‘Diana, this is Katherine Sinclair, my great friend and neighbour,’ Cecily said quickly.
‘Golly! This is obviously where all the bright young things live.’ Diana turned to her husband. ‘Can we build a house near here instead, darling? Then I shall have plenty of jolly company.’
‘Fizz, everyone?’ Katherine asked as she poured the champagne into six glasses.
‘Rather,’ said Jock, smiling at the assembled group. ‘This feels more like the Kenya I used to know. Cheers!’
‘Cheers!’ everyone chorused.
‘And welcome to Happy Valley, Diana,’ Joss added, his eyes lingering on the new blonde recruit.
‘Thank you, Joss, I’m pleased to be here,’ Diana said, holding his gaze.
Even Cecily admitted later that the evening – and Diana – were fun. After dinner, Diana asked if Cecily had a gramophone.
‘Why yes. And Mama sent some of the newest records over from America with it.’
‘Well, for heaven’s sake, let’s put them on! The ones at Muthaiga Club might have been popular in the twenties, but they’re hardly up to date,’ Diana drawled.
Cecily did as asked, setting the gramophone up on the veranda, while the men moved the table and chairs out of the way to create a makeshift dance floor.
‘Dancing under the stars is just so romantic, don’t you think, Cecily?’ Diana said dreamily, clasped in the arms of her husband as Glenn Miller’s ‘Moonlight Serenade’ played in the background.
‘Dance with me, Diana?’ asked Joss, holding out his own arms.
‘If you insist,’ Diana smiled, disengaging herself from Jock.
‘Then Cecily, will you afford me the pleasure?’ Jock asked.
She had no choice but to agree. Looking over his shoulder as they danced, Cecily saw Bill had taken to the floor with Katherine, but her attention was mainly caught by Diana and Joss, who were swaying together in a shadowy corner. Jock asked Cecily lots of polite questions which she duly answered. When the music ended, she excused herself to put another record on the gramophone.
‘For goodness’ sake, put on something upbeat,’ whispered Katherine, sifting through the records. ‘Here, Count Basie will do.’
Yet still, Diana and Joss continued to sway languidly together to ‘Lester Leaps In’, as Cecily and Katherine held hands and hopped around the veranda together, giggling as they did so. Bill was now in conversation with Jock at the table, Jock seemingly oblivious to his wife’s behaviour.
‘Bobby says there’s already gossip at Muthaiga Club about the two of them,’ Katherine whispered as, perspiring from their exertions, they sat down on the veranda steps.
‘Put on another one, will you, girls?’ called Joss. ‘Do you have “Blue Orchids”?’
‘I’ll go and look,’ said Katherine, getting up. ‘You stay there, Cecily, you’ve been on all your feet all night.’
‘Yes, you have,’ said Bill, walking over to her with Jock.
‘Wonderful party, but I’m rather bushed, what? Think I’ll head off to bed. Bill has said he’ll take us out with his Maasai chaps on a game drive tomorrow. Goodnight, m’dear.’
Cecily and Bill watched Jock amble rather unsteadily into the house as Glenn Miller’s orchestra blared out on the gramophone.
Bill held out his hand to Cecily. ‘Dance with me?’
‘I . . . okay,’ she agreed, taking Bill’s hand and letting him pull her to standing from the steps. She felt a small tingle of desire as Bill’s arms went around her, but she pushed it down hastily. She knew Bill would never be interested in her on that level, so she amused herself instead by watching two people who were so obviously very interested in each other. One could just tell from the way their bodies moved together and how Diana was looking up into Joss’s eyes.
‘They make a handsome couple, don’t they?’ Bill said, lowering his voice.
‘They sure do. It’s a pity Diana is married.’
‘That’s never stopped Joss before. Even though I love him dearly, his behaviour with women . . .’ Bill sighed. ‘Anyway, enough of him. I have to say, you look very lovely tonight, Cecily.’
‘Why, thank you.’
‘And now . . .’ Bill released her as the record came to an end. ‘I must give Katherine a ride home as I promised. I’d go to bed if I were you, leave them to it,’ Bill whispered, nodding in the direction of Diana and Joss. He kissed her on the forehead. ‘See you tomorrow.’
