Page 136 of The Sun Sister

‘It’s patently obvious to me that you’re running away from something. You have the look.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘Because I had the same look when I arrived here originally too. The question is, will you run back?’

‘I have absolutely no idea. Now, I must get some sleep.’ Cecily stood up. ‘Thank you for including me in this, Bill. I swear, I will never forget it. Goodnight.’ She nodded at him and crossed the few yards to the tent she shared with Katherine and crawled inside. Katherine was already snoring gently on her pallet, so Cecily removed her boots then wriggled her toes in relief and lay down fully clothed, drawing the rough blanket across her body to ward off the chill of the night. She lay thinking that, despite his brusqueness and his propensity for embarrassing her, there was something about Bill Forsythe that fascinated her. Unable to stay awake a moment longer, she made doubly sure the blanket was tucked firmly round her feet in case anything slithered in during the night, then closed her eyes and slept.

Cecily woke at dawn, her mouth dry from thirst. She took a sip of water from the canister beside her, then put on her boots, trying not to wake Katherine who was still sound asleep.

She crawled out of the tent, then stretched and looked upwards. The sky was a mass of soft hues of blues, pinks and purples and she felt rather as if she was standing in an impressionist painting. Turning away from the spectacle, she went quietly to find a private place to relieve herself.

Having done so in grass that was almost waist-high, she walked back through it slowly, taking in the fresh smells of nature. Then she heard a soft growl, like a running engine. But there weren’t any other cars around for miles...

Cecily stopped in her tracks as she saw a fully grown lion crouching stationary in the grass only a few yards in front of her, its golden eyes fixed upon her. It stood up and began to prowl towards her.

She stood rooted to the spot, her heart thumping in her chest. The lion charged.

‘CECILY! GET DOWN!’

On instinct, she ducked, and a shot rang out into the dawn. The lion stumbled, but continued undeterred. Another shot was fired, then another, and the lion went still, then collapsed onto its side.

‘Good Lord, that was a close call! Cecily! Are you all right?’

She tried to reply, but her mouth didn’t seem to be working properly, her legs refused to move and the world span...

‘Cecily, can you hear me?!’

‘Ouch!’ Cecily felt a sharp slap across her cheek and opened her eyes to see Bill staring down at her.

‘Sorry, it’s the fastest way to bring somebody round after a faint. Here, let’s prop you up and give you a dash of brandy.’

Cecily felt strong arms lifting her upright, then some liquid was dribbled into her mouth. Despite the fact that she almost choked on its strength, it helped bring her senses back. Seeing Bill standing above her, she almost wished she hadn’t. She immediately blushed in embarrassment.

‘I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.’

‘Perhaps it was the sight of a lion heading straight for you,’ said Bill. ‘I’ve seen grown men vomit all over their shoes. You’ll be all right. Let’s get you back to the camp.’

He supported her as they returned to the tents. Cecily saw Nygasi just behind them and could still smell the gunpowder in the air.

‘How...how did you know?’ she asked, her legs like jelly beneath her.

‘That you’d be a silly girl and wander off?’ he said, raising an eyebrow. ‘I didn’t. Nygasi had seen the lion’s tracks and we’d been following them. We’d just spotted him when I saw you. You were lucky I was there.’

Cecily blushed to the roots of her hair, only hoping he hadn’t seen her squatting in the long grass just before the lion had pounced.

As they approached the camp, Katherine came running towards them and supported Cecily on her other side.

‘What were those shots? What’s happened?’ she asked.

‘Just a hungry lion,’ Bill replied. ‘He’s taken care of. Right.’ Bill handed Cecily over to Katherine then spoke to Nygasi, who nodded then walked back in the direction of the lion.

‘It’s definitely dead?’ Cecily managed.

‘Yes,’ Bill nodded. ‘Trust me, I’ve shot many a lion in my time. Now, let’s get you some tea.’

Cecily allowed Katherine to fuss over her, wrapping her in a blanket and sitting her down by the fire with a tin cup of fresh tea that she insisted Cecily should drink in small sips.

‘Honestly, I’m fine now,’ Cecily said as she hauled herself to standing, her pride winning over her tenuous physical strength. ‘What will happen to the lion?’