Page 119 of The Grey Wolf
“No!” her little sister shouted. “It’s mine. So’s that.” Zora pointed to one of the many marshmallows stuck to the ceiling. As though it were a trophy.
The room descended into pandemonium. Armand looked at Reine-Marie, who wore a blissful smile.
“Are you drunk?”
“I wish. I’ve just given up. There’s a kind of freedom that comes with surrendering. I’m going to put a down payment on a home in Yukon and maybe open a bookstore there. Want to come? We can return when they’re in their twenties.”
“She started it,” Honoré was yelling. He was pointing to Ruth, who was not denying it.
“Please don’t leave me behind,” Armand whispered, then looked around. “Have Annie and Daniel gone ahead?”
“The traitors jumped ship. Said they were going to the bistro and would bring back dinner. That was two hours ago.”
“Well,sauve qui peut.”
Reine-Marie laughed. “It’s good to have you home.” Her face turned serious. “What can I do to help?”
Clearly, the crisis he was dealing with was far from over.
“You’re going to kill me, but I need to go to the bistro. I have to look at the bottle of Chartreuse Dom Philippe left behind.”
“Why?”
“I think he might’ve been trying to tell me something. I’ll just grab it and come right back.”
“Promise?”
Now Henri, who rarely barked, was barking, as was Fred. Little Gracie was on the sofa, bouncing up and down, while the children leaped on the cushions, and Ruth held little laughing Idola securely on her lap.
The sound of his flesh and blood, and some fur, shrieking and barking followed Armand across the quiet village green.
The day was cooling down, and those on the terrasse outside the bistro wore sweaters as they drank their beers and wine, and ate cheese and pâté.
Once inside, he spotted Annie and Daniel along with Roslyn, Daniel’s wife, and Isabelle Lacoste’s husband. They were sitting with Clara and Myrna.
Armand waved hello to Olivier behind the bar, but before heading there, he walked over to his family.
“You two deserters”—he pointed to Daniel and Annie—“will go relieve your mother.” He lowered his voice. “I’ll give you five dollars to do it.”
They stood up.
“We were just about to go anyway,” said Annie, clearly lying as she gave her father a hug. But still, she held out her hand for the money.
Daniel also stood and greeted his father. Armand hesitated, then said to him, “We need to talk. Maybe a walk after dinner?”
“Can you give me a hint?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“D’accord.You okay?” His father looked tired. Stressed.
Armand smiled. Was a time, many years in fact, when Daniel wouldn’t have noticed, and if he did, he would not have cared and certainly would not have asked after his father’s well-being.
That had changed. But Armand feared it could still slide back.
“I am. Now go rescue your mother. She has marshmallow in her hair, children under her skin, and Ruth up her nose.”
Daniel laughed. That full-bodied, full-throated laugh that lit up a room and always lightened his father’s heart, since the moment of Daniel’s first breath.
