In the end, Jon didn’t say anything to Maria for another week. Nell and André moved into their tent among the brambles and began to try and restore the forest that had once been there.
“I tell you what,” André said to his brand new wife. “I’m so grateful to your aunt Luisa and my aunt Sarah for making us these clothes. They were quite right about us needing something tougher to wear!”
“I know! My arms would have been scratched to ribbons by these brambles. But don’t just stand there! Get planting…”
“Maria,” Jon said. “There’s something I want to tell you…Your mother and I both agree that you should be the next heir.” It was a bit blunt, he knew, but he’d never been one for beating round the bush.
“Me? Haven’t you got this a bit wrong?”Maria had never wanted that sort of responsibility! A nice quiet life – most probably with Michael Fletcher, she had to admit – time to make music, and maybe a baby or two. But run the vineyard? Why her?
“Two reasons. One, you’ll be good at it. And two, your brothers want to travel, as you told me yourself. You can’t run a vineyard from the deck of a ship.”
Maria was temporarily silenced. She had promised her brothers that she’d support them in their desire to travel. But she’d always assumed that someone else would be taking on the responsibility for the vineyard. Thorold or Jacob, when they came home. Or Nell. But not her.“There’s a lot to learn. I need to start teaching you now. I can’t afford to wait a few more years before I chose a successor, Maria. I know you can do this, and do it well.”
It was her. Bit by bit, Maria had to get used to the idea. And at the same time she was suddenly working harder than ever before. She’d always, helped, always done her fair share, but now Jon was pushing her to learn, to understand the tricks of the trade, the subtleties and the skills he’d acquired over the years, and learnt from his father too.
To her surprise, she actually found that she was enjoying it!
And Thorold, working away in the vineyard, was grateful to Maria. Jon and Carla had said that they needed him here for another year, while Maria found her feet, but that after that, he could go away on Waverider.
Jacob, fishing by the pond, was content to know that it would be his turn after Thorold came back. In his heart of hearts, he knew he wasn’t old enough yet – though he would have loved to have gone away with Thorold, it had only really been a dream. He’d settle for what he could have.
“So how’s it going?” Maria had hardly seen anything of Michael, she’d been so busy, but Jon had told her she’d earned a morning off, and to go and enjoy it with Michael.“Frantic! I’m on the go from as soon as I get up until I fall asleep, shattered. And I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too. A lot.” He reached for her hands.
“Maria, I do wish I could be with you more. Do you think that, maybe, one day, perhaps…”His voice tailed off.
This could take forever, thought Maria, and I’ve only got the morning free. So she leant forward and kissed him. Enthusiasically.
He got the message!
The first person Maria told about her and Michael was her sister, Nell! And Nell was so happy for her.
“So when do you think you’ll get married?”“Not till next spring, at the earliest – there’s so much to do at the moment in the vineyards. But then, when Michael’s living with us, Thorold can go away, and we’ll still be able to cope with everything. Just!”
Michael, meanwhile, was telling André the news – who was just as thrilled by it as his wife had been!
“Um – I’ve got something to tell you all.”
“Michael asked me to marry him!” Maria was nearly squealing with excitement, and Carla was pretty vocal about it too. Jacob grinned hugely, but Thorold, though he was genuinely happy for his sister, was shot through with a pang of loneliness. Would he find someone to love? And would they want to come and live on this little island? A lovely little island, true, but it wasn’t huge.
“Once Michael and I are married, Thorold, you’ll be free to go. Michael can take over your work.”“Does he know what he’s letting himself in for?” Thorold asked, smiling in spite of himself.
“No, I don’t think he does really, but he’ll find out. Thorold – it’s a big world out there. You’ll enjoy it, I’m sure.”
“Springtime,” Maria said, in response to Jacob’s question. We’ll marry next spring – there’s no time before then! And I still have so much to learn!”
“That’s not going to change any time soon,” her father said, laughing at her. “But at least you’ll have done one full year. And we’re planning to be around for a while to come.” “Good! Because I’ve got a long, long way to go!”
