Page 51 of Bea's Book Wagon
‘Hello there, you must be Bea and Lochlan,’ called a tall woman who was waiting to greet them. ‘I’m Phoebe.’
‘Lovely to meet you,’ said Lochlan, shaking her hand.
‘This place looks incredible,’ said Bea.
‘Thanks. Let me show you through, I’ve got some wines for you to try before dinner.’
Bea and Lochlan followed Phoebe through to the restaurant, which was fitted out with a beautiful low-lit bar area and comfy leather sofas.
‘Wow, Phoebe, this is amazing,’ said Bea, admiring the exposed beams and vaulted ceilings.
‘Thank you. I must admit, I’m proud of it. I’ve poured some wine out for you at the bar, and we’ve got the private dining room ready. Chef’s put together something really special for us today, so I hope you’ll enjoy it.’
‘I’m sure we will, thank you,’ said Lochlan.
‘I was hoping we could take a walk around the vineyard after dinner, if that’s okay, Phoebe? Do a bit of stargazing?’ he asked.
‘Of course! It’s still a bit muddy in places,’ she replied. ‘But it’s a clear night, so you should have some great views. Zero light pollution.’
‘Oh, that sounds wonderful,’ Bea said, taking Lochlan’s hand. ‘So that’s what the wellies were for?’
‘Now, let’s start with the rosé,’ said Phoebe, handing Lochlan and Bea a glass each. ‘Give it a swirl and a sniff first,’ she said, demonstrating.
‘That smells divine,’ said Bea, inhaling, ‘definitely fruity… maybe grapefruit or orange?’
‘Very good,’ said Phoebe, beaming at her, ‘rosé wines generally have more fruit than traditional whites, so they’re a lot less floral.’
‘Now have a taste,’ said Phoebe.
‘We don’t have to spit it out, do we?’ asked Lochlan.
‘No, absolutely not,’ Phoebe laughed, ‘that would be a terrible waste.’
Lochlan and Bea followed her instructions, taking a small sip and pausing briefly before swallowing.
‘Absolutely delicious,’ Lochlan murmured.
‘I’m glad you like it,’ said Phoebe.
‘Oh, me too,’ said Bea quickly, ‘Could I buy some to take home, please?’
‘We’re not ready to retail just yet, but I’ll put a box of whatever you’d like aside for you to take away,’ said Phoebe.
‘Oh, you don’t have to—’ said Bea.
‘It’d be my pleasure,’ said Phoebe, holding up a hand.
‘That’s really generous of you, thank you,’ said Lochlan.
‘Ah, it looks like we’re ready for you now,’ said Phoebe, as two black-and-white-uniformed waitresses appeared in the doorway. ‘This is Rachel and Joanne, they’ll be your servers today, I’ll leave you in their very capable hands. And just let me know when you’re ready to leave at the end of the evening and I’ll drop you both home as we agreed.’
‘Thanks, Phoebe,’ said Lochlan, draining his glass.
‘If you’d like to follow me,’ said Rachel, leading the way to the private dining room.
‘Wow,’ said Bea, open-mouthed as they entered the intimate space, lit with fairy lights and candles, soft music playing in the background. ‘This is gorgeous,’ she said, as Lochlan pulled out her chair.
‘Chef’s put together a special tasting menu for you this evening,’ said Joanne, handing each of them a menu. ‘We’ll bring the first course through shortly.’