Cecily was woken by Bill the following morning. He was already dressed in his khaki shirt and pants.
‘What time is it?’
‘Just after six. Time to rise and shine, we’re off on that game drive.’
‘Do I have to come? You know it’s not my thing. I hate watching those beautiful animals die.’
‘I’d be very grateful if you did. You saw last night what’s going on with Joss and Diana and I need you there to divert attention.’
‘Whose? Diana’s or Jock’s? Or, in fact, Joss’s?’ she pondered out loud as she got out of bed.
‘All three of them if possible. Diana and Jock were only married less than a month ago. Even for Joss, this is untenable behaviour.’
‘Diana doesn’t seem to mind the attention one bit, so you can’t put all the blame on Joss. She’s rather beautiful, don’t you think?’
‘She has a certain allure, I suppose, but her eyes are cold and that red lipstick she insists on wearing all the time is rather vulgar.’
‘Oh, really?’ Cecily was secretly pleased.
‘It couldn’t be more obvious what’s going on, could it?’ Bill continued. ‘A young woman like that marrying a man like Jock – it all smacks of a gold digger. Jock might be a bore, but he doesn’t deserve to be treated that way by his wife. No wonder Joss was so eager to bring his “new friends” – or should I say “friend” – to stay! Right, I’ve had Nygasi stock up the pick-ups with the usual supplies. As soon as you and Diana are ready, we’ll leave. I’ll see you outside.’
‘Okay.’ Cecily went to the closet to retrieve her safari boots, wondering at the fact that her husband didn’t seem to have fallen under Diana’s spell. Or did he protest too much . . .?
Whilst Nygasi and his fellow Maasai took the pick-up stocked with rifles and supplies, Cecily found herself squeezed in the back of the other pick-up with Joss and Diana, whilst Jock sat next to Bill in the front. Cecily turned to look out at the view of the landscape, tactfully attempting to avoid the view to her right which encompassed Joss’s hand snaking up the inside of Diana’s thigh. As Joss began openly nuzzling Diana’s neck, Cecily sat in an agony of suspense that Jock would turn round at any moment and catch them.
When they arrived at the chosen spot for the day, Nygasi and the Maasai began to set up camp.
‘Is Njala okay alone?’ Cecily made a beeline for him.
‘Njala mother come last night. She okay. Woman’s work now,’ Nygasi said as he unloaded the folding chairs, table and hampers.
‘Which would suit me best?’ Diana arrived next to them and picked up one of the rifles. ‘This one maybe?’ She lifted it into position on her slender shoulder. ‘Yes, this is perfect. Don’t you just love shooting, Cecily?’
‘As a matter of fact, I don’t. I nearly got eaten by a lion on my first game drive, but Bill saved me.’
‘How awfully romantic. I’ve only been out on a couple of safaris since I arrived and I had to save dear old Jock from a lion myself, didn’t I, darling?’ She gave a tinkling laugh. ‘Let’s hope we get some sport today.’
Cecily was happy to stay in the camp under the shade of the trees with the other Maasai on guard, as Nygasi led the rest of the party into the Bush. She saw a large snake slithering along the ground only a few yards from her. Quietly tucking her feet up onto the folding chair, she watched it as it went on its way. She pondered how, only a year ago, she would have screamed in fright at the sight of it, but as it passed her by disinterestedly, she realised how her time in Kenya had changed her. Snakes were commonp
lace, and she’d learnt from Bill and Katherine to spot which ones were benign, and which ones weren’t.
She gazed at the plain spread out in front of her, the azure sky meeting it on the horizon. A herd of wildebeest loped by in the distance. The rains had brought everything to lush, green life and the watering holes were bustling with animals, thirsty after a long dry season.
‘This is my home,’ she said in sudden wonder. ‘I live here in Africa. Who’d have thought it?’
And in that moment, as she took in the sheer magnificence of the natural beauty around her, Cecily felt she was finally beginning to recover.
The others came back for a late lunch of champagne and fresh antelope meat, which Nygasi cooked expertly on a spit.
‘How was the game drive?’ asked Cecily politely, even though it was obvious by the zebra and the Thompson’s gazelles they had dragged back that it had been a success.
