‘Ha! Yeah, I’ve noticed that. But it’s good to keep him on his toes.’
‘And I can see how much he cares for you.’
‘And here’s the bit when you turn into Mum and tell me all the pitfalls of a long-distance relationship and ask if I know that Auntie Bren once dated a submariner.’
‘No,’ Orla said, leaning against one of the large barrels outside Gerard’s place. ‘I wasn’t going to say that. I was just going to say that we’re going home tomorrow and?—’
‘Burim’s going back to Albania tomorrow too,’ Erin said softly. ‘He has a flight a few hours after us.’ She sighed. ‘He can’t come to the UK yet. I get that. And don’t worry, I’m not going to abscond to Albania or anything. It is what it is, and we’ll just have to see how it goes.’
This was Erin being as mature as it got, and Orla’s heart went out to her. She put her arms around her sister and drew her close. ‘I love you so much, Erin. You know that, don’t you?’
‘I know that,’ Erin answered. ‘I also know that you’re going to crease this dress if you keep hugging me and I don’t want it creasedandstained when it’s given back to Delphine.’
‘You’ve stained it?’ Orla said, letting her go.
‘It wasn’tmyfault. The baby literally poured its bottle on me.’
Orla shook her head, but she was smiling. Both the Bradbee sisters had done some growing since they had been in Saint-Chambéry.
‘Orla!’ A collective shout from their table volleyed around the square.
‘Looks like it’s your turn to throw again,’ Erin said. ‘I’ll get the drinks. Then, when you’ve beaten Sebastian, you’d better get ready for your date.’
‘What?’ Orla asked. ‘How do you know about that?’
Erin laughed. ‘Just go and throw your beanbags, Orla Orange.’
Hearing her little sister say her nickname pulled at her heartstrings but apparently there wasn’t time for sentimentality when there was a contest to win and a gorgeous guy to go on a date with.
57
SAINT-CHAMBÉRY CHAPEL, SAINT-CHAMBÉRY
Jacques was nervous. The kind of nervous you might get if you were waiting outside a church for a very different reason. But, to him, this date felt more important than any other kind of union he’d had before. And he knew that this place was where he wanted Orla and him to have this first proper date together. He blew into his hands to ward off the cold and checked his watch again. He’d text her.The chapel at midnight. It was three minutes to.
‘The church,’ Orla said, suddenly at his shoulder.
‘You are early,’ he remarked, turning to face her.
‘And you’ve been standing here for five minutes already,’ she answered.
‘You’ve been watching me?’
‘I was making sure the Queen of theBrouettehad a chariot to get home in. And by “chariot” I mean your truck, driven by Tommy with Burim and Hunter squeezed into the back. I’m not sure how we get back.’
‘We will find a way,’ Jacques answered. He took her hand. ‘Come on. Let me show you the chapel.’
He pushed open the tiny wooden door and, as always, he had to bend significantly to get inside. But, once over the threshold, the chapel ceiling rose into an A-frame and wooden beams with golden fairy lights entwined around them made up the roof space. The flagstones were covered with wooden pews and, as Delphine and her helpers had promised, a table set for two was at the far end, just below the pulpit, opposite the building’s one stained-glass window and right next to the original, centuries oldbrouettein a glass case.
‘This is so beautiful,’ Orla remarked, walking with him down the aisle and taking everything in.
‘It looks exactly as it looked when I first saw it,’ Jacques told her. ‘Apart from this table of course.’ He pulled a chair out for her, and she sat down. There were plates, glasses, one candle flickering in its centre and a bottle of wine.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
He sat down too, more nervous than ever, but also never more certain about the things he wanted to say. The red wine was open, and he poured them both a glass and watched Orla take a sip.
‘Saint-Chambéry magic grapes again?’ she asked.
