Chapter 3

“You just had to let your father meet her first, didn’t you?” Mother asked after I greeted her with a light kiss and hug.

I laughed. Samantha had stopped by to offer any assistance grandmother needed in the final days before the masquerade ball while I was at the gym with Devon. Grandmother had naturally been polite enough to introduce her to my father, Charles since they were having tea at the time. Father had taken no time at all before informing my mother that he had warned the girl to be wary.

“It only seemed fair, since you met Aurora first. The next lady I date, I’ll be sure you are introduced to before him,” I teased.

She laughed as well and hugged me back. “I’m so glad you’re finding some joy here, Cosimo. I was afraid you would be all work and no play. It’s the high season and you deserve to have some fun.”

I joined my parents and grandmother on her private balcony with the harbor laid out below us. Seven and Eight were in attendance and Seven hurried to provide me with a glass of ice water.

“So, what news from San Mateo or the Capital?” I asked.

“Let’s wait on that for now,” Grandmother insisted. “Sahmir will be here tomorrow and then we can have a better picture of the situation. I think we would all rather hear about your lovely young lady friend, Cosimo. You must have made quite an impression on her for her to offer to assist an old lady with the masquerade.”

The teasing in her voice was evident. I reluctantly shared some of our experiences and conversations from the day of the dance troupe preview, our lunch date on this past Seventh day, and the progressive dinner party that followed. We had then gone for a private dinner at the rooftop restaurant at the club on Ninth day, followed by a sunset stroll along the harbor. Mother smiled broadly at the details I shared.

“And I heard you danced divinely,” she crowed. “I told you years ago those lessons would serve you well, didn’t I?”

Twice a week for nearly a year in San Mateo I had been required to take dance lessons at the club. I had disliked the idea of them when mother forced me to attend, but had secretly enjoyed the confidence they gave me when dealing with school-aged girls. I had never let on that I found them fun once I developed a sense of rhythm.

“Thank you, mother, for insisting I learn to dance.”

She pretended to swoon at my words. “Finally, our son appreciates me,” she said to my father who was trying not to laugh out loud. He knew that my dance instructor had taught me more than dancing. I always wondered if mother knew as well.

“So, when will I get to meet Miss Dennison?” my mother asked. “Are you seeing her tonight? Surely there’s a ball on Tenth Day here.”

“The acting guild has a performance, but it’s sold out,” I said.

“Nonsense,” Grandmother said. “I have a box reserved for all performances here in Cardino, even if I seldom attend more than half. The Dennison’s have a box two doors down from mine,” she added with a smile.

“Charles,” my mother said to my father. “It’s been ages since I’ve gone to the theater. Will you take me?” She over did the batting of her eyelids.

“Of course, my dear. Would our son and your mother care to join us?”

Parents should not take such joy in tormenting their children.

“So they are not looking for the boy?” Grandmother asked after Sahmir finished speaking.

“That’s correct, at least as far as I can determine,” our buyer from San Mateo said. “They expressed no interest in purchasing him when I raised the possibility. Scorn was all they showed. However, they were looking for clues about who attended several dinner meetings more than a year ago. I suspect the wife of the high guilder is their target.”

Grandmother nodded. “Cosimo, your guess was correct, but we still don’t know exactly what they are looking for.”

“But now we’ve a better idea,” father said. “Let Cosimo and I ask Twelve some more questions about dinner guests from a year or so ago. We can then chase down their names and see if they were part of the net we captured, or still outside. I can’t help but think it’s related to what the guilder was developing.”

“That makes sense,” Mother agreed. “In the meantime, I’ll take Sahmir over to the club and we can review records and training for those indents he will return to San Mateo with. We need some trained staff in several locations.”

Sahmir smiled at my mother, but looked for agreement from my grandmother. Father and I headed for my apartment.

“Twelve,” I called as I entered.

She appeared from the kitchen and hurried to kneel before us. “Master?”

I motioned for her to rise and spotted Ten and Eleven coming down the hallway. “Ten, fetch us all some tea, please. Eleven, join us.” I motioned to the dining table.

