“Was it all worth it to you?”
Caroline whipped around to find Sterling standing in the doorway that led to the terrace. He had not knocked again and walked in as if he owned the place. It didn’t matter that he did, he should have had more respect.
“Was what worth it? And I would appreciate you knocking next time.”
“At least, tell me why.”
“Why what?” She wasn’t certain what he was asking.
“Why you took over for your father.”
“I assumed that you already had that information.” It had been only a matter of time before someone said something and she was lucky that it hadn’t occurred before now.
“I would like to hear the reasons from you.” His tone was calmerand she dare not assume he understood.
“Because he could not any longer.” It was the truth and she was tired of deceptions. Enough damage had already been done and matters certainly could not get worse.
“Then why did he not just resign?”
“It is not that simple, Lord Wyndham.” It was impossible to call him Sterling any longer. That relationship was over and it pained her greatly.
“Explain it to me, Caroline.”
She turned away at hearing her name on his lips and fought the tears of everything that had been lost today. “What does it matter? You have made up your mind and sacked my father. If it did, you would have asked when I was back at the house. Instead, you treated me as if…as if you had no heart, much like you behaved when you first arrived.”
He sucked in a breath at the insult, but she did not care.
“I am sorry for that,” he offered. “I truly would like to know.”
There was sincerity in his eyes and in his tone, but did she trust that it was true?
Did it matter?
“When my parents first came here, they saw it as an adventure. A new experience. And, like your parents, mine were very happy here. It was my mother who took the most interest in the grapes. To father, it was another crop to manage along with the others. He understood the importance and that the wine needed to be superior or Wyndview Farm would fail, which he could not allow.”
“May I have one of those?” He pointed to her glass of brandy.
“I will return in a moment.”
Caroline left to retrieve a glass and tried to find more composure before she returned and handed it to him.
When she didn’t pour the brandy, he did.
“The vineyard was my mother’s favorite place. They enjoyedspending time there together and she was the one who started experimenting with grafting roots. She would spend hours while Father saw to the other duties required of his position.”
She paused and sipped before she continued. It wasn’t so much that it was difficult to talk to Wyndham, because she was used to having conversations with him. It was the fact that he was watching and waiting to disapprove that put her on edge. Still, she pushed through so that he would know her reasons, even if he never understood.
“As you already know, my mother died while I was sailing back to the Cape Colony. What I also found when I arrived was my father in deep mourning.”
Those were difficult days, for her and for him.
“Your mother was concerned, obviously, but she also had patience. She knew that it was a difficult time and that he would return to his duties fully or so she had hoped.”
“Yet he did not,” Sterling reminded her, his tone cold.
“No, he did not,” she admitted. “He would have resigned except he was anchored here because Mother loved it so and she is buried down the road.”
“Are you saying that your father fell into a melancholy state?”
