Chapter 13
13
Within a five-minute brisk breath-stealing hike they were standing outside a large cabin, the only building anywhere in sight apart from an adjacent barn. It had large windows with shutters and an absence of anything that said anything about the person who might live here. There was no car outside, no wheelie bins, no plants or personalisation. The dog wasn’t even around either. If it hadn’t been for the fact Orla had had the dog on her lap and her ears were still ringing from the whistling, she would think this place was deserted. Except there was a wisp of smoke coming from a small chimney that she was taking as a sign of perhaps an open fire inside. And fire equalled warmth, right?
‘What are we waiting for?’ Erin asked, stamping her feet. ‘The dog to come back and change its mind about eating us?’
‘I am sure Wolf will invite us in soon. He knows we are here,’ Delphine said, unperturbed and just standing like she was waiting for a bus to show up.
‘But it’s cold,’ Erin moaned. ‘And I need to check my phone.’
Orla knew Erin had looked at her phone on the ride over here so checking it wasn’t a necessity, but she did agree about the cold.
‘In Saint-Chambéry we have a tradition. You cannot enter a house until you are invited,’ Delphine told them.
‘God, this has turned a bit The Vampire Diaries ,’ Erin said.
‘OK,’ Orla said. ‘Well, that’s very nice but it’s very cold and?—’
There was a buzzing noise then and Delphine clapped her hands together. ‘So, now we have been invited. Come.’
Orla watched Delphine make short work of the last bit of the walk and then Erin was at her shoulder, nudging.
‘What the fuck is going on?’ Erin whispered. ‘Because I don’t know what’s a wolf and what isn’t, I’m freezing cold and I’m sure I’ve got croissant stuck to my windpipe because I had to eat it so quickly!’
‘I know,’ Orla said. ‘It’s not ideal. But hopefully once I’ve started this interview I can get a better feel for why I needed to fly here for this story. I know the publication wouldn’t have sent me here if it wasn’t going to pull huge volume to the website.’ And, even though the timing wasn’t ideal, now she was here she had the opportunity to make sure it went well, for Travel in Mind and for her career aspirations too. Another success on her CV and soon it would be time to take a chance on Time …
‘So how are you going to interview someone who doesn’t talk, again? Talk me through it,’ Erin said.
‘Well,’ Orla answered. ‘Maybe he can write his answers down. No one’s told me he can’t hear.’
‘This is crazy! Are all the places you go like this? Because I remember your photos from UAE and there were definitely chandeliers in the hotels and wall-to-wall Balenciaga.’
‘That report was on consumerism and the gender pay gap,’ Orla said. ‘It was meant to be Austin’s article but he… said he wasn’t going to do it unless he got a pay rise.’ She didn’t usually take other people’s jobs but she’d thought she’d step up and step outside the box, widen her remit, show another side to her writing. It was all about the bigger picture. Small term sacrifice for long term gain…
Erin laughed. ‘Oh my God, I’m so cold it’s making me think you’re funny.’
‘Come on,’ Orla encouraged. ‘Let’s go in, get this started and then we can find something fun to do this afternoon.’
‘Can we eat Pringles?’
Orla led the way to the imposing solid front door that was slightly ajar and gave it a push. Immediately the dog was there, padding along a wooden hallway, but this time looking more friendly than fierce.
‘Hello,’ Orla said, stretching out a hand to see if petting could be a thing.
‘We are in the kitchen!’ Delphine’s voice carried through.
The dog then led the way and Erin followed its trail while Orla mentally took in details about the house. Despite the abundance of wood it was made from creating an outward appearance of warmth, it felt somehow clinical. The living area wasn’t bright, white or sterile, but it lacked any form of individuality. There were pictures on the walls, but they were prints that looked like they had been bought in sets of three from somewhere like Habitat. There were no photos of friends or family, no ornaments that had been passed through a generation or two, everything there had a purpose. A TV. A wood burner that was roaring in front of a big tan leather sofa devoid of decorative cushions. There was a coffee table but no magazines nor coasters, missing knick-knacks that would ordinarily say someone actually lived here.
‘Is that coffee machine for real?’ Erin exclaimed, wandering into the kitchen area and looking like she might want to take a photo.
‘Ugly thing,’ Delphine said, dismissing it. ‘Like a spaceship.’
‘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 . There is a 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.’
And the more she said the word ‘fine’ the more she realised she was looking at Jacques like he was the very definition of ‘fine’ – the way Erin used it to describe hot guys. Well, it had been a while and all this going from freezing weather to roaring wood stack was bound to do something to a woman’s temperature. It was getting quite warm in here…
‘Gerard did not tell you he crashed the car?’ Jacques said to Delphine.
‘He did not!’
‘Well,’ Jacques said, picking up a mug from the tray. ‘More secrets in Saint-Chambéry. What a surprise.’
Orla needed to step in. Right now she was feeling there were more reasons for her not to be here than the other way around.
‘OK,’ she began. ‘So, maybe we need a more formal introduction. My name is Orla Bradbee and I work for Travel in Mind magazine and I was told to come here to interview someone called Wolf who can’t speak and find out about the pregnant reindeer. So, is any of that going to happen or should I get the next taxi back to the airport?’
