Crush the Crescent Lake Winery Series Book 2 Page 14

  The concierge asked, “May I help you?”

  “We want to walk to the convention hall for the London Wine Fair.”

  “It’s a nice walk, but long. It would be quicker if you took the Tube.” He gave them simple directions for both options.

  They set off at a leisurely pace, strolling arm in arm. The air was warm, with the sun playing peek-a-boo with the clouds. Who cared if it rained; she was having a blast. Chic boutiques that would need further investigation before they left were only a blip on her radar.

  “Colin, look. There’s a sign for the Sherlock Holmes Museum; that would be fun to do.”

  “I do love a good mystery, and Arthur Conan Doyle was a master.” He pointed to the Tube entrance up ahead. “We should take it to the convention hall and then later we’ll have more time to wander.”

  “I hope you don’t mind that we stayed farther away from the convention. I want us to have as much time alone as possible, and chatting with people I don’t know isn’t my thing.”

  The Tube was uneventful and when they exited the train, signs for the event were on billboards everywhere. Her steps quickened as excitement propelled her forward.

  “Come on. People all seem to be headed inside, which is a good sign that attendance is high.”

  She might just have people at her talk after all. Surrounded by attendees, she listened to snippets of conversation about wine. All sorts of different vineyards were mentioned, and Anna felt a pang that CLW hadn’t attended recently. Maybe they’d been too focused on plant, grow, harvest, bottle, and repeat.

  She approached the registration stand for her speaker ID badge and took a copy of the show guide, while Colin waited in the attendee line. She scanned the contents; there were over five hundred vendors, and taking a look up and down the aisles, she despaired ever finding any of the people Sam and Don had asked her to touch base with. The energy was palpable.

  Some booths proudly displayed the country of origin as well as the vineyard name. When Colin was done, he joined her and they strolled down one aisle toward the French wines.

  “I should see if I can find Henri.” The crowd grew and he held her hand. “Are you ready to sample some wine?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I adore the tradition of French winemaking.”

  “What makes it different from the States?”

  “The history; the French have been making wine since the sixth century and they have a cooler climate that is perfect for growing grapes.”

  Her steps slowed as she approached the huge Marchand booth. That had been easy! She surveyed the wines and was pleased to see the extensive list of varieties. There was one label that drew her attention, as it was different from the standard Marchand brand.

  It was very simple and contemporary, a cream-colored label with a butterfly seeming to float up from a nosegay of flowers. A D and M were intertwined. The simple beauty drew her in.

  A deep male voice said, “Hello.”

  She looked up. A smile of recognition flashed over the man’s face.

  “Henri, this is a pleasant surprise.”

  “Anna, Colin.” He leaned in and lightly kissed both of her cheeks and shook Colin’s hand. “It is wonderful to see you both again.” He gestured toward the bottle but his smile evaporated. “I see you have discovered the new wine. Would you like to try it?”

  “Is this your wine? The label isn’t familiar to me.”

  “Not really. It is an offshoot of Vineyard Marchand.” Directing his attention to Colin, he continued. “My family has cared for the land and grapes for several hundred years.”

  A woman about Anna’s age came over. “Perhaps you would care to share a glass with Henri so that you may relax and chat.”

  She didn’t hesitate. “That would be lovely.” Anna smiled her thanks at the woman and Henri.

  He gestured to a small sitting area with bistro tables and chairs. “My daughter Sophia will bring it to us.”

  Anna took a seat and noticed that most vendors in the area didn’t have tables and chairs in the booths. Henri sat across from her and Colin was at her side.

  She said, “I had no idea it would be this busy already. The hall has only been open for less than an hour.”

  “It is always this way.” His accent was melodic. “Did you have any trouble finding your hotel?”

  “No. We’ve checked in and freshened up from the trip, but my luggage has been delayed.” She flashed a smile at Colin. “But someone who shall remain nameless didn’t have the same issue.”

  Henri said, “I’m sorry to hear that. Did they say when you could expect your bag?”

  Sophia placed three glasses on the table along with the open bottle.

  Anna shrugged. “I’m all set until tomorrow and as long as I get my bags before my presentation, I’ll be fine.” She wanted to appear relaxed, but she was anxious about her suitcase not arriving. For today, there was nothing she could do about it.

  Sophia smiled. “I am happy to go shopping with you. It would be an excellent excuse to cause my credit card to weep.”

  Anna gave her a smile. “That is an excellent description. If you can sneak away for a few hours, I’d love to go shopping.” She looked at Colin.

  He waved a hand. “If you ladies need someone to carry bags, I’m happy to join you. If not, I can find something to keep myself occupied.”

  “Papi, would you mind if I accompanied Anna to a few shops?”

  He gave his daughter an indulgent smile. “Of course not, Sophia. If you’d like, David is coming in, so you could go this afternoon.”

  Anna said, “What time should we stop back?”

  “In about two hours. That will get us past the midday crowd.”

  Henri nodded and looked away from Sophia and concentrated on Anna and Colin. “Now, let’s get back to the wine.”

  She left Henri to pour. “This is our pinot noir blend. Something our winemaker thought would be of interest. I’m curious to hear what you think of it.”

