‘But it is not the original one,’ Orla reminded him.
‘You think the one in the square has not been blessed by the priest? That there is not a big ceremony whenever a new one has to be put there?’
‘I need to hear more about this. With foxes and fish and wheelbarrows I might be able to get away with there being no pregnant reindeer.’
Jacques smiled. ‘Good.’ He gestured to the fish. ‘And I know this ice fishing is not the same as Oymyakon, but it was a good catch.’
Now the breath caught in Orla’s throat at the mention of Oymyakon but she managed to smile and nod.
‘Shall we take it back to the truck?’ Jacques asked.
She nodded again. ‘Yes.’
And as he went about collecting the equipment together, Orla was left wondering how he knew she had been to the coldest inhabited village on earth.
29
SAINT-CHAMBÉRY
‘It really is a monster!’ Tommy exclaimed later that night when the fish had been introduced to the whole village and skewered onto a spit that was rotating in the square above hot embers. Its reception had been something like a king returning from battle. All the residents had appeared from their homes when word had got out; Delphine had made sure everyone knew this was a blessing sent from the ancestors and somehow another Saint-Chambéry event night was born.
‘Gerard says he has never seen a fish this big in his whole life,’ Jacques answered.
‘I believe him,’ Tommy said. ‘This guy has to have whale ancestry somewhere in its backstory.’ He nudged Jacques with his arm. ‘So, you were trying to impress Orla with your ice fishing skills.’
‘Did you impress Erin with your ability to finish two of Delphine’s hot milkshakes?’
‘I asked first.’
Jacques shook his head. ‘I am not out to impress anyone.’
‘Neither am I,’ Tommy agreed. ‘Especially someone who is attached to their cell phone like it’s a baby they’re taking care of.’
‘OK then,’ Jacques said, taking a sip of his beer.
‘But seriously, you were trying to impress Orla with your ice fishing?’
Jacques smiled. ‘I was giving her something for her magazine article.’
‘Is that what the old people call it now?’ Tommy said, winking.
‘You are not funny.’
‘I’m not kidding, bro. It’s good to see you interested in someone, you know.’
Interested in someone. Was he really? Or was this because of Delphine’s forced proximity? He shook his head, on instinct maybe.
‘Come on, this is the first woman you’ve let within a mile of you since Katie.’
He was shaking his head again but this time he had a smile on his face. ‘That’s not true. I have been on dates.’
‘I know,’ Tommy said, kicking a little at the snow on the ground. ‘You think I don’t speak to Delphine? I heard all about the girl youalmostmet at the restaurant in Grenoble. And the other girl younearlywent skiing with.’
‘You are behind the times,’ Jacques said. ‘There was a hiker I had to stop from getting hypothermia.’
‘Ah yes,’ Tommy answered, nodding. ‘You brought blankets and hot coffee and did not ask her to come to the house.’
‘Tommy, we were five miles away from the house. She did not have the strength to stand, or get up onto my back. The sensible thing was to call for mountain rescue.’