“Twelve, we need to ask some more questions about your prior life. We are trying to determine if you recall who might have attended several dinner meetings over a year ago.”

She frowned.

“This slave’s former household held many dinner parties and meetings over the course of a year, master. This slave can hardly remember them all, let alone who attended.”

Eleven looked up.

“Master,” Eleven said. “This slave’s mother used to keep a kitchen journal with notes of all parties and dinners. Often she would list who attended and if they had any dietary requirements.”

Twelve nodded. “Eleven is right. This slave did document such things, so she would not make a mistake or serve the same dishes over and over.”

“Where would this journal have been kept?” Father asked.

“It was with the cookbooks,” Eleven said. “On the top shelf in the kitchen pantry.”

Father sighed. “I don’t know if the house has been cleaned out or sold yet,” he admitted. “I’d best go make some calls.”

“Twelve,” I said as my father left. “Can you think back to any visitors who would have been very deferential to your husband, and nervous about some other guest attending? We think it would have been researchers from his company or guild. I think they would have met more than once. Do you recall anyone who might fit that description?”

Twelve sat silently, thinking.

“What about that dinner near the autumnal equinox last year?” Eleven suggested.

Twelve glanced up. “You did not attend. Why did you think of that dinner?”

“This slave’s father tried to force me to attend. It was afterward that he informed this slave that she would be married to the Muskeleon son. Something must have happened then to cement his plans and whatever reward he thought he was gaining.”

“It’s possible,” Twelve agreed. “There were six guests at dinner, none with companions. This slave and your sister served them, but did not join at the table.”

“Was that unusal,” I asked.

Twelve shrugged. “A quarter of the time business dinners were more business than dinner.”

“Do you remember who attended?”

Twelve shook her head. “This slave recalls them, but not their names. One was a woman, but she seemed more bookish than business. She wore glasses, and her hair was hardly flattering, but this slave doesn’t recall her name. She was a doctor, though. They all were, except for Sergey Muskeleon and this slave’s former husband.”

We were frustratingly close. I jotted down the rough description and then asked for more details, prying everything Twelve could recall.

“Eleven,” I said as Twelve started repeating her descriptions. “Please go request Seven attend us, with her misteresses permission. If she helped serve dinner that night, she may recall additional details.”

“Yes, master,” Eleven said as she rose and hurried from the room.

By the time Seven joined us, father had returned as well. He was pleased with the descriptions and the date of the dinner, since it appeared the house had already been cleared out. He had some local agents looking for the kitchen journal, but knew that was a long-shot now.

Seven knelt next to my chair and I explained what we were seeking.

“This slave recalls the evening master,” she said. “This slave’s mother always insisted on memorizing guest names to ensure proper forms of address were used when business associates were dining. Doctor Vanda Kenyon was the woman present that night. She was joined by Doctors Dryden, Iansiti, and Gaylin as well as Master Muskeleon.”

Twelve smiled, as did my father.

“Excellent, Seven,” I said. “You have been very helpful, and have a wonderful memory. Thank you. I will commend your service to your mistress. Well done.”

Seven smiled at the praise, rose, and departed. The sway of her hips caught both my and my father’s eye.

Once she was gone, father spoke. “I’ll get looking for these doctors. I’m not familiar with any of their names, which means they were not likely caught in the original sweep. Can you go inform your grandmother of our progress, Cosimo?”

“Of course. Twelve, Eleven, well done as well.”

Grandmother accepted my report and called Seven to us.

“Cosimo has told me how helpful you’ve been in our work today, Seven. What would you choose for a reward for your help?”

Seven looked surprised. I held my breath, hoping she would not over-ask. Her situation could not be changed much, and a reward for her could not change her sentence.

She seemed to understand that as she took a quick breath, then lowered her eyes.

“This slave would like to join Master Cosimo’s slaves when they next go to the beach to swim.”

“Excellent,” Grandmother said. “Cosimo, I think all of your girls and Seven could use a little reward. Please see that you make time for a swim today.”

“Of course, grandmother,” I said.

