Valley of Sinners Ch. 06

Pausing to check her hair and lipstick in the wall mirror at the entrance, Hope said that Brewster, Brewster and Roberts regarded the Hausmen’s as corporate clients and conducted any of their business over lunch with that client.

Nash noticed Tremain Hausman seated at the bar but said nothing, knowing that sharp-eyed Hope probably saw him before he did. She walked to a table where a slightly over-weight, white-haired man jumped to his feet and gave her a wide smile and held out his hand which she ignored.

“Thomas, nice to see you again. How is Roberta?”

“Fine, and in her element expecting our third grandchild.”

“Please pass on my regards. Thomas, this is my business associate and financial adviser, Nash Carson. Nash, this is Thomas Brewster, managing partner of Brewster, Brewster and Roberts.”

“Hello, Nash. Welcome. Please take a seat Hope, sit over here Nash. Now what brings you to…”

“Thomas, go wheel him over here but warn him, any display of bombastic behaviour and I’m out of here; nderstand?”

“Absolutely, Hope. I shall pass on your message loud and clear. I, too, want a pleasant informal lunch with good, food, good wine and good conversation.”

Nash was impressed. The fellow had jumped and dangled like a puppet, not losing his smile or taking a step towards his client until she’d finished with him.

As the fellow hurried off to fetch his client, Nash asked: “Will the warning work?”

Hope grinned, saying Thomas liked his food so would be telling Tremain no business talk until their after-lunch coffee and liqueurs had arrived.

Tremain and Hope exchanged straight-faced nods. Nash stood and was introduced by Thomas. Shaking Nash’s hands, Tremain said curtly that he’d met Nash a few days earlier.

“I don’t like people coming on to my property without an appointment,” Tremain scowled as they sat down.

That rudeness annoyed Nash, so he verbally spiked Tremain. “It’s not usual for country people to require non-commercial visitors to make appointments, indeed it would be almost unheard of. Anyway, my understanding is that property is not registered in your name.”

Nash felt two soft taps on his ankle from Hope who was studying Tremain’s reaction. Tremain turned his darkening face to beckon the bargirl who hurried over with a fresh glass of whisky. The redness of Tre,ain's face was not altogether the imprint of nature’s weathering, Nash mused.

The bar-girl took their drinks order.

“A glass of local sparking wine as this table is perhaps on a budget,” Hope smiled.

“Make that French champagne,” growled Tremain defiantly.

Nash gave Hope two soft taps on her lower leg.

“I was hoping for a Loire Valley sancerre, but it’s not on the wine list,” Tremain said.

“This is our luncheon winelist, sir,” the bar-girl apologised.

“Can you do it?” Tremain, asked.

“Certainly Mr Hausman.”

“Then bring a bottle and three decent wine glasses.”

Two light taps hit Nash’s lower leg.

Hope ordered crayfish without enquiring about the price. The menu statee PTBA (price to be advised, meaning crayfish [lobster] was not always available and when it was the price could be atronomically).

“Serve her a whole one,” Tremain said to the waitress, sounding almost indulgent.

“No thank you, just a half, cut laterally and still complete in its shell, dressed as how the chef would prepare it for himself. Nothing else with it, thank you.”

“Another glass of champagne, madam?”

Hope sat as if hasn’t heard that query.

“Bring her a full bottle,” Tremain said.

Nash tried to ankle tap Hope but her feet were out of range. He looked at her and was greeted by a wink. He hoped neither Tremain nor Thomas had seen that conspiratorial gesture. Tremain was partly obscured by the bar girl clearing away his collection of glasses. Nash glanced at Thomas who looked away but not before he winked at Nash!

Nash declined wine after three glasses. He knew he’d be driving home and had a date that evening. By home time Hope would have finished that full bottle of champagne unassisted.

Hope and Nash declined coffee and liqueurs, and when the men had their orders in front of them, Thomas cleared his throat.

“Well Hope, nothing stays the same forever, would not you agree?”

“True, very true, Thomas.”

“The valley is now a significant wine producer and as you know from the latest figures released ten days ago, twenty-six percent of wine production from Te Henui Valley last season came out of the Hausman’s Winery. My client wants to take that figure to one hundred percent and is willing to pay for that privilege very generously, as least in acquiring your total interests.”

“I know that desire, Thomas but…”

“Let the man finish,” Tremain said, smiling.

Hope raised her glass to Thomas and drained it.

