The Sun Sister

by Lucinda Riley

  My husband is a special man, she thought as a little bubble of unexpected longing popped in her stomach.

  ‘Hello there!’ Katherine waved at them from the veranda as they made their way up the muddy drive to the small but newly renovated cottage. ‘How was the flight?’ she asked Cecily as she put her arm through hers, and led her towards it.

  ‘It was truly the most incredible experience of my life,’ Cecily smiled as Katherine ushered her into a chair on the veranda.

  ‘Oh, I’m so glad,’ Katherine smiled, sitting down next to her. ‘Bill asked me whether I thought you’d be up for it, and of course I said yes. It’s the only way to see just how magical Kenya is,’ she said as Bill brought Cecily’s suitcase from the pick-up. ‘He took me up once and decided to show off with his new tricks. I admit, I vomited all over the cockpit,’ she chuckled.

  ‘Shall I put this in the spare room, Katherine?’

  ‘Do, yes, Bill.’

  ‘Aleeki said he’d send Kiki’s chauffeur over with the rest of my things tomorrow,’ Cecily said as she watched Bill walk inside the cottage.

  ‘Well, it’s a shame that you don’t have your own home to go to, but we’ll do our best to make you comfortable here.’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry about that; I’m just so grateful I don’t have to stay down at Mundui House any longer. The atmosphere is awful strange. And besides, this is quite lovely, Katherine.’ Cecily swept her hand around the veranda, on which stood a table that Bobby himself had made out of discarded timber and had polished to a high shine. Katherine had planted bushes of hibiscus along the borders, along with bright orange and blue Bird of Paradise flowers. The cottage was cosy and inviting, with pretty flowered curtains Katherine had sewn for the windows, and clean white shutters. ‘It feels very homely.’

  ‘Well, Inverness Cottage is certainly not grand, but it’s all ours and that’s what matters. Now,’ Katherine said as Bill came out of the front door, ‘can I get you both a drink of some sort?’

  ‘Not for me, Katherine. I’m afraid I must be off back to the farm.’

  ‘Yes, Bobby left this morning.’

  ‘Then I’m sure I’ll see him up there. Real life begins again and I need to get those cattle safely down onto the plains.’

  Cecily did her best to hide her disappointment. ‘When will you be back?’

  ‘Not sure, to be honest. Sometime next week, I should think.’

  ‘Oh.’ Cecily swallowed the lump in her throat. ‘Well, I’ll be just fine here with Katherine.’

  ‘She will indeed,’ Katherine agreed, seeing Cecily’s distress and coming to her rescue. ‘And . . .’ – Katherine looked up at Bill expectantly – ‘you have another gift for your new wife, don’t you? How about I go and get it while you two say your goodbyes?’

  Bill nodded, so Katherine walked off the veranda and disappeared around the side of the cottage as Cecily stood up.

  ‘Thank you again for everything, Bill. I’m very grateful.’

  ‘As I said originally, I’m sure we’ll rub along together well. I’d appreciate it if you would keep an eye on our house-building project while I’m gone. While the cat’s away and all that.’

  ‘Of course I will, I’ll enjoy it.’

  ‘And here’s your transport!’ Katherine reappeared, leading a glossy chestnut mare towards them. ‘Come and meet her.’

  ‘The horse is for me?’

  ‘She is, yes,’ said Bill. ‘The easiest way of visiting your neighbours, that’s for sure.’

  ‘Why, she’s beautiful, aren’t you?’ Cecily stroked the mare’s nose, which looked as though someone had dropped a large splodge of white paint all over it.

  ‘She should be the perfect size for you and seems very even-tempered,’ added Bill.

  ‘I love her! Is she really mine?’

  ‘She is, yes, although you’ll have to take care of yourself for the next few months,’ Bill indicated her stomach. ‘We wouldn’t want any accidents, would we?’

  ‘No,’ Cecily blushed, ‘we wouldn’t.’

  Even though Katherine knew about the baby, it was the first time Bill had mentioned it openly in front of her.

  ‘The horse doesn’t have a name yet.’ Katherine stepped into the breach once more. ‘You’ll have to think of one for her, Cecily.’