“Hello, Cosimo,” Samantha said brightly as I stepped around the corner heading to the club’s employee entrance. I was surprised to see her. It was mid-morning, and I was just hurrying to duck down a small cobbled alleyway that had become my preferred short-cut for getting into the offices without walking around to the main entrance.

“Good morning, beautiful lady,” I replied as I stopped to give her a chance to catch up with me. She was wearing a pair of tight black leggings, and matching leotard with a loose knit sweater tied around her waist. She had a bulky dancer’s bag hanging from her shoulder and bottle of water in her hand. Her thick dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, highlighting her supple neck and cheekbones, dimples, and full lips. She was glowing. I assumed she had been at a dance workout of some sort.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” she asked as she reached my side and rose up on her toes to give my cheek a quick kiss.

“Grandmother has insisted that I get out of the house and office to take care of some business at the vineyards. I’m borrowing a car and driver from the club to run out there. Where are you coming from?” I asked as I offered to take her bag.

She gave a little shake of her head, smiling at my offer and then flicked her dark hair over her shoulder. “I just finished a morning workout in the club’s gymnasium. The choreographer for LehraKay invited me to their private morning session. I’ve been to several of them over the past ten-day. How long do you think your business at the vineyard will take?” she asked as she linked arms with me and we resumed our walk down the alley.

“Only a couple of hours, I hope. I need to finish some other work for the parade this afternoon.”

Grandmother’s final gala was the capstone of the high season, but the parade from the train station down to the city square and plaza at the front of the club was what the vast majority of the city’s inhabitants would see. Low and high guilds joined the parade, led by dancers and musicians from the club as well as other hired street performers. Grandmother also arranged for most of the plebeian and low-guild pubs in the city to have a fair share of free or low-cost ciders, ales and wines which would be served to all of the party goers. Entertainments for the children were also arranged, and there would be a large fireworks display later in the evening that the whole town would enjoy. She insisted that everyone in Cardino had a chance to enjoy at least a little of the high season. It was one of the things that made her the ‘Grand Dame’, and much loved in the city. Of course, she thought it was important that I learn all of the planning and logistics that made such an event happen.

“Would it be scandalous if I went with you, without my aunt?” Samantha asked.

“It’s not like we’ll be alone,” I teased. “The club is providing a driver and we’re meeting Master Toscano and grandmother’s vineyard foreman out there.”

She faked a pout and then laughed. “Perfect. My virtue will remain intact for today and my aunt and father can’t complain about my behavior.”

“Oh, your father’s here?”

She nodded. “Arrived last night, along with my brothers and sisters. Everyone want’s to be here for the parade and masquerade. Aunt Lousie is enjoying playing hostess, even though it’s really fathers house. I love my family, but will be glad to not have to listen to the re-telling of the whole season over the next few hours. You can be my perfect excuse to not run straight home.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not, but I’ll enjoy your company for the morning,” I said.

We came out of the alley and spotted a black car and driver waiting for us near the back of the club. I waved and she hurried to open the door for us. The car was not large, given it’s need to manuever through the narrow streets of the city, but it was comfortable. Samantha’s bag was put in the small trunk and she grabbed my hand as soon as I slid into the back seat with her. Soon we were on our way.

I asked about her father and family and we passed the drive in pleasant conversation.

“Isn’t that your grandmother’s vineyard?” she asked as we went past the gate to her property.

“Yes. We’re going to the one next door,” I said. “The one we strolled through the other day.”

“The one you’re buying?” she asked, suddenly playing coy.

“The one I’m inheriting,” I admitted.

She smiled at the trust I was showing her. “So, you’ll be a land owner when you meet my family,” she teased. “That will sound much better than just a club manager.”

I laughed. She had given more than enough hints that she knew full well my family was more than High Guilders. “Yes, you can introduce me as a land-owner when I meet them at the masquerade.”

She frowned. “Two days? You’re going to make me wait two more days to show you off to them?”

“I need the mask to hide behind, I’m afraid,” I teased back.

Her lips pursed. “I don’t think that will be acceptable, Cosimo. In fact, when I get home today, I’ll insist that we invite you for dinner tomorrow. Aunt Louise enjoyed meeting your parents at the show on Ten Day. I’m sure they’ll accept an invitation for dinner.”

