Sicilian Dreams (19 page)

‘What did you say to Marco?’ asked Kat.

‘Just that we are enjoying an amazing day and that he should be with us,’ said Cassie.

‘He would have been pleased to hear that. Davide said Marco had already paid him for our trip today.’

‘No way’ said Liz. ‘That is so nice. I can imagine him wanting to shout Cassie but not all of us.’

‘Let you in on a secret Cass’ said Kat, conspiratorially, leaning in close to Cassie and Liz. ‘Davide said that he has never heard Marco sounding so excited about someone when he called him to book the boat trip. Sounds like you might have stolen his heart,’ she ginned at Cassie. Cassie’s stomach did another flip as she heard this and she tried to look at them nonchalantly, but failed miserably.

‘I think they’ve stolen each others hearts,’ said Liz teasingly. ‘It’s not like you to be tongue tied Cassie.’ she added.

‘It’s all just happened so fast’ she wailed, throwing her hands up into the air. ‘I mean, I am trying to keep some sort of perspective on the whole thing, but my head and my heart are saying two different things. I mean, look at it this way. One. We’re madly attracted to one another, but I hardly know the guy. Two. I want to trust him, but a guy like that has got to have some history with women, and three, he 0is geographically undesirable. I live on the other side of the world. It’s not exactly like I can leap on a plane every other weekend to see him.’ She dropped her gelato cup into the bin, and shading her eyes as she scanned the bay for the guy in the dingy. Talking about Marco had just made
her want to get back to Cefalu and see him again. Soon. So, no perspective really, she thought. I can’t wait to clap eyes on him again.

Liz looked at her knowingly. ‘You know, you are just afraid of getting hurt again Cass. I understand everything you’ve just said, but the bottom line is you are afraid. And rightly so, given your last love affair, but you can’t live like this for the rest of your life, too scared to love someone for fear of failure.’

‘There’s our ride,’ said Kat, waving at the dingy and starting to hop back down the beach to the sea. Once everyone was back on board, Davide announced that they would head back around the island before starting their trip back to the mainland, arriving in Cefalu at around 6pm. The trip back to the mainland passed uneventfully, except when they all raced on deck at one stage to see a pod of dolphins swimming alongside the boat for several hundred meters, leaping and diving, moving through the water with grace and speed.

As the Allegro sailed into the marina and moved alongside the jetty, Cassie looked out the cabin window and saw Marco pull up in his X5. He climbed out and start walking along the wharf towards them as Paulo and Gianni secured the boat to the jetty and made ready the gang way. Thanking Davide profusely for the wonderful day, Cassie’s grin got even wider as she stepped off the gang way and saw Marco. ‘I didn’t expect to see you’ she said, ‘thank you so much for today.’ ‘I missed you,’ he whispered into her ear as he lowered his head to kiss her on both cheeks, his hands resting lightly on her sides. ‘I’m very happy my meetings ended early’ he added, now looking up and grinning at Kat and Liz who had come to stand beside them.

‘Marco, thank you so much for our trip to the islands. That was very generous but naughty of you to pay for us all,’ said Liz.

‘Yes’ chimed in Kat. ‘We had a fantastic time and Davide is a great host.’ She grinned at Marco and then turned back to wave once more to David.

‘You are very welcome,’ said Marco, smiling. ‘I’m just sorry I couldn’t join you.’

‘Ciao Marco’ yelled Davide from the deck. ‘Grazie mille for sending me three beautiful ladies to entertain. It was very generous of you,’ he laughed.

‘Si, and you look too happy about it. Next time, I come too.’ replied Marco, waving as they started to walk down the long wharf to the car. He used the remote to unlock his car as they came close and had opened the passenger door for Cassie before she had time think about it.

‘Follow me when we reach the estate’ said Marco to Liz and Kat. ‘We are going to have a wine tasting.’ He winked at them and they waved before climbing into the mini.

The traffic wasn’t heavy and they were soon ascending the hills behind Cefalu, the mini close behind them.

‘How did your presentation go?’ said Cassie.

‘Okay. This is just the first round, we will have several more meetings before things are finalized, but Luca and I felt quietly confident that they liked our concept designs and were comfortable with the budget projections.’ He looked over at Cassie and grinned.

