Romanée-Conti is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, France, with Pinot noir as the primary grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée and is a monopole of the winery Société Civile du Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which takes its name after this vineyard.
Niles knew the wine well and he also knew how hard it was to acquire. Even more so, he knew just how hard it was to give up the bottle that he had squirrelled away when Frasier called him on it. Frasier cannot expect a man not to be tempted like that when sent to pick up two bottles for him. And there it was… out of his hands and to be slurped up at Frasier's party.
Oh, Niles knew he couldn't be selfish. After all, Senator Alder would be attending, sipping the glorious sunshine captured in a bottle.
It was all he could do to keep his mind off of the wrongful things he had told Daphne. If only he could control his nose bleed.
And that's how Frasier caught him. He threw the door open and found his little brother sitting on the closed porcelain throne while holding his handkerchief underneath as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"NILES!" Frasier yelled at him. He calmly stepped in the washroom and closed the door behind him. "Well?" he asked for an explanation in a patient but accusing tone. He had obviously tracking him down from the blood drops trailing to the bathroom.
Yet Niles didn't offer an answer or an excuse. Instead, he went to the heart of the matter. "Is it terribly wrong to mislead someone even if it is for his or her own good?"
"What did you tell Daphne?"
Niles stood. "I made up a story that Joe seduces all the women he works for so she wouldn't go out with him."
There was a disappointment in Frasier's eyes and his jaw seemed a bit firm somehow. "Oh Niles, how could you be so selfish?"
"I didn't do it for me, I did it for her. She deserves a doctor, a lawyer – someone for whom a T-shirt is an undergarment."
"Look, I don't know what short of twisted fantasy you've concocted about you and Daphne. I suppose it involves a comet hitting the earth and you and she having to rebuild the species! But trust me, Niles, it is not going to happen. She needs a man – one who can do more for her than just smell her hair." He moved for the door. "Daphne!"
Niles started to panic. "What are you going to do?"
"You are going to fix this."
"Well… What am I going to tell her?"
"Tell her the truth. Only the truth shall make you clot."
Daphne entered the washroom. "Yes, Dr. Crane?"
"Yes Daphne, Niles has something he wishes to discuss with you." Frasier leaves them, closing the door behind him.
Daphne steps closer. "What is it, Dr. Crane?" She notices something. "Oh look, you have a spot on your tie." She starts to blot his tie with the kitchen towel that she was holding. She was that close to him. Within hugging distance… or a step and a kiss… or close enough to smell her sweet hair…
Niles took a deep breath as he watched her try to dab the blood off his tie. "Well, earlier, what I said about Joe – I made a mistake. He doesn't sleep around, he hasn't wrecked any homes, and the business about Mimsie Stanshope…"
"Bloody hell, I've blown me chances with Joe. You've ruined me chances of going out with Joe." Her words were turning to anger. "How could you be so wrong about Joe?"
He took a deep breath and let it out uneasily. "I'm sorry Daphne. It's the rumors that were going around."
"Dr. Crane! Your nose! It's bleeding."
Niles quickly retrieved his handkerchief and put it back under his nose.
"Here, have a seat." She carefully lowered him back down to the throne.
Niles had lied to her on more than one occasion and how did she repay him? By caring for him and helping him. She was an angel. Now she was kneeling in front of him, trying to get his nose to stop bleeding. The blood… the blood brought on by lying to the one he cared the most about. The shame that he felt was so overbearing.
"Here, tilt your head back," she lovingly instructed him.
But he couldn't stop staring into those beautiful brown eyes of hers. He took another deep breath and let it out with just as much uneasiness as before. "I'm sorry I lied to you Daphne." Oh God, what had he just said?
"Lied? What lie?" A puzzled look washed over her beautiful face.
Nile's eyes were soft and begging for forgiveness. "I lied about the rumors. I lied about Joe. I never heard anything bad about Joe."
"I don't understand." Her voice was getting louder. "Why would you lie about Joe? Why would you interfere with me love life like this?" She stood and turned from him. This time, she was using the kitchen towel on her own face as she started to cry.
Niles stood to comfort her. Somehow some way, he so needed to comfort her. "I – I'm sorry. I was being selfish."
"What are you talking about Dr. Crane," she said through the tears.
"Daphne… I lied to you… because I love you."