Thomas continued his preamble. “Business is business these days Hope and you must be penalising yourself financially by continuing to take a benevolent interest in those people in the valley who have clung to you all these years to reap a share of the foresight and resourcefulness of both you and your late father. The days of patronage have long passed, it is time to all must move on, don’t you think?”

Thomas adjusted his tie and looked at Hope expectantly.

“Thank you, Thomas. What do you think, Nash?”

Like the other men, Nash was not wearing a jacket. He poured himself a glass of water, sipped and looked at the ceiling while speaking.

“Well, Hope, it’s a proposal that could be exceedingly attractive to you. Understandably, it’s very short on detail at this stage. Your advantage is that if you do consider selling you have the choice of selling down or selling out completely. A selling down option could include retaining your home, orchard and the pony paddock.”

Nash sipped more water. The tension at the table was apparent, and Hope’s foot gently stroked the back of his right leg.

“What the interested parties are prepared to pay – presuming they are Mrs Hausman and her husband (the pressure of the stroking foot dug into his leg), is of no consequence to our side at the moment. As from this moment you have the choice of deciding what exactly what you have to sell, and what portion of that, if any, do you want to sell.”

Hope thanked Nash and said, “Well, gentlemen, that’s it until a definite offer is tabled.”

Tremain poured himself a glass of water and sipped it with apparent distaste, flicking the back of his fat hand over his protruding lips. His lower face carried the so-called five o’clock shadow although it was only early afternoon. Nash looked at the opportunist who obviously eat and drank too much too often and probably did little to work it off, presumably managing to control his weight through excessive smoking. Tremain could not be accurately described as ugly, mused Nash, searching for a more appropriate word and it came to him – thuggish!

“What do you mean ‘exactly what she has to sell’?” Tremain asked evenly, looking at Hope. “Are you so indifferent that you don’t know what you own?”

Hope stared right back and Thomas interjected with skilful timing.

“As you were about to say, Nash?”

“The answer to Tremain’s question is elementary – it is illegal to try to sell anything that you don’t own and my client is simply having that impediment pointed out.”

The stroking on the back of his leg resumed.

“Such is her status and investment in this valley that perhaps it can be too readily assumed that much of this valley is owned by either Mrs Honeybun or Mrs Hausman.”

Nash winced as Hope’s shoe rakesd down his leg and dug into his ankle.

“My client has various financial arrangements and contracts with lessees, not only with growers and graziers but also with the winery itself.”

Thomas looked quite surprised while Tremain’s face darkened. He asked, “What is your position in respect of the winery operation both financially and in terms of ultimate ownership, Hope?”

“I’ll let Nash answer that; he’s doing very well don’t you think Thomas?”

“Very well,” Thomas replied smoothly.

Nash glanced at Hope and then at her glass. It was empty. He looked for the bottle but it and the ice bucket had been taken away. He thought it was a wonder Hope was not giggling her head off but she looked remarkably in control, except for this distracting foot scrubbing. He continued his response.

“From our position, we would consider it inappropriate to declare Hope’s exact financial and legal positions until we have a solid offer on the table. The parties could then commence due diligence and either withdraw their offer or mark it up and down accordingly.”

“What!” thunders Tremain. “You want me to put a cash offer on the table for something for which I cannot have valued because the information is being withheld? That’s insane!”

Nash observed that Tremain’s bellow had startled nearby people in the well-filled and beautifully presented dining room, and were looking at Tremain curiously.

“Oh no it isn’t, Tremain,” responded Nash, swinging on to attack. “How much of Hausman’s Winery do you personally own?”

“That’s none of your business, you impudent interloper.”

“Tremain!”

“Oh, all right Thomas. I withdraw the last part of my last comment and apologize.”

Scarcely aware that Hope’s hand had slid under the table and wass now stroking his upper thigh, Nash countered: “Oh yes it is to my client, Tremain, particularly if she wishes to offer to buy Mrs Hausman’s winery and grape growing operation.”

“Tremain!” called hid minder.

Thomas looked fixedly at Nash and asked the young man if he has any idea of what he was saying.

Nash replied coolly that he and his client had not discussed the possibility of making such an offer in detail (actually they had not even discussed it).

“It’s not for sale!”

