Page 208 of The Sun Sister

‘Cecily, in order to sort this situation out, you need to behave like a grown woman, not a petulant child. Can I ask you, does anyone else know of Stella’s presence here? Katherine, for example?’

‘Nobody – that’s why I didn’t let Katherine in the other day.’

‘You’re absolutely sure?’

‘Totally.’

‘At least that’s something.’ Bill looked down at the baby. ‘Let me think calmly about what is best to do for all of us...’

‘But I—’

Bill put a finger to his lips. ‘No more tonight, Cecily. I’ve heard you. Now, it’s time we all got some sleep. I’m exhausted.’

Bill stood up and handed Stella back, then kissed Cecily on the forehead. ‘Merry Christmas, my dear wife. That’s one hell of a present I’ve come home to.’

To her surprise, Cecily wasn’t woken by Stella until five. Fearing her cries would wake Bill, she gathered her up and took her into the kitchen to feed her.

‘Happy Christmas, darling,’ she said as a glorious sunrise began to peek above the horizon through the window. ‘And don’t worry, I’ll fight for you, whatever it takes.’

With Stella fed and asleep in the bassinet, Cecily donned her apron and prepared a fresh batch of bread to accompany the smoked salmon, then used the two-day-old bread from the larder to make stuffing for the chicken Bill had brought home. Preparations made, she put on her favourite emerald dress, then added some powder to cover the dark circles beneath her eyes and dabbed a little rouge on her pale cheeks. Then she returned to the kitchen to peel some vegetables. Next year, her vegetable garden should be thriving and she could just pick them fresh...

She checked herself. What was she even doing being so jolly? There was every chance that Bill would wake up and say that Stella had to go, which meant that she’d be packing her bags too...

‘Good morning,’ Bill said, as though her thoughts had summoned him to her. ‘You look bright and breezy. Might I beg a cup of tea?’

‘Of course.’ Cecily put some water on to boil.

‘How did you – andshe– sleep?’

‘Very well indeed, thank you. She doesn’t fuss much at night.’

‘But she’s obviously up with the lark, eh? Thank you,’ he said as Cecily passed him his tea. ‘Right then, Bobby and Katherine are due round at noon, so I’ll complete my morning ablutions and I’ll see you in the drawing room after that. We have to talk, Cecily.’

Fifteen minutes later Cecily was sitting in the drawing room, her heart hammering, when Bill returned fully dressed and sat down in the armchair opposite her.

‘I will tell you that I spent a great deal of last night thinking about what was best to do,’ Bill began. ‘I realise that I am ultimately responsible for this...predicament we find ourselves in. I agreed to have Njala here, after all.’

‘I know for sure she would have kept her baby if she’d been allowed to, but she wasn’t, which was why she wanted me to help her...’

‘I think, my dear, that we have to deal in hard facts here. I can understand that you feel responsible for the child, but you must know that in reality you should have no such guilt. However, I equally accept that you have become emotionally attached to her and have told me that you will leave with her if I insist she goes.’

‘I sure will, Bill, I’m sorry but—’

‘Could you spare me any histrionics, Cecily, and simply listen to what I have to say? I told you last night that it is untenable that you, and by associationI, become the baby’s parents. I dread to think what your mother and father would say if you presented Stella to them. So, you have to be realistic. Or, in fact, I have to be realistic for you. I’ve come up with a solution that I hope will keep you – and I, and of course Stella herself – happy. Are you prepared to hear me out?’

‘Yes.’

‘Good. So, remember I mentioned to you when I left for Nairobi last time that we should employ some domestic help?’

‘Yes.’

‘My suggestion is that we find a woman through Nygasi, who will be told of the situation and come into the household to live with us as a cook and housekeeper. I’d already earmarked part of the barn as servants’ quarters and it will take no time to make it habitable. When the woman arrives, we will tell everyone that we have a new maid who has come to us with her baby, or, in fact, her granddaughter, depending on her age. That way, Stella can stay with us here at Paradise Farm and grow up under our protection. It’s not uncommon for maids to have dependants living with them. It also means that Stella will ostensibly grow up within her own culture. Please remember that’s important for her too.’

‘Are you saying that Stella will have to live in a barn?’ Cecily was horrified.

‘To be honest, Cecily, I’m not worried about the details; they can be ironed out later. I’m much more concerned about finding a way for you to know that you fulfilled your promise to Njala, that you did your Christian duty and that Stella can stay.’

‘But Bill, I want to bring her up...be her mother.’ Cecily bit her lip.