‘It was a glorious day for it,’ Bill said as they heard the buzz of a plane circling above them. ‘One of the reconnaissance lot returning from the border,’ he remarked. ‘Just to remind us there’s a war on.’
‘Bally sight better here than it is in Blighty, I can tell you,’ said Jock, meat juices dribbling from his lips as he spoke. ‘Doubt we’ll get more action today with those buggers frightening the animals. Where have Diana and Joss got to?’
‘They went to see if they could spot any elephants,’ Bill replied smoothly. ‘Nygasi said a herd was seen around here yesterday.’
‘They’re not looking for ivory, are they?’ Cecily asked her husband.
‘No, Diana just had a whim to see an elephant; she’s not had the luck to spot one before.’
‘They are magnificent creatures,’ Cecily agreed as she saw a sudden movement in the bushes.
Diana and Joss were walking back towards them, blatantly holding hands and giggling.
‘Spot one, m’dear?’ Jock asked her as the pair wandered back into camp.
‘Nothing, sadly,’ she said. ‘How about we set off back to the ranch? I doubt there’ll be further sport this afternoon, will there?’
Cecily watched her as she winked at Joss and refastened her partially unbuttoned shirt.
Back at Paradise Farm, Diana declared that she was desperate to get back to town and dance at Muthaiga Club.
‘It’s such wonderful fun there on a Saturday night, isn’t it? Especially with so many soldiers in town.’
‘I’m all in for the day after the shoot, but you head off with Joss and I’ll see you at the club tomorrow, what?’ Jock said.
‘Oh darling, you are sweet to me,’ Diana gushed as she kissed her husband’s ruddy cheek. ‘Don’t rush back to Nairobi on my behalf, will you? I’m sure I won’t get eaten by anything in town – well, not by any wild animals, that is,’ she laughed. ‘Cecily, may I borrow a mirror to put myself together before I leave?’
‘Of course.’ Cecily led Diana along the corridor. ‘You’ll need to use the one in my bedroom. I keep meaning to put some in the spare rooms, but we haven’t had many guests here so far.’
‘I know. Bill told me you lost your baby last year. Horribly bad luck, you poor thing. Oh, this is delightful!’ Diana said as she looked round the bedroom. ‘You have wonderful taste, which is more than I can say for Jock. The villa in Karen feels like a Victorian mausoleum! I’m dreading moving in – so much brown. I do hate brown, don’t you?’ Diana sat down at Cecily’s dressing table and opened the beauty case she’d carried in with her. ‘Bill’s such a sweetheart, and clearly wild about you.’
‘Oh, I don’t think he is, I mean . . .’
‘It’s written all over his face. You obviously have a happy marriage – so different to me and dear Jock. He and I have never yet spent a night in the same bed and I doubt we ever will,’ she chuckled as she brushed her wavy blonde hair and expertly fastened it back with two diamanté clips. ‘Do you come up to town very often?’
‘Not really, no.’
‘Then you must! I wasn’t sure how it would be, but Nairobi is far more fun than London, despite the damned war spilling over to here. I’m having an utter ball,’ she added as she painted bright red lipstick onto her full lips. ‘You absolutely must come for race week after Christmas – Joss says it’s the most fun to be had here all year. You don’t mind if Jock crashes here with you for another night, do you? The drive back is rather arduous, and he does look all in after today’s outing.’
With a generous spritz of perfume across her neck and décolletage, Diana stood up. ‘Right, face and hair done, and I’ll change into my dress en route. There’s so much dust everywhere, isn’t there?’ She took a last glance at herself in the mirror. ‘Thank you so much for a wonderful dinner last night, and I do hope I’ll be seeing you again soon.’ She kissed Cecily on both cheeks and walked out of the bedroom, the strong fragrance of her perfume lingering behind her. Cecily sat down on the bed and shook her head. The new Lady Delves Broughton sure was something else.
Having cooked supper for the three of them who remained, Cecily excused herself soon after and left Bill and Jock to chat. In bed, she tried to concentrate on her book, but Diana’s comments about it being obvious that Bill was wild about her haunted her mind. Perhaps, she decided eventually, Diana was just being kind, because she was certain that Bill hardly registered her existence as a woman.
Jock and Bill left for Nairobi after lunch the following day. Even if Cecily found Jock rather boring and arrogant, there was a large portion of her that also felt sympathy for him.