‘But it was hard to keep my mind on things because I kept thinking about you. I hope the clients’ thought that I was preoccupied with their plans, but Luca wasn’t fooled. When we took a break at lunchtime, he told me to snap out of it. You are a witch Cassandra. You have cast a spell over me and now I cannot even work properly.’

‘Has my spell caused you to drive erratically too?’ asked Cassie. ‘Please stop looking at me and concentrate on the roads. Liz will think you are crazy.’

‘Ha. She is a fast driver too, no?’ said Marco. ‘I don’t think she will mind, in fact it looks like she could overtake me unless I go faster,’ he said, laughing and putting his foot down. They are all idiot drivers here thought Cassie, gripping her armrest and gritting her teeth.

They made it back to the estate in record time and then followed Marco as he turned off onto a small side road near the entrance gates. Past a stand of trees, they came upon an old, double story stone building with large arched doors set in its
center. Marco pulled into a parking space and Liz slid the mini in neatly beside him.

‘Ladies first,’ said Marco, opening the heavy doors with a flourish and waving his arm in a flourish to let them go in first.

‘Oh, this is exciting Marco’ said Liz. ‘Is it alright if we take photos?’

‘No problem’ said Marco. ‘You will need your flash in the cellars as it is quite dark down there.’

‘No spiders I hope’ said Kat, stepping tentatively through the big doors into the cool gloom of the tasting room.

‘Only drunk ones’ replied Marco, grinning wickedly at her. ‘Don’t worry, it is only the hung-over ones you have to watch, and they tend hide away until they recover.’ He flipped a switch and a beautiful old cast iron chandelier with at least twelve branches cast a golden light over the dim room.

It was simply furnished, with a large wooden table set in the center and two wine barrels off to the side. One of the barrels had in indented top made of copper.

‘The spittoon.’ said Marco as Cassie went over to peer into it. Cassie glanced at the old photos on the wall. It was a visual history of the winery stretching back several generations.

‘I bet you don’t make the wine like this anymore’ she said to Marco indicating a black and white photograph of two women in peasant clothes holding up their skirts and stomping on piles of grapes.

‘Unfortunately not because it looks like fun. At least initially’ he said, going across to a large open shelving area and selecting several bottles of wine, which he brought back to the table.

‘Okay ladies, I have several wines for you to taste today, from old to new. We start with the most special one first. He pushed forward a dusty looking bottle of uncertain vintage. Cassie thought she could see cobwebs decorating the dark cork. There was no label, just a simple chalk mark on the side of the bottle, the significance of which Marco explained.

‘This bottle of wine was made by my grandfather using the Nero d’avola grapes grown here in his time. You will see it has no label and no capsule over the cork. That is because when it has a capsule you have to pay tax on it. He used a simple metal corkscrew to take out the cork and pour a measure into each glass.

‘We don’t have many of these left but I would like you to taste the difference between the wine they used to make here and the wine we produce today. Salute.’ They touched glasses and sipped.

‘Mm, this is smoother than I would have thought’ said Liz, appreciatively.

‘I can taste plums and soil,’ said Kat, sniffing into her glass then taking a healthy swig.

‘Yes, it has a high tannin level,’ explained Marco. ‘It is a very good wine with hearty food, like roasted game. The style of this wine is often compared to a Syrah.’

Cassie sipped at hers slowly. She could imagine a big wine like this being enjoyed on a cold winters day beside a roaring fire. Marco smiled and winked at her, while Kat wandered over to the shelves and starting looking through several books on wine.

‘Okay, ready to try the next one?’ he said. They nodded. Nobody had used the spittoon so grandpa’s wine had passed the taste test thought Cassie.

‘This is last year’s vintage. Notice the lighter color of the wine. You will taste the lighter flavor also.’ He handed them each a glass. We have used light oak barrels for several years because people’s tastes are changing and they prefer the lighter, less oaky, flavored wines. These are Guillet barrels, the finest light, toasted oak barrels in the world, sourced by my agent in France, M.Batley-Burton.

