The Beast of Napa

4 - Obedience

"You're the new hire, ain't ya?"

Catriona nodded to the man wearing a flannel shirt and straw hat. He didn't seem thrilled at her appearance, but he didn't seem too bothered by it either.

"Just as well," the man said. "I lost half of my workers this week. I don't know why Mr. Griffin puts me in charge of the staff when he keeps driving them off. My name is Chudley, by the way."

Catriona introduced herself. Chudley clicked his tongue.

"Never thought I'd see the day when... oh well, nevermind it. It doesn't matter what kind of hands get dirty. They all get dirty eventually, I suppose. "

He shoved a large basket at her.

"Today we harvest!" he cried like he was going into battle. "Nothing like a cool autumn Tuesday to take grapes off the vines. We have quite a few rows to get to, and with only half the staff, it'll take us a few good autumn Tuesdays to get it done."

Chudley shook his head to himself. He handed Catriona some pruning shears and saluted her. After some instructions about how to snip the grapes from the vines, she and the other staff were sent into the vineyards to harvest the grapes.

She attempted no conversation with the others as they all harvested. It took her some time to realize she was the only woman on staff, the others all men of different ages. None were younger than thirty, she guessed, making her the youngest one there at twenty-three.

She kept her eyes on the grapes, half-listening to the conversations of the men at work, and half thinking of her sister. Had Sara made it home? Would she return to Griffin's estate? Would she be able to feed herself?

Even though Sara was the one with work, it was Catriona's income that always went to food and rent. It had always been that way, and whenever Catriona tried to bring it up, Sara would go into a long trail of self-pity.

"Oh, I work so hard yet it comes to nothing!" she would say. "Do you hate your sister so? I certainly wish I was of more use to the household, I do."

Catriona could never stand her sister's self-hatred, so after a time, she stopped bringing up. But the resentment within her had built over the years, and Catriona momentarily wished that she had left her sister here to work in the vineyards instead. At least then Catriona would know that her sister had a proper job.

"Can you believe they all quit like that?" one of the men at the vineyards said to another on the other side of the wooden lattice as they clipped the grapes. "At a time like this?"

"Not like they were doing much to begin with," the other replied. "It's been a week, already. Let it go, Tom."

"Yes, but at least they could have cut more grapes. Can you imagine doing this entire field? Oh, my hands ache just thinking about it! And Griffin... the man won't pay us extra for it, will he?"

The man on the other side snipped more grapes. "You agreed to the terms. Don't complain about it. That's what Griffin would say, anyways."

"Tough as nails, he is. I don't know whether to stand up to him, or grow up to be just like him."

The men chuckled together until they caught sight of Catriona.

"You there, Miss," the first man said, pointing his shears at her. She stepped back. "I haven't seen a woman in the field before. What's your story?"

Catriona's head dipped as she tried to come up with an explanation. She didn't want to shame her family by telling the truth, and she couldn't make herself dishonest. At the silence, the men started to create their own answers.