  ‘Yes, she must. Right, I’ll be off then.’

  ‘I’ll walk you to your pick-up,’ said Cecily.

  ‘No, stay here with Katherine – you’ve had a tiring couple of days. Bye, Cecily,’ he said, and with a short wave and a nod, strode off towards the ever-patient Nygasi waiting for him in the pick-up.

  He didn’t even kiss me goodbye, Cecily thought as she followed Katherine disconsolately back onto the veranda. She’d been so encouraged by Bill’s perfect wedding gift, and the wonderful smile he’d given her before taking off in the plane, but now . . .

  ‘Are you all right, darling?’ Katherine asked.

  ‘Yes, I’m just a little tired is all.’

  ‘Of course you are. It’s a shame that Bill has to go away so soon, but I’m sure he’ll be back here to you as soon as he can.’

  ‘Yes, and I shouldn’t feel bad or make him feel guilty, because I knew when he asked me to marry him that this was the deal.’

  ‘Oh darling, you really care about him, don’t you?’

  ‘I guess I do, but I truly have no idea how he feels about me.’

  ‘I always knew that Bill harboured feelings for you, Cecily. It was obvious when we were out on that safari. It was you I wasn’t sure of.’

  ‘I’m sure you’re wrong. I thought he asked me to marry him out of the kindness of his heart.’ Cecily could feel the tears pressing at the back of her eyes as she saw Bill’s pick-up finally disappear from sight.

  ‘I wasn’t aware until recently that Bill had a heart, let alone a kind one,’ Katherine smiled. ‘But you’ve changed him, Cecily, you truly have. And the fact he’s prepared to take on your . . . situation must be evidence of his feelings for you?’

  ‘I . . . just don’t know.’

  ‘Well, everything will be better once you’re settled in your new home together. Hopefully it won’t be too long, but we’ll try and have a lovely time while you’re here. Now, sit with me in the kitchen while I peel the vegetables. Remember, Bobby has gone too, so we can keep each other company.’

  Cecily followed Katherine into the entrance hall, which doubled as a living room. To her left was a narrow corridor, housing a room the size of a closet that was a study for Bobby to use, and beyond that, a small kitchen with a scrubbed pine table and two chairs. It was of course as neat as a pin. Everything about Katherine was.

  ‘I’m surprised you didn’t put your kitchen in a separate block like all the other houses round here,’ Cecily commented as she watched Katherine expertly peel some potatoes.

  ‘Given I have no staff to cook for me, it seemed absurd to do that. One of my favourite moments of the day is when Bobby sits down right where you’re sitting and we eat and chat over where we’ve been and what we’ve done.’

  ‘I’m afraid I have never learnt to cook,’ Cecily confessed. ‘Do you think you could teach me?’

  ‘Of course I could, but I’m sure that Bill will employ someone to do it for you.’

  ‘Still, I should know what to do so I can direct them.’

  ‘Yes, you’re right, although I doubt the likes of Kiki or Idina have ever put together toast and jam, let alone a beef casserole,’ said Katherine.

  ‘Well, there’s no harm in learning, is there? I’d like to.’

  ‘All right then,’ Katherine agreed, handing Cecily some carrots and a knife. ‘Lesson one,’ she grinned.

  925 Fifth Avenue

  Manhattan, New York 10021

  30th April 1939

  My darling Cecily,

  Your Papa, your sisters and I were overjoyed to receive the photographs of your wedding ceremony. You looked beautiful, honey, and I must say that your Bill is very handsome ind
eed. Although your dear Papa was somewhat surprised at his age, I assured him that it was a good thing you have chosen a husband who is more mature.

  As you may know, Jack and Patricia are now on their honeymoon on Cape Cod. Junie DuPont attended and she told me that Patricia looked nowhere near as beautiful as you and her hair was very unfortunate. She said the reception was like Mardi Gras, and rather crass. (There has also been gossip recently that Jack’s family bank is on the verge of collapse. As Mamie said, it looks like you had a lucky escape!)

  Baby Christabel is a delight and Mamie has been a perfectly serene mother. And I must tell you the big news: Priscilla is expecting too! Your Papa and I are so very happy that all of our three daughters are married, and maybe it won’t be so long before you too have some baby news for us.