‘Oh, this is delicious,’ said Liz. ‘The first one was powerful but this seems like a wine you could drink everyday and one which would lend itself to many different types of food.’

Kat nodded in agreement. ‘Can I take a case home with me?’

‘Sure’ laughed Marco. ‘We only export a small quantity but I can always send you more if you like.’ he added. Cassie felt the wine slipping down her throat easily and she watched Marco covertly as he answered Liz’s questions. He is really passionate about this thought Cassie. It is such a shame he and his father don’t get on because he seems to be in his element.

‘Now for the last one. This is from three years ago and I consider it our best vintage so far. It seems to combine all the essential characteristics of a modern day Nero d’avola wine.’

He passed them each another glass of the jewel colored liquid. They sipped and agreed, Kat even moved to say that ‘it is a cheeky wine with very subtle overtones.’ in a deep, sonorous voice, which made everyone laugh.

‘So that is the finished wine. Would you like a barrel tasting to complete your tour?’

‘Absolutely’ said Liz. ‘I’ve never had an actual barrel tasting before although I have heard about them.’

‘Good, okay, bring your glasses. Andiamo.’

At the back of the room was a staircase, which Marco led them down, his hand lightly touching the small of Cassie’s back as they descended. This took them into a large underground cavern with arched ceilings made of brick. There was no natural light in the cellar apart from two small high windows at the back and Marco and stopped at the bottom of the stairs turned on some dim, overhead lights. It was noticeably cooler than upstairs and felt damp. Cassie shivered involuntarily and Marco stood behind her and rubbed her arms with his hands.

‘This is the barrel room,’ he announced going over to a set of barrels and taking hold of a thin plastic tube protruding from the barrel. ‘This is a thief, a pipette. We use it for sampling the wine as it matures in the barrels. He took their glasses in turn and poured a small measure into each of them. ‘This wine has been fermenting in the barrels for 1 year.’ They sipped as Marco explained the aging process and then he led them over to another set of barrels. ‘These have been maturing for 18 months now. You will taste quite a difference between the two.

‘This one has a more finished taste,’ commented Liz.

‘Leave me down here, I’m happy with this one.’ said Kat and Marco laughed.

‘I’m glad you like it. The grapes come from the highest point on our land, the part that also catches the most sun. The grapes from the first barrel you tasted come from another part of the estate. They do not enjoy such a superior position so the quality is less than the second barrels. We will produce two labels to identify these different characteristics and also maybe make a blend of the two grapes to produce a wine with the characteristics of each.’

‘It definitely has a lighter finish on the palate’ said Liz, twirling her glass and holding it up to the light.

‘This one has a very elegant finish,’ commented Cassie. ‘I would like a case of this when it is bottled’ she added smiling at Marco.

‘Of course’ he said, but his smile was slight and Cassie wondered what she had done to offend him.

They finished their wine and with pink cheeks they headed back up the stairs, thanking Marco for the wonderful experience.

‘It was my pleasure. It is not often I have the pleasure of the company of three such beautiful, intelligent women. I will leave you to go and relax at Villa Tramonte now.’

He smiled at Liz and Kat and nodded to Cassie. What on earth have I done thought Cassie? He sure seems annoyed about something. She felt a little light headed from the wine and didn’t try vaulting into the mini this time; instead climbing sedately into the passenger seat; as Kat tried to and fell head first into the backseat, her long legs sticking up like to poles as she rolled around laughing.

‘Oh Kat, you are a goon.’ said Liz, laughing at her as she revved up the engine and they shot out of the winery parking area. ‘That was fun, but right now, I need a shower and then I need some dinner.’

It felt blissful to sink into warm water of the deep oval shaped bathtub and Cassie closed her eyes in delight. She had added some lavender bath salts and lit the two large scented candles which sat on a low Japanese table and they cast a soft light over the dark brown marble tiled walls and floor. It felt womb like and Cassie sunk deeper into the tub until her chin was touching the scented water. She felt pleasantly tired after the long day and was looking forward to having dinner with the girls and then climbing into bed. Her thoughts immediately returned to Marco and his strange behavior at the winery. Whatever could be eating him she wondered, a small frown creasing her brow?