“There was no for sale notice on Te Henui Winery, nor any rumour of a possible sale, yet you’ve shown up here today to present a preliminary purchase proposal,” Hope said sweetly. “I came half expecting this might be the reason for my invitation to lunch and is the reason why – like you Tremain – I have a negotiator in my corner. Nash has presented my position flawlessly. If you want ownership and contractual details involving our winery, I invite you to go directly to the Bronkovic brothers. It’s fine with me if they wish to divulge their personal financial affairs in our company to a competitor. Thomas here can search title records, registered mortgages and company office records and get almost everything you need, apart from details of the contract I have with the brothers concerning the ultimate ownership of the winery and its block of land and some other parcels of grape-growing land in my name. Perhaps the Bronkovics will be happy to sit down with you and let you read such documents?”

To his credit, Tremain struggled to control his temper. “Hope, you know bloody well those hot-heads hate my guts for trying to win their suppliers through fair and commercially competitive means. The fact that none came across is because they all have Croat family links. So where does this leave me?”

“Up the creek, I would think,” Hope giggled. “On the other hand, it’s a great professional challenge for Thomas and his team.”

Looking at her watch Hope stood up. “Well gentlemen, regrettably I must depart. I estimate that I’ve got half an hour before I become legless.”

She giggled. “Come on, Nash. Let’s go. It was a lovely lunch and I enjoyed the table talk and lovely wine. We must do this again – our shout next time.”

Hope smiled at both men who smiled at her, Thomas gently shaking his head. Nash bid them farewell and only Thomas replied but neither man smiled at him.

Hope bumped into two tables on the way to the door.

“You better take my arm, Nash,” she said out in the mall. “For some reason I feel a little flaky.”

Hope entered the Rover unaided but within a couple of minutes was asleep.

Once home Nash struggled and managed to remove her from the car. He called to her loudly and gave her a couple of gentle slaps on the face.

“What-is-it? Time to get up?”

“No, Hope. Listen to me. All I want you to do is to walk inside the house. We have two flights of stairs to climb. Help me by just walking, okay?”

“Yes, okay. I like it when you tell me what to do. Do you REALLY like me? I don’t REALLY know because you never tell me.”

“You’re a wonderful woman, Hope. Everyone but Tremain likes you.”

“Likes me? Is that good?”

“Yes.”

“Likes me, huh? That’s good.”

With difficulty they reached her bedroom.

Nash lifted her on to the bed, realizing she was no light-weight as she was big boned. Hope was breathing heavily but evenly as he unbuttoned her jacket and lifted her to remove it. The shirt followed and he became very aware of a mass of flesh being held in place by a sturdy bra. He rolled her on to her side to undo the back button of her skirt and then the zip; he found removing the skirt easier than the struggle with the jacket and then the shirt.

“Well sleep tight lovely lady,” Nash whispered, kissing her fully on the lips. It was hot so thyere was no need to cover her. He was almost to the door when he heared Hope yawn and slap the headboard.

“I want a nightie – my blue one, top left drawer.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure; I’m the one who wears it, aren’t I?”

Nash fetched it.

“Put it on me. Oh manners – please.”

“No, not over my underwear you idiot. Take them off. You’ve seen titties before haven’t you? You naughty boy, of course you have, and my daughter’s as well no doubt and Alayna’s and Maggies’s and Mimi’s naughty boy. I bet I have missed out many but that’s enough to prove you’ve seen titties – and more.”

“Hope, I don’t think…”

“You have been lovely today so don’t spoil it.”

“I don’t think…”

“I want you to see me. I have been under pressure wanting you to see me. Once you see me I know I can walk around without having to cover up if I undress in the laundry and walk nudie rudie.”

Well, if that was all there was to it nothing much would change, Nash thought. He lifted her legs up high and bent them towards her head, surprized at her flexibility.

“Wheeeeee!,” she giggled.

Thrusting a shoulder under her legs Nash pulled Hope’s panties down over her hips to mid-thigh and lowered her back down, pulling the panties off and pulling away his shoulder all in one movement. As her legs hit the bed she opened her legs, exposing an impressive pinkie through light growth of fair hair. Nash looked up to fine Hope staring at him.

Without a word or change in expression Nash removed her bra and the released flesh fell to the sides; the small dark pink nipples centered in the rather large apricot-colored areola were not even aroused.

“Don’t bother with the nightdress. I’ll sleep nude. Kiss me on the lips again and go; have a lovely evening with Alayna.”

So she hadn’t been asleep when he kissed her ealier, he grinned inwardly. He kissed her and she put some effort into her response.

“Nice body…for an older woman,” he smiled, pushing her hair away from her face.

