Behind Every Cloud (15 page)

Ronan helped Sam to tidy up and after Sam had locked up they headed for their pint.

“
That was really interesting,
”
Ronan said.
“
You
’
re a born teacher.
”

“
Thank you,
”
Sam said modestly.
“
I get a great kick out of sharing my passion for wine. It
’
s a challenge for me to fire someone
’
s interest in it. I really enjoy running these courses.
”

“
Well, you certainly fired some of us up tonight. It
’
s a fascinating subject.
”

Sam smiled happily and they made small talk until they arrived at the bar.

“
I
’
ll get this,
”
Ronan insisted, grateful to Sam for the evening.

“
You said you work for a firm of architects
,”
Sam queried him as they took the first sips of their Guinness.
“
How are things in the business? I guess it must be pretty dire at the moment with the state of things in the property market.
”

“
Dire isn
’
t the word. I
’
m afraid I
’
ll be out of a job soon.
”
Ronan looked dejected as he spoke.
“
There
’
s just nothing coming in and I fear the company I work for is about to close down.
”

“
God, I
’
m sorry,
”
Sam commiserated with him. He
’
d heard of professionals taking jobs in McDonald
’
s to help pay the mortgage.
“
Do you have a family?
”

“
Just a wife.
”

Sam saw the way Ronan
’
s mouth turned downwards at
the mention of her. Things were obviously not good betwe
en them. There but for the grace of God go I, Sam thought, thinking of the narrow escape he
’
d had with Amy, his ex-partner.

“
I was actually wondering
. . .”
Ronan continued, lookin
g away in embarrassment,
“
the part-time staff you were looking for in your shops . . .
”
He hesitated.
“
Well, I was wondering if you would consider me for the job?
”

Sam was taken aback but when he saw the look in Ronan
’
s eyes he realised that he was deadly serious. What had things come to in this country when a qualified draughtsman had to plead for a job in a wine shop?
Sam had taken a liking to the elegant, well-spoken man. He didn
’
t too often come across people as genuine as Ronan appeared to be.

“
Of course
–
I
’
d be delighted to have you
!”
Sam smiled reassuringly at him.
“
Why don
’
t you call around to my house tomorrow night at
–
say
–
eight thirty and we
’
ll discuss it?
”

Ronan smiled in relief.
“
Thank you, Sam, I
’
d apprecia
te that.
”

They shook hands on it.

12

Ellie had promised her mother that she would colour her hair for her after the wine course, which was why she
’
d declined to go for a drink with the guys. She arrived home to find Marie-Noelle waiting and ready with the colour already mixed.

Ellie pulled on the rubber gloves and
,
as she parted the hair and started to apply the cream, she excitedly told her mother all about the evening.

“
It was brilliant! I learnt so much. It
’
s really a fascinati
ng
subject,
”
she exclaimed breathlessly.
“
And Sam is a brilliant l
ecturer. I never felt the two hours go by.
”

Marie-Noelle was delighted with this new-found interest.
As she listened to Ellie gabbling on, she smiled to herself. Ellie had been hopeless at school, not because she was stupid but because her mind was so active, darting here and there. She was easily distracted so couldn
’
t concentrate on any one thing for very long. This had frustrated her teachers who had found it hard to hold the child
’
s interest for any length of time. But they told Marie-Noelle, who had known it already, that Ellie was exceptionally bright and that once she found her niche, she would be very successful. Sadly, it just wasn
’
t to be found in school. Her exam results had been dismal but her mother had hoped that as Ellie matured she would find her métier.
She got the job as receptionist and odd-job girl in the beauty salon just a week after leaving school. Marie-Noelle had hoped she would find something else more challenging eventually but
,
five years down the road, Ellie was still there.

She was too easy-going and happy-go-lucky. Marie-Noelle often wished that Ellie had inherited some of Sandrine
’
s ambition. Her older daughter certainly had enough of it to go round and would benefit if she could exchange it for some of Ellie
’
s happy nature. Marie-Noelle sighed. They were as they were and she had to accept it but
,
hearing her daughter
’
s enthusiasm for this wine course, she dared to think that maybe things were about to ch
ange.

As they waited for the colour to take, Ellie recounted the tasting and had her mother in stitches as she described how they
’
d all spluttered trying to master it. She then described the other students in such detail that Marie-Noelle felt as if she
’
d been at the course herself. Ellie had missed nothing and left out no detail. Marie-Noelle thought she would make a terrific journalist.

