Page 201 of The Sun Sister

‘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 commonplace, 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.