“So all my men tell me,” she sniggered – yes, sniggered; he kissed her again and left.

Nash had a quick shower, set his alarm to 8:30 pm and almost immediately dropped into a three and a half hour sleep.

Stirred by the alarm he shaved, dressed and checked on Hope. She was curled up asleep, breathing heavily with a soft smile. He fed the neglected Monty and hurried down the driveway, reaching the cattle-stop just as Alayna pulled up.

She raced around the car and hugped him. They kissed and she said, “My, don’t you look great, smell great.”

Nash was pleased. She was positive and happy. He really felt like a great night out and was going to get one, it seemed.

“You drive, Nash; I want to cuddle you – go back to the old quarry where we’ll have the lovely supper I’ve brought with me. I’ve made you a beautiful chicken pie.”

After some heavy petting Nash pulled off Alayna’s sundress while she continued sitting on the rug and she then lifted on to her hands and knees after undoing her bra but not removing it. In doggy position she liked having her breasts mangled in heavy squeezing, but not cruelly so.

Nash dropped his trousers.

“Naughty boy, no undies?”

“Pay attention – here it comes.”

“I’ll guide it in. Wow, it’s a strong boner tonight.”

“The moonlight on your white ass is responsible for that.”

“You are so sweet to me. Are you fucking Hope yet?”

“No!”

“My mother?”

“No!”

“Mimi?”

“No!”

“Ohmigod, then I’m in for a drenching tonight,” she cooed, squeezing her thighs together and almost sending Nash into premature ejaculation.

“Squeeze my breasts darling – hard.”

Two hours after midnight Nash walked up the driveway kicking stones when passing the slowly ripening grapes of the Home Block. The rattle of a chain announced Monty was on to him, aware of who Nash was so did not bark.

Patting the dog Nash unchained him, and Monty was away like a shot to roam the perimeter for the rest of the night, doing his best to annihilate the rabbit population.

After a quick shower Nash pulled on a pair of underpants – expecting a visit from a bewildered Hope after dawn – and hit the mattress. He was asleep before recalling much of his evening with Alayna.

Nash dimly heard the patter of Hope’s feet then her hand was on his shoulder, shaking him. She leaned over him, looking VERY sexy in a baby doll frilly top and briefs far more suitable for a young teenager.

“Good, you’re awake. Here’s your coffee. Pray tell me, how did I end up in bed totally nude? My mind is blank, although I can remember walking out into the mall after talking with those two creeps.”

“Oh, come on, Hope. Thomas was okay, just doing what he’s paid to do for his client. He caught that wink you gave me as when I looked at him he winked back at me, enjoying the moment.”

“Well, that’s beside the point right now. How did I end up nude?”

“Well, after we had sex…”

Nash paused, waiting for the onslaught and was not disappointed.

“What – we had sex? You filthy brat. taking advantage of me…”

Hope stopped, catching the stupid look on Nash’s face.

“Oh, another of your childish wind-ups, I see. Well, please answer me properly.”

Nash told her the truth.

“So I don’t have to hide myself from you anymore?”

“That’s what you said.”

“And you said I have a nice body for a woman of my age.”

“Yes.”

“Christ, and that’s how I’m rewarded for allowing you to undress it.”

“Yes.

“Well, you were due out last night to do naughty things to Alaynam if I remember correctly. Didn’t you have an entertaining twelve hours?.”

“Yes, quite memorable, really. I gather from your leg messages I did all right?”

“I have to say you were quite magnificent. You seemed to have picked up quite a bit of knowledge about my affairs?”

“Many of the things I said were just common sense. But I know a lot more than I think you know. I have found four rather good informants, one being particularly helpful.”

Hope looked at him, shocked. “Damn Mimi. The French have such big mouths.”

“Most women break confidences under astute interrogation,” Nash grinned. “The trick is not having them become aware that they are being interrogated. I learned that from my mother – pretty sharp is Rose.”

* * *

Hope was angry with herself as she walked back to her bedroom. Fancy allowing him to see her full throttle like that; she’d planned… She cut that thought in confusion. She’d planned nothing, it was just a thought in the back of her mind that sooner or later they would rumble in bed.

Yesterday she’d received a phone call from Lisa, completely out of the blue as she’d just received a letter from her youngest daughter the previous day. She began to panic, thinking something was gravely wrong, but oh no; his lordship had simply phoned Lisa on a whim and had managed to get the poor girl uptight and unsure of herself.