I knew she was right, but did not want to admit it. “We’ll see.”

Thankfully, the car arrived at the adjacent vineyard and pulled into the drive. A working truck was blocking the drive a short distance up the hill. We stopped behind it and I hurried to get out. Samantha followed.

Master Toscano and Cass Grimes, my grandmother’s vineyard foreman were standing by the truck, looking at the vineyard stretching along the terraced hills north of the drive.

“Cosimo, good to see you again,” Cass said. “You know Master Toscano?” He asked.

“I do,” I said. “Cass, this is Miss Dennison, who decided to join me this morning,” I added. Samantha smiled and shook their hands.

“I was excited to hear you’re taking on this property, Cosimo,” Master Toscano said with a wave of his hand. “I pulled my vintage records and was surprised to see its nearly as large as your grandmother’s vineyard, but has not been cultivated in nearly fifty years. The last crops were used in some marvelous vintages, if the records are right.”

Cass had his own smaller notebook. He nodded. “I have the cultivation records as well. The vineyard was properly laid fallow when they finished the last harvest, vines were removed, and the soil was properly treated and turned. A cover crop was planted and let go after most of the trellis work was removed.”

“I know your grandmother’s vineyard is mostly producing Merlot and Semillon, but I think you should consider branching out here. This property has higher terracing, which could support some additional varietals.”

Cass nodded, but then frowned. “The higher terraces won’t have a simple source of irrigation water, so you’ll have more variety year-to-year based on weather. We’re pretty consistent, but lower rainfall will create drier growing conditions.”

“Pumping might solve that problem,” Master Toscano countered, “But it will depend on the size of the terracing up there. Shall we drive up and work our way down the hill?”

We all agreed and climbed into his truck, leaving the car behind. Samantha asked several questions as we slowly drove up the steep road and nodded her understanding as the men answered. I learned by just listening, which I was accustomed to.

“What’s that?” Samantha asked as she pointed to a stone building on a larger terrace, two-thirds of the way up the vineyard road.

“Storage, most likely,” Cass said. “That terrace is bigger, so it’s likely where we’ll find some foundations for a foreman’s house and equipment sheds. The catchment for the irrigation system is at the far end of this terrace as well. From here, gravity handles the water flow while the rain from above is channeled into the holding tank. My notes say there is a spring near the far end of the property around this level, so that might provide water as well.”

Samantha craned her neck and looked out over the vineyard and coast to the sea below us. “This has such a lovely view,” she said. “It would make a nice home.”

Master Toscano grinned and glanced over his shoulder at me while Cass focused on the narrow road.

“I believe there are two wider terraces,” Master Toscano said. “The lower one is about a third of the way up, but you might not have noticed it. I’d build a house there and keep this higher one for a foreman and machinery. You’d rather haul crops down the hill than up.”

“In that case,” I said, “should the first terrace closest to the road be widened for storage?”

“Only if you want noise and dust from the coastal road. It might not get much traffic, but during the harvest season, you’ll have larger trucks working up and down the coast, kicking up a cloud,” Cass said. “Besides, you won’t store your harvest here. You’ll send it straight to market unless you fancy learning Master Toscano’s trade.”

Master Toscano laughed. “You would want to start studying chemistry and genetics now, Cosimo, if that is of interest to you.”

“Have you given much thought to who you’ll hire to oversee your vineyard, Cosimo?” Cass asked.

“I was hoping you or Master Toscano could recommend someone. While I love learning and appreciate new challenges, I don’t have the time to become a fulltime vinter.”

Cass laughed. “No, I doubt you do. My oldest son is interested in getting out on his own. You should talk to him.”

Toscano was nodding. “Marc is a good man. I’m surprised he hasn’t already moved to another vineyard, Cass.”

“He spent two years up the coast with a friend. Not much new land is being added to cultivation, and not many of my genration are ready to retire. I’ve got enough to keep him busy, but he deserves a chance to strike out on his own.”