  Cecily, even though you say you are safe from any war that may happen in Europe, we do worry about you, honey. I only wish that you and Bill would come stay out here until things are more certain, but I understand his livelihood is in Kenya.

  Write me soon and send my best to Kiki and to your new husband.

  All my love,

  Mama xx

  Cecily sighed heavily as she read her mother’s letter, and tried to summon joy at Priscilla’s news, but all she felt was a cold lump of anxiety as she wrote back to her mother telling her of her own pregnancy.

  ‘. . . I am due in December,’ she wrote, although she knew she would be sending them a telegram far earlier to announce the birth.

  ‘I’ll deal with that when the time comes,’ she murmured as she folded the letter into an envelope.

  The good news was that the days at Inverness Cottage passed far faster than they had at Mundui House. She was kept busy helping Katherine plant out a vegetable garden at the back of the cottage, and learning how to prepare dinners and to make cakes (which, after a number of failed attempts, convinced Cecily that baking was never going to be her forte). If she woke early, she would ride Belle, her beautiful chestnut mare, over to Bill’s farm five miles away, to check that the builders were doing what they should.

  Subsequently, Cecily fell into bed exhausted each night. She found the rain that pounded on the roof above her comforting somehow, but worried about Bill out there on the plains, with the rivers swelling and the risk of mudslides from the mountains. When it rained too hard to sit outside, Bobby would light a fire in the small grate and they would play cards or listen on the crackly wireless to the BBC World Service. This was often a sobering experience, as the news continued to report the political situation in Europe; many commentators believed that war was inevitable, despite the various pacts and alliances that had been formed.

  While the tensions in Europe were never far from Cecily’s mind, Katherine could not have done any more to make her feel welcome. Bobby was away too with his cattle, but somehow always managed to return every few days to see his wife.

  At least, Cecily thought, as she bathed in the tin tub that sat in an outhouse at the back alongside the lavvy, Bill was due back here tomorrow. She couldn’t believe how eager she was to see her new husband. The following morning, she drove with Katherine into Gilgil and went into what claimed to be a hair salon, but was actually a spare room at the back of a shack. Cecily winced with nerves as the Kikuyu woman chopped away at her hair.

  ‘There, bwana, is okay?’

  Cecily tried to view her reflection in the small piece of cracked, faded mirror the woman had offered her.

  ‘Why yes, I’m sure it’s fine.’

  ‘What do you think? Do I look terrible?’ she asked Katherine, who had recommended the woman.

  ‘Not at all,’ Katherine comforted her.

  ‘It feels so short.’

  ‘The good news is that it will grow again. Come on, we have to get home to prepare supper for our boys.’

  When Cecily was back at the cottage and was able to view herself properly in a mirror on the wall, she covered her face and let out a little scream. Her curls had been chopped into submission, and now what was left of them clung tightly to her head in ringlets.

  ‘I hate it! I absolutely hate it,’ Cecily said, her eyes full of tears.

  ‘I think it rather suits you.’

  ‘I look like a boy, Katherine! Bill will loathe it, I know he will.’

  ‘I’m sure he won’t even notice,’ said Katherine, handing her a couple of hair slides. ‘Bobby certainly doesn’t. Here, try these.’

  Bobby arrived home at seven that night, and indeed didn’t notice that either of the women had had their hair cut.

  ‘I saw Bill out on the plains briefly yesterday, Cecily. He sends his apologies, but he’ll be delayed by a few days, I’m afraid. It’s taken longer than expected to round up the cattle for vaccination, what with the rains.’

  ‘Oh.’ Cecily didn’t know whether she was relieved that he wouldn’t see her hair in the state it was in, or disappointed. Disappointment won.

  ‘Let’s have a drink, shall we?’ Katherine poured them all a gin from the bottle Cecily had bought in Gilgil at great expense to celebrate Bill’s return. ‘Let’s toast to your husband’s imminent arrival. Cheers!’

  It was another week before Bill arrived unexpectedly on the threshold of Inverness Cottage.

  ‘Hello, Cecily,’ he said as she rose hurriedly, throwing the ball of wool and knitting needles into a basket beside her.

