales down like they have been, we might not have the money to make the full payment by the date required.”
    â€œWhat the heck does that mean?” Madison asked. “If we default on the loan we could lose the vineyard?”
    â€œNo, we won’t.” Ross shook his head. “It would never come to that, sis. We do have some reserves, and if need be, we can make up the difference there. But with the overly dry conditions requiring more extensive irrigation, and the crops yielding less than we’d previously forecasted, it means more dollars going out than coming in.”
    â€œThat’s what Edmond was talking about last night,” Laura explained. “I gathered from our conversation—or should I say his hollering and carrying on—that he owes money somewhere. And I mean a whole lot of money. He told me that if I