Delphine snorted. ‘There are no taxis in Saint-Chambéry.’
‘And Gerard drives like he’s Albanian,’ Erin announced.
And none of those responses were getting Orla closer to answers. She opened her mouth, ready to say exactly that except someone beat her to it.
‘You’re Orla Bradbee?’
It was Jacques and he had said her full name like it was somehow familiar to him. An involuntary shudder rolled through her and she had no idea why.
‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘Were you expecting someone else? Because I’m literally the only one crazy enough to get on a plane in December and I had to bring my sister with me.’
‘Oi! Don’t make it sound like you don’t totally love me!’
There was something written in Jacques’s expression now that was pinching at Orla. His dark brown eyes seemed veiled, a pulse reacted in his jawline. He was looking at her but not looking at her, seeking some kind of visual clarification that she existed. Finally, he took a deep breath and his attention went to Delphine.
‘I do not know what this is, Delphine, but you need to leave. All of you.’
‘Wait, what?’ Erin exclaimed. ‘We just came. On a tractor. And your dog basically attacked us. And it’s freezing. And this coffee is terrible when you have a machine that could run Starbucks. And you haven’t let my sister ask you one question yet! And… did I say it’s freezing?’
‘Jacques, we are your guests. And you are French. You have to extend hospitality,’ Delphine said, stuttering a little over her words.
‘I have made coffee and I did not let Hunter maul you. I do not know what else you would expect with no warning of your arrival. You know how I feel about that, Delphine.’ He glared at the older woman.
‘You’re right,’ Orla said finally. ‘We should go. This whole thing is a waste of everyone’s time. Come on, Erin.’
‘What?’ Erin exclaimed. ‘But we’ve only just got here. I can’t go back out in the cold yet!’
‘Exactly! And, Jacques, you know how my tractor is! It needs time to cool down before starting up again,’ Delphine added.
‘I don’t care,’ Orla stated, making sure the zip on her coat was fully up to her neck. ‘I’ve never been anywhere less hospitable, and I’ve been to a lot of places. Thank you for the coffee. Come on, Erin.’
‘Orla, what are you doing?’ Delphine called.
Orla was striding towards the door with only one thing on her mind. Getting out of here as quickly as possible even if she had to walk back to the village. OK, so she knew it wasn’t the shortest distance but it would be fine. She’d trekked through harsher terrain than a bit of French snow…
Suddenly there was a loud click, just as she reached the door and when she pulled on the handle it wouldn’t budge. She tried again, added more force. Why wasn’t this a normal door? Why wasn’t there a keyhole with keys to turn? She gripped the handle again and forced it up and down and down and up, hoping for a different result.
‘It won’t open. It does not matter how hard you pull it.’
She turned around and faced Jacques who was standing just behind her.
‘Well, that sounds like a big issue if there was ever a fire,’ she replied.
‘Or a plus if there is an avalanche,’ Jacques answered.
‘So, what do I do to get out if it’s not pulling the handle?’ Orla asked, frustration needling her. ‘Is there a pad to take a fingerprint? Or a retinal scan?’
‘Yes,’ Jacques replied. ‘Both. But I have deactivated them.’
She physically baulked. Was he being for real?
‘I want to leave,’ Orla reminded him.
‘I thought you wanted to interview me.’
‘No, my magazine wants me to interview you. Right now, all I want to do is completely forget you.’
The last sentence came out a lot harder and harsher than she had meant. Ordinarily, in front of someone she was meant to be working with, she would be hastily apologising right now, but the words weren’t coming. And Jacques was saying nothing, those dark eyes fixed on her like whatever happened next was her move…
And then he laughed. Loud and so unexpected that Orla jumped. But the laughter kept on coming like her asking to leave was comedy gold.
‘I’m sorry,’ Jacques said, finally. ‘It’s just you go from not saying anything to exploding. It’s amusing.’
Now her last nerve was rapidly unravelling. ‘You think this is exploding? You obviously don’t get out much.’
‘ Non ,’ he seemed to agree. ‘You see, I have this very difficult door.’
OK, that was good. And unfortunately she couldn’t help but show it on her face. She tried to stop the smile from forming.
‘I apologise,’ Jacques said. ‘For being an ungracious host. Please, let me make better coffee than Delphine.’
His tone sounded so genuine and he was looking directly at her waiting for her response. Maybe she wouldn’t say anything.
‘Ah, you pretend to be mute,’ he said, nodding. ‘I hear it is a thing. Well, perhaps you can write down the one question I said I would answer.’
‘Why do you have an expensive broken coffee machine in your kitchen?’
‘Is that the one question?’ He raised one eyebrow.
‘You didn’t say you would only answer one question,’ Orla replied. ‘My sister said I hadn’t even asked you one question.’
He nodded. ‘You are right.’
‘So?’ She folded her arms across her chest then felt immediately ridiculous and dropped them down again.
‘So I will… make the expensive coffee machine work and we will take it from there.’
It sounded like it was as good as she was going to get and the thought of walking in icy conditions all the way back to the village hadn’t been at all appealing.
‘Fine,’ she answered. And, he really was…