‘When will you be back?’ she asked Bill as she handed him a pile of clean army uniform.
‘I’m not sure, I’m afraid, but I’ll let you know as soon as I can. And, my dear, really, it is time for you to get some domestic help.’ Bill indicated his laundry. ‘You’ve been slaving away all weekend.’
‘I’ll think about it,’ she agreed with a half-smile.
‘It’s not been so bad, having guests here, has it?’
‘Not at all.’
‘Well, take care, won’t you?’
‘And you,’ Cecily said as Bill kissed her politely on both cheeks. She followed the men to the veranda and noticed that Nygasi was already in his position at the rear of the pick-up. If he was going back with Bill, she presumed that Njala’s mother was still in the woods taking care of her.
Cecily waved them off rather wistfully, thinking that it had been fun to play hostess for the weekend and to have people admire her house. The week in front of her stretched out like an empty void. Before she became maudlin, Cecily turned back inside and went to the kitchen to tackle the pile of pots and pans waiting to be washed up.
It took Cecily until Tuesday morning to pluck up the courage to visit Njala. She had no idea about Maasai birthing rituals – or whether Njala had even given birth yet – but a strange instinct had been telling her to stay away. Perhaps it was the fear of arriving to find that something had gone horribly wrong, like it had for her. Finally, curiosity and concern overcame her and she and Wolfie headed off towards the woods.
It was a beautiful sunny December day and after thundering rain last night, the air felt crisp and fresh. Cecily even found herself humming ‘Blue Orchids’ and thinking that Bill was right: she should get some domestic help, especially with Christmas on the near horizon. Her mother had telephoned to say that she had sent a Christmas box filled with lots of treats, but what with the war playing havoc with deliveries, Cecily wouldn’t be holding her breath for its arrival anytime soon. Still, she was looking forward to the festive season and even thought that she might join Bill for the races in Nairobi during Christmas week.
‘You really must be feeling better,’ she told herself as she entered the clearing and blinked, wondering if Wolfie had taken her the wrong way whilst she’d been dreaming about the races. The clearing was completely deserted. Cecily walked across to where the shelter used to stand and saw that the only traces left behind were a mound of clay and a few weeds scarred from the fire pit.
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‘Holy moly!’ She looked around in disbelief. ‘They might have told us they were leaving, Wolfie. What a shame,’ she sighed, ‘I’d like to have seen the baby and said goodbye . . . Come on, let’s go home.’
But Wolfie wasn’t listening to his mistress; he’d headed out of the clearing in the opposite direction from home.
‘Wolfie! Come back here now!’
The dog continued to run through the trees until he was out of sight. Cecily turned in the direction of home, knowing he would eventually follow her, when she suddenly heard Wolfie bark from some distance away.
‘Darned dog!’ Cecily muttered as she followed the noise. ‘Wolfie! Come here!’
The barking continued and Cecily had no choice but to follow the sound deeper into the woods. It was thick and dark beyond the clearing, and Cecily found herself pushing through brambles that scratched her bare legs.
Eventually, she saw Wolfie’s backside – his nose was buried deep in a thicket – and went to see what it was that he was so interested in.
‘What is it you’ve found, boy? Some old bones, most likely. Come on, out of the way, let me take a look.’
Cecily pulled the dog away, then ploughed into the thicket herself, twigs grazing her arms and face. All she could see on the ground was a pile of dead leaves. Gingerly brushing a few of them aside to see what might be hidden beneath, her fingers touched something warm.
‘Agh!’ Cecily shrieked as she withdrew her hand abruptly and stepped back, a curl of her hair becoming tangled on a branch as she did so.
It was obviously some kind of animal, but the warmth she had felt told Cecily it was alive. After untangling her hair, she broke off one of the branches behind her, and with her heart beating hard, tentatively used it to clear more of the leaves away. A small patch of brown skin was revealed.
Then she heard the faintest mewling, like a newborn kitten. Clearing away further leaves, Cecily saw with a start a tiny foot poking up above the diminishing pile.
She swallowed hard, suddenly realising what the creature in the leafy grave was. And why Wolfie had barked.
The Sun Sister (The Seven Sisters) Page 52