  Anna took the glass and swirled the wine. She studied the color and the bouquet. Henri watched her intently. Colin mimicked her motions.

  “Would you like to share your thoughts?” she asked Henri.

  He tipped his head. “No. I prefer to have your unbiased opinion.”

  “I will have to say personally, I love the label—but marketing is not my forte. However, it’s whimsical and fresh, which attracted me to stop. Also, the balance of subtle colors didn’t detract from the illustration. From a purely aesthetic point of view, well done.”

  He gave her a half nod. “Go on.”

  She picked up the glass again, closed her eyes, and inhaled. She could feel Colin watching her, but she was in her element. “The nose is excellent.” She gave him a small smile and took a taste, holding it on her tongue. It was wonderful. “Velvety ambrosia.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think anyone has compared this wine before to something immortal.” He looked at Colin. “What do you think?”

  “Unlike Anna, I have an uneducated palate.”

  “All the more reason I would appreciate your opinion.” Henri gestured to his glass. “Please.”

  Colin sipped some of the wine and looked at Anna. She placed her hand on his leg.

  “I like it and would actually want to buy a bottle.” He drank a little more.

  Anna followed up. “It’s wonderful and I predict once people discover it, you’ll have a best seller on your hands.” She drank a little more. “But I suspect you didn’t need me to tell you that. You’ve been in this business many years.”

  “You’ve grown up in it and your reputation proceeds you.”

  She hoped she masked her surprise at his compliment, pleased to hear that Henri knew of her work.

  “Your father and grandfather have been my friends for many years. Both are exceptional winemakers and excellent stewards of the business.”

  “True. My dad taught me everything I know.”

  His smile i
ncluded Colin. “And like all children, you have surpassed his knowledge to acquire your own.” He waved his arm around the booth. “That is why you are here. To share with us your expertise.” He clinked his glass to Anna’s and then Colin’s. “I, for one, cannot wait to attend your presentation.”

  “Thank you, Henri.” She clasped Colin’s hand and lightly squeezed it.

  “It will be one of the highlights of this event.” He gave them a warm smile. “À votre santé.”

  “Cheers.”

  * * *

  When Anna and Colin approached the Marchand booth two hours later, Sophia was waiting for her with her bag in hand. She kissed her father’s cheeks and looped her arm through Anna’s.

  “We are headed to Sloane Street.”

  Anna didn’t flinch when Sophia mentioned the high-end shopping area. She loved to browse and hadn’t had the opportunity to go there on her last trip to London. This was going to be fun. Even though she didn’t have Tessa’s flair for fashion, she enjoyed indulging in a few designer outfits. By the way Sophia was dressed, it was easy to see she loved clothes; her outfit was straight from the racks of Chanel, her hair and makeup flawless.

  Standing on the curb waiting to hail a cab, Colin said, “Drop me at the hotel and let’s meet later for dinner.”

  “You don’t mind?” Anna hugged his arm to her.

  “Not at all. I’m going to see if I can track down your luggage and then maybe hit that charming bookstore next to the hotel while you’re gone.”

  They got in the cab and told the driver the first stop was the hotel before settling back to enjoy the sights.

  “What had you planned on wearing to present?”

  Anna thought of her dark-gray suit and white blouse with a wine-colored scarf. “Just your basic suit and heels.”

  “After we are done, you will not look basic or ordinary.” Sophia gave her a long look. “You are beautiful and you need to show off that gorgeous hair, and your skin is flawless.”

  “Thank you.” She looked out the window. “What do you think I should wear? I’ve never attended this conference before, so I was playing it safe.”

  She patted Anna’s hand. “We will be conservative and professional, but you will look stunning. More like a famous but hard-working duchess.”

  Anna chuckled. “My credit card might not recover.”

  Colin pulled out his wallet and handed her his card. “Consider this a congratulations present and your new outfit is on me.”

  “Thank you, but no.” She laughed and handed him back his card. “You can buy dinner tonight. How’s that?”

  Sophia waved a hand through the air. “Papi said we should have a wonderful time today and I do not need to go back to the booth so we can have dinner together if you would like.”

  “That was very kind of Henri. Do you have a place in mind for dinner?”

  With a musical laugh, she said, “One thing you will learn: I always have a plan.”

  Colin said, “That sounds good. Just text me the details.”

  Anna liked this side of Colin going with the flow; it was refreshing to see a man who was confident and sweet. She was enjoying Sophia’s company. She shot Colin a grin.

  A moment later, he kissed her cheek. “And don’t rush. Enjoy yourselves.”

  Anna looked in the mirror. Her makeup was perfect and her hair was secured with a clip holding back her long auburn waves. Diamond stud earrings graced her ears. Her new tan jacket nipped at the waist and the matching high-waisted trousers were paired with a pale-lavender print silk blouse. She didn’t care that her luggage had shown up; dressing in her new suit filled her with a sense of calm, and the confidence boost helped her relax. She stepped into nude pumps and picked up a matching leather bag. Sophia had been right; this was the perfect look. Time to go.

