“Baba, I want you to come…” Tony’s voice was drowned by the noise of the tractor and Theo didn’t look back to acknowledge his son. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the tractor in front of him with his grandson at the wheel. He’d been standing in the same spot all morning watching the dead vines being pulled from the soil. Some of the yellow leaves were flicked off with the violent wrenching and drifted slowly to the ground, which now resembled an autumn landscape instead of spring.

He gazed over the land stretching away from him. With the vines removed, it looked like a huge gaping wound in the earth, bounded by the trees of the Levallier fence line on one side and the reassuring green of healthy River Dynasty vines on the other.

Theo still couldn’t understand it. Fifteen years ago, they had moved to Margaret River and bought the land they named River Dynasty. It was a family affair, his three sons and their sons, and everyone had worked hard to create the wines they produced. Everyone in the family could have a job here.

He frowned at the thought of Katerina’s refusal. Headstrong, just like her mother, who wouldn’t come to River Dynasty either. Fifteen years earlier he had offered his daughter and her husband the opportunity to join the family business but instead of selling up and coming west they had stayed in the Yarra Valley. It would have been a comfort to have his only daughter a little closer but Theo could respect their decision.

“Baba.”

Tony was right behind him but still Theo didn’t turn. He knew why Tony had come. There were some tough decisions to be made. They had asked the accountant to drive out and look over the books. He’d probably arrived and was waiting at the house.

They had stretched themselves with the expansion to Ocean Dynasty but it had been a natural progression. The more southerly property was still developing and was still a drain on finances, but all the signs were good. He poked at a clod of dirt with his toe. It was just this piece of land that he stood on that had brought them bad luck. Perhaps it was cursed.

“Baba, I want you to come and look at something.”

Theo dragged his eyes away from the destruction in front of him. “What is it, Tony? Isn’t the accountant here?”

“Not yet.” Tony started walking away. “Come to the chemicals shed.”

Theo hesitated. For the first time, he heard a tone of command in his eldest son’s voice. He rolled his shoulders and breathed deeply. While he still had breath there was only one boss at River Dynasty. He strode off and overtook his son, reaching the shed in front of him.

“What’s the problem?”