the mold and tartrate deposits from the inside and
outside of the redwood and oak tanks, and scrub them with soda ash and
potassium permanganate. That will be a hard, dirty task, and I will need men to
help me."
Alice eyes narrowed during his enthusiastic recital. "I see. And how many men
will you need for this housecleaning project?"
"At least five," Siegfried replied, ignoring the suspicion in her voice.
"For how long?"
"Until crush. Three months, perhaps a little more. Also, the crusher and pumps
are in dire need of cleaning and maintenance. We will have to remove as much of
the rust and corrosion as we can from the pipes and fittings. I saw only a single
crusher, and a very small one at that. A second crusher, much larger, is needed.
The bottling equipment is inadequate as well. We must replace all of the pumps
and pipes with nickel-plated--"
Alice fixed him with a cold stare. There was nothing in her face now of the
solicitous angel who had fed him or of the vulnerable girl whose treasure had
tarnished in her keeping. "Your grandfather made perfectly good wine with that
equipment. You said so yourself last night. With barely three months to go before
the harvest, I cannot possibly tear out machinery that's in working order."
"I cannot guarantee good results with the existing equipment."
She shook her head. "An hour ago, you said it couldn't be done at all!"
"Ah-lees," Siegfried, said, his accent slipping, "I have thought this over. We
can do it. We can make wine at Montclair."
"Great wine?" she asked, and bit her lower lip uncertainly.
Could she be wavering? "The best." He had to convince her.
The shrill vibration of the phone intruded. "I'll get that!" Alice sprang to her feet
and rushed into the hallway.
"Hello?" Siegfried heard her say, cautiously. Then her voice changed. "Oh,
Grandmother Tati--how nice to hear from you. Siegfried and I were just finishing
supper."
A silence, then Alice said, a little stiffly, "Certainly. I'll ask him to come to the
phone... Siegfried!"
He left the dining room, took the small receiver from her, and spoke down into
the cone-shaped mouthpiece. "Hallo, Oma?"
"Oh, Friddy--but I mustn't call you that anymore. You're all grown up now.
Siegfried. I just wanted to find out how things were going."
"They are going well," Siegfried slanted a glance at Alice's back. She had
returned to the dining room and was stacking the plates. "Alice is a wonderful
cook, and she has made me feel very welcome."
"That's good," Tati said, and immediately asked, "Have you had a chance to
look over the winery yet?"
"Well, it's all very...dusty." Siegfried saw Alice stop, and her back become rigid.
"But the vineyards are in the best order, and everything else will be fine by
crush."
"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that, dear!" Tati said. "Please let me know if you need
anything. I want so much to help you. And do let me know how you're getting
along with Alice. I know that Montclair will be all right, now that you're there."
"Alice has been taking very good care of Montclair," Siegfried said, quickly.
Alice knocked over a glass, and it rang against the edge of a plate. The sound
stopped as she snatched it up. "You need not have worried. We shall get along
very well together."
They rang off, and Siegfried went into the dining room. Alice had disappeared,
so he picked up a serving platter and joined her in the kitchen.
"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" Alice asked, stooped defensively over the
dishpan. "That I've ruined everything!"
"Because you have not," Siegfried replied, surprised by his desire to put a
comforting arm around her. "You have taken very good care of the house and the
vineyard. It was not your fault that no one explained to you how to care for the
winery."
The gratitude in her eyes made him feel heroic. And besides, he decided, he
had not really lied to Oma. He would have everything in order by crush--or he
would die trying.
* * *
They spent the afternoon in the winery, doing a
outside of the redwood and oak tanks, and scrub them with soda ash and
potassium permanganate. That will be a hard, dirty task, and I will need men to
help me."
Alice eyes narrowed during his enthusiastic recital. "I see. And how many men
will you need for this housecleaning project?"
"At least five," Siegfried replied, ignoring the suspicion in her voice.
"For how long?"
"Until crush. Three months, perhaps a little more. Also, the crusher and pumps
are in dire need of cleaning and maintenance. We will have to remove as much of
the rust and corrosion as we can from the pipes and fittings. I saw only a single
crusher, and a very small one at that. A second crusher, much larger, is needed.
The bottling equipment is inadequate as well. We must replace all of the pumps
and pipes with nickel-plated--"
Alice fixed him with a cold stare. There was nothing in her face now of the
solicitous angel who had fed him or of the vulnerable girl whose treasure had
tarnished in her keeping. "Your grandfather made perfectly good wine with that
equipment. You said so yourself last night. With barely three months to go before
the harvest, I cannot possibly tear out machinery that's in working order."
"I cannot guarantee good results with the existing equipment."
She shook her head. "An hour ago, you said it couldn't be done at all!"
"Ah-lees," Siegfried, said, his accent slipping, "I have thought this over. We
can do it. We can make wine at Montclair."
"Great wine?" she asked, and bit her lower lip uncertainly.
Could she be wavering? "The best." He had to convince her.
The shrill vibration of the phone intruded. "I'll get that!" Alice sprang to her feet
and rushed into the hallway.
"Hello?" Siegfried heard her say, cautiously. Then her voice changed. "Oh,
Grandmother Tati--how nice to hear from you. Siegfried and I were just finishing
supper."
A silence, then Alice said, a little stiffly, "Certainly. I'll ask him to come to the
phone... Siegfried!"
He left the dining room, took the small receiver from her, and spoke down into
the cone-shaped mouthpiece. "Hallo, Oma?"
"Oh, Friddy--but I mustn't call you that anymore. You're all grown up now.
Siegfried. I just wanted to find out how things were going."
"They are going well," Siegfried slanted a glance at Alice's back. She had
returned to the dining room and was stacking the plates. "Alice is a wonderful
cook, and she has made me feel very welcome."
"That's good," Tati said, and immediately asked, "Have you had a chance to
look over the winery yet?"
"Well, it's all very...dusty." Siegfried saw Alice stop, and her back become rigid.
"But the vineyards are in the best order, and everything else will be fine by
crush."
"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that, dear!" Tati said. "Please let me know if you need
anything. I want so much to help you. And do let me know how you're getting
along with Alice. I know that Montclair will be all right, now that you're there."
"Alice has been taking very good care of Montclair," Siegfried said, quickly.
Alice knocked over a glass, and it rang against the edge of a plate. The sound
stopped as she snatched it up. "You need not have worried. We shall get along
very well together."
They rang off, and Siegfried went into the dining room. Alice had disappeared,
so he picked up a serving platter and joined her in the kitchen.
"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" Alice asked, stooped defensively over the
dishpan. "That I've ruined everything!"
"Because you have not," Siegfried replied, surprised by his desire to put a
comforting arm around her. "You have taken very good care of the house and the
vineyard. It was not your fault that no one explained to you how to care for the
winery."
The gratitude in her eyes made him feel heroic. And besides, he decided, he
had not really lied to Oma. He would have everything in order by crush--or he
would die trying.
* * *
They spent the afternoon in the winery, doing a
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