‘It’s amazing!’ Erin carried on. ‘Is this made from that?’ She picked up one of the mugs on the clutter-free countertop.
‘No,’ Delphine answered. ‘It is made with a kettle.’
Erin pulled a face as she drew her mouth away from the cup. ‘But why though?’
‘Because the spaceship does not work.’
Orla looked up as someone came into the room, tall, dark-haired, a pile of logs resting on his forearms as he made his way past them and towards the lounge area. Instantly recognisable.Jacques.
‘You!’ she exclaimed. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I live here,’ he answered. ‘What are you doing here? Another ill-prepared for trip when it is high minus figures outside?’ He looked her up and down. ‘At least you are wearing more layers today.’
Orla felt her cheeks flush. How did he know she was wearing layers?
‘We’re here to meet a wolf,’ Erin answered. ‘Not a real one. Some guy who doesn’t speak. Does he live here too?’
‘No one is drinking the coffee except me,’ Delphine butted in, rushing to pick up the tray that was now holding the mugs. ‘Let us warm ourselves up.’
‘Delphine,’ Jacques said, dropping the logs to the hearth and putting his now empty hands on his hips. ‘What is going on? First yesterday you tell me about a pregnant reindeer and now you tell people I cannot speak?’
‘Wait, what?’ Erin exclaimed.
‘You’re the mute man?’ Orla said.
‘I’m so confused,’ Erin said, taking a coffee from the tray Delphine was now desperately brandishing.
‘You can speak,’ Orla said. Although why she was stating what was blindingly obvious now she really didn’t know. And she was rapidly losing any hook for the basis of this assignment!
‘Café?’ Delphine asked, moving across the open-plan area at speed and poking the tray towards Jacques/Wolf.
‘No, Delphine. I do not want a coffee. I want to know what’s going on! There is no reindeer and there are strangers in my house!’
‘There’s no reindeer?’
Orla had said it before she had even realised it. But now she was more than confused, she was annoyed. There seemed to be a whole lot of misinformation going on here and it didn’t appear to be down to any of her inadequate research when these were fundamental facts from the brief brief she’d been given. This was a waste of time and there were far more important things she could be doing! Repairing her family for a start!
‘Non,’ Delphine said firmly. ‘Non. Thereisa reindeer. She is coming.’
‘If she’s pregnant I would have thought that had already happened many months ago,’ Erin said.
‘Really?’ Jacques said, walking away from the fire and snatching the tray from Delphine. ‘There is a pregnant reindeer coming here to Saint-Chambéry. How? By Fed-Ex?’
Erin laughed. ‘That was funny.’
‘I do not know why you are all making such a fuss,’ Delphine said lightly. ‘The reindeer is late. What can I say? There are some things that I cannot control here in the village. Like whether the delivery man will ever turn up with the cinnamon cereal I ordered for the season. Or Gerard’s addiction to pickled vegetables. Or Madame Voisin.’
There was a silence as if they were all waiting for Delphine to conclude her sentence. Nothing was forthcoming.
‘And these people?’ Jacques finally said, putting the tray on the coffee table and waving a hand rather rudely in Orla’s opinion. ‘Are here because?’
‘Bruh, we do have names,’ Erin said with sass. ‘And you do know them.’
‘You have met?’ It was Delphine’s turn to look surprised.
‘We ran him over,’ Erin elaborated.
‘He’s fine,’ Orla continued. ‘Obviously you can see he’s fine.’