“
Carl Dunne
’
s wife was there
–
you know
,
the good-looking politician
–
and holy moly, you should see her! She is just per-fect! Fabulous skin and hair and her shoes were to die for. I felt so scruffy beside her
.”

“
Well, I suppose she has to look good all the time with the paparazzi always on the prowl. I see her photo in the paper every second day. What
’
s she like?
”

“
That
’
s just it – she
’
s lovely. She
’
s very friendly and really interested in everyone
.”

Laughing at her daughter
’
s enthusiasm, her mother finally went to shampoo the colour out.

“
Sam is brilliant. He knows so much about wine,
”
Ellie remarked as she blow
-
dried her mother
’
s hair
.

“
How did he get interested in it?
”

“
He went on a student exchange to Bordeaux and the family he stayed with owned a winery. He loved it there and later dropped out of school and went back there to work with them. He says it
’
s a fabulous place.
”

“
Oh, it is. I have fond memories of the one time Mother took me there as a child to visit my grandmother who was ill. She died shortly afterwards.
”

“
I
’
d love to go there. Does that cousin of yours still keep in touch?
”

“
Yes indeed. Josette writes every Christmas.
”

“
Wouldn
’
t it be fun to take a trip there? We could visit some wine places and you could meet up with her,
”
Ellie said excitedly.

“
Maybe we will. That would be nice. I
’
ll write to Josett
e tomorrow.
”

After hugging her daughter goodnight Marie-Noelle sat thinking about the possibility of returning to Bordeaux with Ellie. It would be so wonderful. Maybe Sandrine would come too. Yes, she
’
d definitely have to look into it.

Rachel arrived home from the wine course to discover that Carl was still not home. She checked on the children and then
,
kicking off her shoes, she changed into her dressing-gown. She opened a bottle of wine and curled up on the sofa to read the
literature that Sam had given them. She had thoroughly enjoyed the evening. She
’
d never imagined that so much went into the making of wine and was thrilled that she
’
d decided to join the course. Sam was so knowledgeable and made it all so interesting. Yes, she was going to enjoy the next eight weeks. The others at her table were very nice people too. Ellie was a darling and Ronan a thorough gentleman. She didn
’
t quite know what to make of Zita but she
’
d been very friendly and Rachel found her intriguing. She looked forward to getting to know her better
.

When Carl arrived home he raised his eyebrows to see his wife with an almost empty bottle of wine in front of her.

“
Well, how was the wine course?
”
he asked, throwing off his jacket.

“
Fabulous! I loved it,
”
she said as she reached up for a kiss.

“
Doing your homework, I see,
”
he said, lifting the wine bottle.
“
This is becoming a bit of a habit.
”

“
Absolutely! Sam said we
’
re to taste as much as possi
ble during the week.
”

Carl heard the slight slur in her voice and poured the rest of the wine into a glass for himself, figuring that Rachel had had enough. He drank it quickly and then stood up.

“
I
’
m wrecked. Time for bed. You coming?
”

Reluctantly Rachel left her wine and joined him.

Zita climbed the four flights of stairs to her apartment
,
anticipating an early night
,
but as she put her key in the lock her friend Marcus stuck his head out of the next
-
door apartment and waved a bottle of wine.

“
Well, how
’
s the new wine expert?
”
he asked, grinning
.
“
Want to come in and tell me which end of the vineyard this comes from?
”

“
Oh, shut it!
”
she replied, laughing at him but resigning herself to joining h
im. If Marcus wanted to chat she might as well do it comfortably over a glass of wine.

“
Well, tell me, tell me – what
’
s the gossip?
”
he asked as he poured the wine for them.

Marcus was the biggest gossip in the land. He was also as gay as Christmas and he was probably the only true friend she had. He had managed to worm all of her secrets out of her – well, not all, but most of them. He knew things about her that nobody else did and yet still he accepted her as she was. Of course, Marcus had more than a few shady secrets in his own past.

“
And how was Lady Dunne tonight? Have you persuaded her to be your BFF?
”

Zita laughed. She had shared her plans with Marcus about how she was going to use Carl Dunne to forward her career. He thought it was a brilliant idea.
He loved intrigue almost as much as gossip.

“
Best Friends Forever?
Actually, I was surprised. She
’
s quite nice and very friendly. A total airhead, of course, but it
’
s hard not to like her.
”
She got up to read the label of the wine bottle.
“
Mmmm . . . I thought so. Bordeaux.
”