Page 151 of The Sun Sister

Bill watched Katherine run up to the house, then looked down at the young woman lying on the bench. He took off his hat and began to fan her with it.

‘Feeling better?’ asked Katherine as Cecily lay in her bedroom half an hour later.

‘Lots, yes. And I’m so, so sorry for being rude and ungrateful, when you’ve made the effort to drive up here with Bill to see me.’

‘Oh, don’t worry about that, Cecily. It’s quite natural under the circumstances. Shock does funny things to people.’

‘It made me shoot my mouth off to you, and you didn’t deserve it. Please, Katherine, forgive me.’

‘I forgive you, I promise.’

‘And seriously, I’m going to be fine. Kiki’s right, I just have to face my problem – after all, I have no one to blame for it except my own stupid self,’ Cecily said as she took a sip of ginger tea.

‘So whoever it was didn’t...force himself on you?’

‘No, but in some ways I wish he had, then I wouldn’t be feeling quite so guilty.’

‘Please don’t ever say that,’ Katherine shuddered. ‘My father had to take care of a number of young women who had been taken by force by their so-called husbands at the age of eleven or twelve. Nothing could ever be as bad as that.’

‘You’re right, of course you are,’ Cecily agreed. ‘I’m going to stop feeling sorry for myself and get on with doing what I have to do. Even though the thought of giving up my baby is so terrible.’

‘For now, all I can say isdon’tthink about it,’ Katherine advised. ‘The main thing is to look after yourself and the baby. Now, I know Bill is eager to get off; you know how difficult he finds your godmother.’

‘Yes, of course, and please tell him a huge thank you from me for bringing you here to see me.’

‘He said he wanted to pop up and say goodbye himself, so you can thank him then. Right.’ Katherine stood up from beside the bed. ‘Please, Cecily, promise me you’ll come and say goodbye before you leave for Switzerland.’

‘Of course I will. Do you think...it’s the right thing to do?’

‘No, I can’t say it’s “right”, but in practice, until this world of ours rids itself of the ridiculous stigma surrounding unmarried mothers, with no blame or responsibility directed at the fathers, I really can’t see what choice you have. I’m so very sorry. Keep in touch, won’t you?’ Katherine squeezed Cecily’s hand.

‘I will, and send my love to Bobby.’

Cecily watched Katherine leave and thought that she would be the person she would miss most when she left here.

A few minutes later, there was another knock on her bedroom door.

‘Come in.’

Bill appeared, taking off his hat as he entered and standing uncomfortably near the door.

‘Hi, Bill. Please, come sit down.’ Cecily indicated the chair by her bed.

Bill ignored her, walked to the end of the bed and stared down at her. ‘Glad to see you have a little more colour in your cheeks now.’

‘Yes, thank you for rescuing me. For the second time.’

‘Today was just a happy coincidence. Or not, as the case may be.’

Cecily watched as Bill began to pace up and down.

‘Are you okay, Bill?’

‘Yes, I’m very well indeed. As a matter of fact, Cecily, there was something I wanted to ask you.’

‘Then ask away. I’ll do anything to repay you for your kindness since I’ve been here in Kenya.’

‘Well, the thing is, that...’ Bill fiddled with some loose change in his pocket. ‘It transpires that I’ve become rather fond of you since you arrived here.’