Thorold had gone to visit Nell and André at their campsite. Things were beginning to look different – slowly, they were clearing the brambles and planting saplings.
“So how are you getting on?”“Beautifully! The task is enormous, though! This is going to take our lifetime< I think. And maybe our children’s lifetime too – but we can make sure that we don’t make this mistake again. And it’s not too late to rescue these woods, thank goodness! How are you all doing?”
“So busy! Poor Michael doesn’t realise what he’s getting into – but I think he’ll cope, he’s so in love with Maria. And come the spring, after the wedding, I’ll be leaving for a while.”
“Will you come back?” Nell genuinely wasn’t sure.
“Of course! I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else – but I’d like to see somewhere else…And maybe meet someone else. But what if she doesn’t want to come back with me to this island?”
“Cross that bridge when you come to it, Thorold. Don’t worry about it in advance.”
And Thorold knew that his sister was right, but it was hard not to worry.
It was Carla’s turn to have a morning off, and she’d gone to visit her sister Bianca. Partly, she wanted to talk to someone else with sons! She could tell that Thorold was half-excited, half-nervous about sailing away on Waverider.
“Thorold’s right to go! He won’t find a wife here. Marco is rather fond of Anna – and she of him! – but Pietro? Who is there here for him? I think he, too, needs to travel. A shame they cannot go together.”
“But could they?” Suddenly, Carla began to wonder if this would make things easier. “Could you manage without Pietro?”Bianca paused and looked thoughtful.
“Do you know, I think we could. This might be possible….I know Pietro longs to go – he was saying last night how much he envied Thorold. It would be a spring voyage?”
“Yes. After Maria’s wedding. Oh, Bianca, do you really think…?”“I think yes, maybe. Let me talk to Barnabas, but yes, we could manage – David is growing up fast.”
“All the children are! Brede will be without anyone to teach soon.”
“Only for a while, though! I don’t think Maria’s will be the only wedding next year.”
Maria had never worked so hard before in all her life! But when she and Jon stood in the cellar and looked at the fruits of their labours, she began to think it had been worth it.“Do you know,” Jon said, “if we get the price I’m hoping we get for this lot, we might be able to build and stock that library.”
“Grandfather Ben’s dream? Make it happen?”
“Maybe. And do you also know, without you this wouldn’t have been possible. I’m proud of you.”Maria felt her eyes filling with tears as her father hugged her.
That night, for the first time in ages, Maria had a chance to play again. The harvest was in, the wine was made, and winter was knocking at the door. And in the spring, she would be marrying Michael.
The rest of the family, sitting reading by the fire, listened with pleasure as the music floated through the house, speaking of the promise that the future held.
The winter was cold, but not bitter that year. Maria sat with her brothers, kept inside by the snow, playing dominoes with them, and dreaming of the spring to come.“I miss Nell,” Jacob said.
“Me too! But she’s happy with André.”
“Oh, I know. But it’s still a bit odd sometimes, not having her here. I like their little house though.”
For Sarah’s wish had come true, and her nephew was living next door to her. Bit by bit, the house was being rebuilt and the garden cleared for Nell and André. Come winter, it was too cold for them to stay out in the woods in their tent, and they’d moved back into the village to see the winter out in comfort.
“My little sister’s getting married soon! It seems no time at all since she was a child.”“She’s not one any longer, my love! Soon we won’t be the only newly-weds on the island.”
“Soon they won’t be either, if all I’ve heard is true.”
Spring finally came, and with it Maria’s wedding.
“This is something so new,” Maria thought, as Michael took her in his arms and kissed her. “This is the start of a whole new adventure.”And the wedding guests all united in wishing her and Michael every possible happiness together.
Then, just as she had done for her sister a year earlier, Maria played to entertain the guest at the wedding.
As the sun set, they all sat, ate, talked, laughed – cried just a little in some cases – and generally came together to celebrate another new beginning, another family starting on the island.
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