“Let’s set up time to meet,” I said. “After the silly season wraps up.”

Cass nodded. “I’ll have him come over here and walk the terraces and put together a plan he can talk you through when you meet. I’ll give you my written plan as well. Compare them and discuss the differences in what we would each recommend doing. That will give you a good sense of his thoughts about growing and working for you.”

“That’s an excellent approach,” Master Toscano said. “I’ll give you my recommended varietals as well. You can both develop planting plans. It will be at least three years before you are producing a viable crop, and that’s if you don’t run into issues getting your vines established.”

The remainder of the morning was spent walking down the terraces, checking soil conditions and discussing things I needed to know while thinking about reestablishing the vineyard. By the time we reached our car and driver, my head was spinning.

“Thank you both for such an educational morning. I’ll look for Marc to reach out to me next week, Cass. I should be able to make any afternoon work with a little notice. Master Toscano, thank you as well.”

The older man smiled. “It’s the least I could do after my wife paired you with the Havershaw woman. Besides, this region of the coast has produced excellent fruit for me, so increasing production is in my best interests.”

We all laughed and then headed our separate ways.

“Why was your grandmother insistent that you handle this walk around today?” Samantha asked as we sipped some much needed water on the way back to town.

“She said it needed to be done to complete transfer of the title. She wants me to be the landholder of record before the end of the silly season.”

“Why?”

“I suspect so I can attend some meetings with high guilders next week.”

A high guilder needed to meet certain criteria to gain the title. While I would never be a true high guilder, being an owner of a business which employed others, which the vineyard would qualify as, would give me standing to attend certain closed meetings. This was but one step in grandmother’s plan to formally make me her heir.

“What meetings?” Samantha asked.

“I’m not sure, but Master Geraldo mentioned me attending with himself and grandmother. I’ve learned not to worry about such things, since she seldom tips her hand until she’s ready.”

Samantha giggled. “You make it sound so mysterious. Do I need to warn my father?”

I chuckled. “I doubt it. I’m sure the senate has ears in every significant meeting of the high guilders and stays well informed. It’s only us less privileged members of upper society that have to wait on their whims and whispers.”

Samantha asked about plans to build a house at the vineyard and I deflected. “More of a cottage, if anything. I’ll need a cottage for the foreman, and maybe a bunkhouse for some workers, but I won’t be living out there. My life is tied to the clubs.”

“But it would be nice to get away sometime, and relax at your own place in the country, wouldn’t it? That delightful cove just below the property would be wonderful for a swim in the morning, or at the end of the day,” she teased, playfully running her fingers up my arm. I immediately remembered her last swim in that cove.

I leaned in and whispered, “I think you just want to skinny-dip in that cove again.”

She swatted my arm, looking at the driver to see if she had heard. “None of that, Cosimo. At least not until you’ve at least met my father.”

I laughed. “I think you just want another reason to invite me to dinner,” I said as we reached the harbor.

“Oh, you’re not going to have to wait that long,” she replied as the car stopped at the front of the club.

I opened the door and offered her a hand out. She smiled, but was looking at an older man glaring at us.

“Papa,” she said as I let go her hand and moved to retrieve her bag from the trunk. “What are you doing here?” she asked with a hug and quick kiss on his cheek.

Senator Dennison was a large man, with piercing blue eyes, a strong jaw, and distinguished silver hair. He was glaring at me even as he answered his daughter.

“I wanted to know where my daughter was galavanting off too when I expected her home hours ago. Your aunt said you were usually home before lunch when you came here to use the gym.”

Samantha smiled and grabbed his hand as I approached with her bag. “I went with Cosimo to look at his new vineyard. Cosimo Onwane,” she said. “This is my father, Michael Dennison.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senator Dennison. Samantha has told me much about you,” I said as I reached out to shake his hand.

I don’t know if it was my confident manner, being respectful but not diffident, or the unashamed manner Samantha introduced me, or something else, but he paused and sized me up.

“A new vineyard?” he finally asked.

I nodded. “It’s next to my grandmother’s, Lady Rhingold. You may know her.”

