‘No,’ Delphine agreed. ‘But my having cancer is.’
Now it was him that felt unsteady on his feet. It was like someone was pulling at the tiles on the floor, ripping them away to reveal a gigantic sink hole he was going to plummet through. He couldn’t function for a second, his mind processing but equally notwantingto process. Had he heard her right?
‘Do not say anything,’ Delphine ordered, still in hushed tones. ‘I have customers to get back to and you have a reindeer to look after. Please, make the best kind of story for Orla, even if that is all you can do for me.’
‘Delphine, let me… take some of those.’ He reached out, wanting to relieve her of some of the boxes, lighten her load, if only in the here and right now.
‘No,’ Delphine ordered. ‘Do not fuss! I have told you what I want you to do. The time for talking is not tonight when there are so many people in Saint-Chambéry and you have caught the wonderful fish that has made this evening another special one.’ She smiled. ‘Now, please, do what I ask about the reindeer.’
She did not stop for him to be able to give any answer whatsoever.
33
‘Shouldn’t there be a horsebox?’ Erin asked as the reindeer was led up a makeshift ramp and into a trailer that had been attached to the back of Jacques’s truck.
‘Reindeerbox,’ Tommy corrected.
‘Shut up, stupid,’ Erin snapped.
‘I agree it’s not ideal for the trip to your house,’ Orla commented to Jacques as she helped encourage the animal up the wooden boards and it seemed to dig its feet in.
‘We make do in Saint-Chambéry. That is how it works,’ he answered. He put a hand on the reindeer’s rear-end and gently suggested it comply.
‘I’m getting to realise that,’ Orla answered. ‘But it’s pregnantandit has possible foot rot. I don’t want it falling out of this contraption on the way and getting hurt.’
‘Well, what do you suggest we do?’ Jacques snapped. ‘Ride it back to my house?’
His tone was harsh and she was a little taken aback. She swallowed, not knowing how to respond. If she was honest his mood had been off since he had come back from talking to Delphine. When he’d returned he’d inspected the reindeer allover again and then gave them all an audible rundown of his findings.It is in good health, despite the potential foot rot.The pregnancy looks to be progressing OK.It is not lame.Orla hadn’t been sure why she needed to know the last one unless it was entered for the reindeer Grand National equivalent…
It was the reindeer making a noise that broke the awkward silence that had descended.
‘It doesn’t sound happy,’ Erin remarked.
‘It sounds like you when Burim doesn’t message for thirty seconds. Wait… twenty seconds… no, actually ten,’ Tommy said.
‘Just because you have no one inyourDMs,’ Erin countered.
‘Ha! Yeah, whatever you think.’
‘Will you two shut up!’ Jacques roared, loud enough to cause an echo.
‘OK,’ Orla said calmly. ‘I think the reindeer is going to be significantly overstimulated if this carries on.’ She took a firmer grip on the halter. ‘You two get in the truck and play nice. Jacques and I willcalmly, get the reindeer in the trailer and we will be on our way.’
She wasn’t going to beat around the bush. As soon as Erin and Tommy were out of earshot she was going to ask Jacques exactly what had changed his demeanour from happy-fish-catching-hero to this grizzly bear in front of her now.
She tugged a little on the halter. ‘Come on, beautiful one.’
‘It does not want to move,’ Jacques stated. ‘Complimenting its appearance isn’t going to change that.’
‘Well, do you have any better ideas?’
‘Yes! We make a bigger barbecue and grill it like the fish!’
Orla gasped. ‘You’re not serious! You can’t eat… a reindeer!’
‘Why not? Because Santa Claus will disapprove?’
‘People don’t eat reindeer!’