  ‘Bill! We weren’t expecting you,’ she said as she walked towards him.

  He put out his hands.

  ‘Please, don’t come near me, Cecily. I stink of cow and mud. I’ll go round the back and have Nygasi throw some buckets of water over me while I have a good scrub.’

  ‘There is a bath, you know . . .’ Cecily called after him.

  ‘Baths are for girls,’ he said, winking at her as Nygasi joined him, carrying a pail.

  ‘Bill’s back,’ she said to Katherine, who was preparing supper in the kitchen.

  ‘Good. Better get out that gin then, eh?’

  Having done so, Cecily ran to her room to brush her hideous hair and apply a little lipstick. Fifteen minutes later, Bill was back in a fresh linen shirt and pants, looking more like himself.

  ‘Gin?’ she offered him.

  ‘Thank you. Tchin tchin,’ he said and downed half the delicate crystal glass’s contents in one. ‘Back to civilisation,’ he said as he eyed her. ‘You’ve had your hair cut.’

  ‘Yes, and it was all a terrible mistake. The woman in Gilgil butchered it.’

  ‘I rather like it. And it’ll save you having to go back into town for a while at least.’

  ‘If I’d known you were expected, I’d have made some . . . well, arrangements.’

  ‘My dear Cecily, I’ve never been “expected” in my life. There’s certainly no need to stand on ceremony every time I come back.’

  ‘Hello, Bill,’ Katherine smiled as she came out onto the veranda. ‘Any spare gin going, Cecily?’

  Over supper that night, Bill and Bobby discussed all things to do with cattle and Cecily only wished that she and Bill could be alone. She had lots to tell him too.

  ‘Right, I’m going to turn in for the night. Excuse me, won’t you?’ he said as he yawned and patted Cecily on the shoulder. ‘Goodnight, my dear.’

  Cecily followed him to the guest bedroom only ten minutes later, but Bill was already snoring gently in one of the twin beds. Slipping on her nightgown even though she’d recently been sleeping naked because it was more comfortable, Cecily climbed into her own bed, switched out the light, then laid her head on the pillow and did her best to sleep.

  When she woke up the next morning, Bill had already left.

  ‘Where has he gone?’ she asked Katherine, who was always up far earlier than she.

  ‘Not sure, to be honest. He and Nygasi took off in the pick-up about half an hour ago.’

  ‘Did he say when he’d be back?’

  ‘No, I’m afraid he didn’t. Look, I think you’re going to have to accept that Bill has lived by himse
lf for the whole of his adult life. He’s used to coming and going as he pleases, and to not pleasing anyone else for that matter. You must have known that when you married him.’

  ‘Oh, yes, I did, of course I did. And you’re right,’ Cecily said. ‘I just have to accept it.’

  ‘It’s no reflection on his feelings for you, I’m sure. He’s simply not used to having a wife yet, that’s all. Plus it’s the rainy season, which is always busy for the farmers.’

  ‘He was so wonderful to me when we got married. I’d just,’ Cecily sighed, ‘like to have a little more time with him.’

  ‘Nothing in life is ever perfect, Cecily, and as my father always drummed into me, patience is a virtue. He’s married you, darling, much to the surprise of everyone round here. And despite your situation. Given where you were a few weeks ago, I think you should count your blessings and not be too demanding. Now then, I’m off to plant some cabbages in the garden before the heavens open again.’

  Katherine left the kitchen and Cecily sat down, chastened by her friend’s words. She was right, of course: Bill was his own man and she had to accept that.

  This proved very difficult when Bill didn’t show up until three days later, a dead leopard sprawled across the trunk of his car, the huge paws tied by rope to the undercarriage. Cecily looked away, hating the sight of the majestic creature lying lifeless in front of her.

  ‘Sorry I’ve been AWOL, Cecily,’ Bill said as he arrived in the living room, driven inside by the pelting rain. ‘I needed to let off a little steam. I’ll go and dry myself off.’

  Obviously, letting off steam means shooting wild animals dead, Cecily thought but didn’t dare say.

  ‘So, how’s the house coming along?’ he asked her over the supper table an hour later.