The shock in his eyes was evident. He glanced at Samantha, then back at me. “I see. How did you and Samantha meet and become friends?”

“Samantha threw herself at me,” I joked.

She blushed at his surprised look. “I hardly threw myself, Cosimo. I merely hinted that you should invite me out.”

I laughed. “Of course, I’m sorry I mis-remembered.”

Samantha laughed and her father realized we were teasing each other.

“I guess you’ll tell me about your meeting whenever you two see fit,” he said, sounding a little put off.

“Don’t sound like that, Papa. We met at one of the events a few weeks ago. When Cosimo was slow to approach me over the ensuing weeks, I simply asked him when he was taking me to see a dance performance at the club. He declined, and the rest is our story.”

“He declined?”

I chuckled. “Samantha wanted me to spend my day off, here at the club which I call work. I arranged an alterative venue for her to see the dance troupe she was really interested in.”

Samantha added her own commentary to the story and we soon had the Senator a little bewildered.

“I get the feeling you two have known each other much more than a few weeks, based on your banter. Why do I think you’re trying to pull a fast-one on your old man, Samantha?”

She laughed. “I just don’t want you going all ‘Senatorial’ on Cosimo. Aunt Louise has met him, and his parents. I’ve met his parents and his grandmother. They are all delightful people, Papa.”

“Samantha, we took longer than expected at the vineyard. You must be hungry. Can I invite you and your father to lunch?”

Senator Dennison smiled but shook his head. “I need to do some work this afternoon, and meet with a few folks before we are all too busy with the season finale here.”

“And I am an in no state to have a romantic lunch at a cafe, Cosimo. Though I am hungry.”

“Of course,” I said. “I’d offer you lunch at my apartment, where you wouldn’t need to worry about changing, but,” I nodded to her father, “I don’t think that would be proper.”

She grinned and then looked at her father. “Cosimo lives with his grandmother, and his parents are in town. I’m sure it would be fine, right father?”

The older man laughed. “When she calls me father, she channels her mother and lets me know which answer is expected, Cosimo. I’m certain a brief lunch at the home of the Grand Dame of Cardino would be acceptable, Sammy. Don’t forget we have dinner with family at the house tonight, so don’t be late getting home.”

He gave her a fatherly kiss on the head and then walked down the street and was soon out of sight. Samantha wasted no time in linking her arm through mine and turning us toward the entrance to my grandmother’s piazza.

Seven was coming out with a basket of neatly folded linens as we climbed the grand stairway from the formal entrance to the family levels. Her bright blue eyes widened at the sight of Samantha on my arm wearing her tight dancer’s costume and long sweater. Seven was wearing what grandmother considered appropriate servants clothing, meaning a loose linen dress cinched at the waist and doing little to hide her enticing figure.

“Master Cosimo,” she said as she managed to lower the basket just enough to ensure her ample bossom was evident. “Madame and your parents have gone out for the afternoon and asked that you plan on joining her for dinner with your parents at the club at nineteen hours, sir.”

I nodded. “Thank you, Seven,” I said as we continued up the stairs.

“I guess we should have checked before I said we’d lunch with your family,” Samantha said teasingly.

“It would be improper for you to dine in my apartment, without your chaperone. Shall I escort you home instead?”

She hugged my arm, but made no effort to slow our ascent. “I don’t think anyone will notice. It’s not like I’m going to let you ravish me in front of your servants. If that one is anything to go by, I’ll be lucky to capture any of your attention. No wonder I had to throw myself at you!”

I laughed and guided her higher. I paused for a moment before entering my own apartments. All three of my slaves heard us enter and hurried to greet me. They were naked, of course. Samantha blushed as they assumed their kneeling position and welcomed me home.

“This is Lady Dennison,” I said. “She’ll be joining me for lunch. Twelve, what can we have prepared quickly? The Lady is hungry from her morning exertions.”

I thought I saw the hint of a grin on Twelve’s face as she rose from her position. “Master, I can have a simple salad ready in a few minutes, or I can have something more substantial ready in twenty minutes or so. We have fish and fresh vegetables, or I can send down to the main kitchen for something heavier.”