  Colin was in the hallway when she came out. “I was just about to knock.” He gave a low, appreciative whistle. “You look fantastic.”

  She took his hand. “We have a car waiting.”

  They stepped through the revolving door of the hotel. The car was a nice perk, compliments of the convention planner. The driver held the door open, and she slipped into the back with Colin behind her. The car merged with traffic as she checked her bag and confirmed the USB with her presentation was in a pocket.

  She smiled. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

  “Me too. I’ve been having a great time and it’s exciting to see how well known you are in the wine circles. I’m with a celebrity.”

  “That is so sweet.” She wanted to say she wasn’t, but being here had shown her that she was very well respected. “Are you ready to leave London tomorrow? We’ll drive out of the city to that little town I told you about. I can’t wait to get a lungful of crisp, salty air.”

  “It sounds like it will be wonderful. I’m looking forward to you showing me around. I’ve never been outside of the States, not even Canada.”

  “But you had a passport?”

  “It’s easier to fly in the US, and besides, you never know when a beautiful enologist is going to ask you to go to London with her.”

  She felt her cheeks almost split with happiness. “Our week is going by so fast and there’s still so much to see. We’ll have to plan on coming back again, and soon.”

  “I’m glad you’re having fun despite working.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Next time let’s just plan to be tourists.”

  Her heart soared. She loved making plans with him.

  “I’ve got lots of places I want to see. What about you? Anything special you want to see while were here?”

  The car was weaving through the streets of London and the familiar landmarks indicated they were close to the hall.

  “I’ll have to think about it, but for now I’m going to stop talking so that you can look at your notes one last time.”

  “You know me so well.” She placed a protective hand over her bag. “You’re going to be in the lecture hall with me, right?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” He hesitated before saying, “In case you couldn’t guess, I’m your biggest fan.”

  Her breath caught. “Oh, Colin, you say the sweetest things.” The cab slowed. She squeezed his hand.

  “You’re going to knock ’em dead, sweetheart.”

  She smoothed the front of her jacket and picked up her bag. “I’m going to do my best.”

  * * *

  Anna stood on the small dais. The wireless microphone was clipped to her lapel and she wandered across the stage, doing a sound check. She didn’t plan on standing behind the podium, and she smiled at the technician. “I’m all set.”

  “Excellent. The doors will open in five minutes.”

  Now that she was in the throes of the event, her nerves had steadied and she was ready to rock the house. There were a lot of empty chairs in front of her, except for Colin who was sitting front and center. It gave her comfort to see his smiling face in a sea of unknowns. She moved to the side of the stage just as the doors opened and watched a line of people stream in to take seats near the front. Her hand quivered as she poured a glass of water.

  Henri walked down the aisle and took a seat in the front row. Then she noticed Sophia and David choose seats behind Henri, who nodded when David placed a hand on his shoulder. She smoothed her blouse as the host introduced her and, to the welcoming sound of applause, she walked to the center of the stage.

  “Good morning. I’m Anna Price, the enologist from Crescent Lake Winery located in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.” She was bowled over to see the hall was almost full, with more people trickling in. She took a deep breath and exhaled the last of her nerves. With a smile, she said, “Let’s talk about wine.”

  21

  The sun peeked from behind a soft gray cloud as Anna and Colin motored through small, quaint villages on the drive to the coast.

  “Can you believe how well my presentation went yesterday? The detailed questions people asked about the acidit
y of soils and how it effects the juice and fermentation process— I mean, some people were newbies, but everyone was engaged in the conversation. It was more like a group of friends gathering to discuss wine.”

  Colin laughed softly from the passenger seat. She was basking in the afterglow of the conference and she should. As the speaker, people had wanted her to share her expertise.

  “Darlin’, of course they wanted to pick your brain. You’re Anna Price, one of the premier enologists in the business today.”

  She gave him a side-look. “Where did you come up with that?”

  “I listened when people were talking. Everyone wanted to hear what you had to say, and you nailed it.”

  “Well, thanks. It was nice we got to see Henri and Sophia before we left, but I didn’t see David after the event. Did you?”

  “No. As soon as it started to break up, he left.”

  “His agenda still puzzles me.”

  “Let’s not think of David Marchand and instead focus on food. It’s been hours since we’ve eaten.”

  She pulled up to the inn. “It’s too early to check in. Instead, let’s wander down the street to the art district and see if we can discover a charming café that’s still serving breakfast.”

  The aroma of cinnamon and yeast teased his taste buds.

  A sign said Seat Yourself, so they chose a table that overlooked the brick-lined street. A window box overflowed with trailing vines and colorful flowers.

  A young woman crossed the wide-plank wooden floor. “Good morning.” She handed them each a menu. “Would you like tea?”

  Anna took the laminated card and said, “Yes, please.” She looked at Colin. “Tea?”

  He smiled. “Yes.” He scanned the selections and set the menu aside. “Want to share the full English breakfast? I saw one yesterday and it’s an insanely huge amount of food.”

  Before Anna could respond, the girl returned with a tea pot and mugs. “Have you decided?”

  “May we have the full English breakfast with poached eggs, but is it possible to share it?”