Page 206 of The Sun Sister

She squeezed past him and picked up Stella, just in case Bill was tempted to do something dreadful to her. She walked out of the room with the baby in her arms and into the kitchen, where she retrieved a milk bottle and put it in a pan of water on the stove to warm.

‘Cecily?! For God’s sake, can you at least explain to me what the hell is going on?!’ Bill was standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

‘Let me settle her with a bottle and then I’ll tell you.’

‘I need another gin...’

Cecily watched him retreat to fetch his drink, then sat down with the baby at the kitchen table. The wailing abated and peace descended as Stella suckled heartily.

‘Right then.’ Bill was back. He took a gulp of his drink and sat down on the chair opposite her.

The baby stopped sucking and Cecily put a finger to her lips.

‘Don’t you dare try to silence me,’ Bill said and Cecily saw he was shaking with anger. But he did at least lower his voice.

‘It’s very simple, Bill. Shortly after you last left for Nairobi, I went to visit Njala at her little camp. Even though all trace of it had gone, Wolfie picked up a scent and disappeared into the woods. He started barking and wouldn’t come to heel, so I went to fetch him. Wolfie was the one who found her, buried beneath a heap of dead leaves in the forest. I’d guess she’d only been born a few hours before. It was obvious she’d been left to die in the woods, so I did what any Christian would do, or any human being with a heart for that matter: I picked her up and brought her back home with me. She’s been here ever since.’

‘Oh God.’ Bill put one hand on his forehead and rested his elbow on the table.

‘Do you think I did the wrong thing?’

‘No, of course I don’t.’

‘Did you...did you know that they would dump the baby and leave her to die?’

‘Of course not. I didn’twantto know anything,’ Bill sighed. ‘I was simply asked if I would provide a safe harbour on our land to my friend’s daughter until her time came. I’m sure Leshan told me that the child would be taken to safety. I just can’t believe they left her behind in our woods.’

‘Well, she was buried pretty deep, so it was pure luck that Wolfie found her. A few more hours and she’d have died. She was so tiny.’ There were tears in her eyes as she looked down at Stella.

‘I must admit, I’m furious that they left their dirty laundry for us to clear up. And—’

‘Don’t you dare call this baby that! She is not “dirty laundry”, she’s a human being, just like us!’

‘Forgive me, Cecily, that was crass and I apologise, but please understand I’m in shock. I’ve come home on Christmas Eve, looking forward to a couple of days’ peace away from the mayhem, to find a black baby in the nursery.’

‘Is the colour of her skin really relevant to you, Bill? You’re the one that spends half your life pretending you’re a Maasai.’

‘No, of course it’s not relevant in that sense, Cecily, but it obviously means that as soon as Christmas is over, we must take the baby into Nairobi and—’

‘No!I will not see this child given to a mission, or to an orphanage where she won’t be adequately cared for. The Lord only knows what her fate would be, and I just couldn’t risk letting anything bad happen to her.’

‘You’re not suggesting we should keep her, are you?’ Bill said after a pause.

‘Why not? We don’t have children and never will. Why shouldn’t we adopt her?’

Bill stared at Cecily as though she had truly lost her mind. ‘Are you serious? You would actually entertain the thought of bringing her up here as our child?’

‘Yes! We have a home, enough money...and besides, Njala obviously knew what was going to happen. She asked me to help her baby in the few words of English I’d taught her. I’m convinced that’s why she left the baby close by; shewantedme to find her.’

‘I’m sorry, Cecily, but you’re lapsing into fantasy. As you said, it was simply the dog that found her by chance whilst you were taking a walk through the woods—’

‘A walk we’d taken every day for the best part of two months. Wolfie knew Njala’s scent, which is bound to be similar to Stella’s...’

‘You’ve named the baby?’ Bill looked grey with exhaustion.

‘I had to call her something, didn’t I? Here, I’ve winded her and she’s sleeping. Would you like to hold her?’

‘No, Cecily, I would not.’ Bill pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. ‘I’m sorry, but we simply cannot keep her.’