Page 254 of The Sun Sister

‘I wasn’t expectinghim,’ Rosalind whispered as she and Cecily cleared the dessert plates away. ‘He knows his stuff and he ishot, honey, for an older guy,’ she giggled. ‘He reminds me a little of Robert Redford, don’t you think?’

Both of them had been to seeButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidwhen it came out and had swooned over Redford and Paul Newman, as had the rest of America.

‘And guess what? Your husband really does know how to wield a gun and ride a horse,’ Rosalind chuckled.

She insisted on having Rosa to stay overnight, so Cecily and Bill walked back to the apartment alone.

‘I have to admit that New York is not quite as ghastly as I’d imagined,’ said Bill as they strolled along the street in the balmy June air.

‘Then that makes me very happy.’

‘I’m not saying I could stay here for long before I ran away screaming for wide-open spaces, but for a few days, it seems to be a most enjoyable city.’

‘How longareyou staying, Bill?’

‘I haven’t actually thought about it – I just made the decision to come here and got on a plane. Why?’ He stopped and turned to her. ‘Are you finding me–this– difficult? I can always move into a hotel.’

‘No, not at all.’ They walked a bit further in silence before Cecily said, ‘Are you telling me the truth about your heart condition, Bill? Or is it more serious than you’re saying?’

‘For the umpteenth time, my dear Cecily, I swear I am not yet about to shuffle off this mortal coil. However, the presence of a weakness in my formerly titanium-like physique encouraged me to come and see you, yes. We will all die sometime, and my angina attacks simply reminded me that I am indeed mortal, which, as you know, I do occasionally forget. I’m glad I came, Cecily, seriously. It’s been a long time since I took a day off and had some fun with a lady. Who also happens to be my wife,’ he added. ‘It’s reminded me why I liked you in the first place.’

‘Has it?’

‘Yes. You’re most definitely a one-off. I knew it then and I certainly know it now. Beneath that timid veneer lies a tough tiger.’

‘Remember, there are no tigers in Africa,’ Cecily smiled.

‘Well, now that you’ve left there aren’t. You have grown into quite a woman, if I may say so. Whereas I have hardly changed at all.’

‘True,’ Cecily agreed. ‘Although you do seem...lighter somehow.’

‘Pray, explain.’

‘I guess you’re just not quite so miserable,’ she chuckled. ‘And of course, at present, you’re captive on my territory, whereas in Kenya, I was always captive on yours.’

‘Good point. Yes, I am in your very capable hands here in Brooklyn. What shall we do tomorrow?’

‘I’ll be teaching at the school, so you’re on your own,’ she said as she walked up the steps to her apartment and opened the front door.

‘No wonder you’re so exhausted. Between bookkeeping, teaching and taking care of Rosa, you can’t have a minute to yourself.’

‘It’s better to be busy. And besides, I love teaching, and a girl’s gotta earn a schekel, you know.’

‘As I told you, if you’ll be so good as to give me your account details, I will begin the process of transferring some funds to you. No!’ Bill put a finger to Cecily’s lips as she opened her mouth to protest. ‘I will not hear another word about it. You have cost me nothing in the past twenty-three years. Think of it as a back payment for all the past food, clothes, petrol – and, of course, gin – that I haven’t had to furnish you with.’

Cecily giggled, hardly able to believe she could feel so comfortable with him so quickly after all these years.

‘Especially the gin,’ she agreed. ‘Talking of which, would you like one? I think I have the dregs of a bottle downstairs.’

‘You take that, and I’ll stick to beer,’ Bill agreed. ‘Now, you stay here and put your feet up and I’ll go and fetch the – what is it you call it here?’

‘Liquor,’ Cecily called as he walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

She sat down on the couch, threw off her patent heels and closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the fact that someone else was actually making her a drink. Such a simple thing, but she’d forgotten what it felt like to be cared for.

‘There you go, madam. One gin laced with something called soda, as there was no tonic or bitter lemon.’

‘Thanks, I’ll try it at least,’ she said, not really caring what it tasted like, because tonight she felt freer than she had in a very long time.