Page 71 of The Sun Sister

‘Or maybe a martini?’ suggested Kiki. ‘Aleeki makes an excellent one.’

‘I don’t think I should be drinking liquor tonight, Kiki. I’m so tired still from the journey and—’

‘Two martinis, please, Aleeki,’ Kiki ordered, then tucked Cecily’s arm into hers. ‘I promise you, honey, I’ve been travelling between continents for many years and the best thing you can do is to start as you mean to go on. Sit,’ she said as they stood in front of a number of café-style tables that had been set up on the terrace.

‘You mean, we should get drunk all the time?’

‘I guess I’d be dishonest if I didn’t say that everyone out here drinks more than they should, but it numbs the pain and makes everything just a little more pleasant. I mean, who wants to live until they’re eighty anyway? Everyone I’ve known who was any fun has died already!’

Kiki gave a short hoarse laugh as Aleeki brought over the martinis. Kiki picked hers up immediately, and Cecily – not wanting to be rude – did the same.

‘Cheers, sweetie, and welcome to Kenya.’

They clinked glasses and as Kiki drained hers in one, Cecily took a delicate sip and nearly choked on the strength of the liquor.

‘Now,’ Kiki said, indicating to Aleeki that she needed another by tapping her glass, which was swiftly removed for a refill, ‘tonight you’ll meet some of the characters who live around these parts. And rest assured, they’reallcharacters. I suppose one has to be if one is going to travel across the world and settle in a country like this. Life here, in every way, is pretty goddamn wild. Or at least it used to be. Aleeki, darling, wind up the gramophone, why don’t you? We need some music.’

‘Yes,memsahib,’ he said, furnishing Kiki with a further martini.

Cecily studied the woman sitting next to her, her perfect profile set against the dusky amber sky, and decided that Kiki was the most confusing human she had ever met: on the journey across to Africa, Kiki had either been euphoric – dancing down the narrow space between the aircraft seats, singing Cole Porter songs at the top of her voice as the plane bumped and dived through the clouds – or she had been passed out cold, sleeping the sleep of the dead. When they’d boarded the plane that would fly them on the final leg of their journey, she had noticed Kiki staring down below at the landscape.

‘It’s so beautiful, yet so brutal...’ her godmother had whispered, almost to herself, with tears in her eyes. Even though Cecily knew how many losses Kiki had suffered in the past few years, Kiki rarely spoke about them directly, only collectively. And although they had spent four days crammed together in a flying tin can, Cecily felt she knew no more about this woman than when they’d left Southampton. Despite her great beauty, and what her mother called Kiki’s ‘extraordinary’ wealth, never mind her supreme social confidence which Cecily could only dream of emulating, she sensed a vulnerability lying below the surface.

No trace of it was in evidence as Kiki’s first guests arrived, led onto the terrace by Aleeki.

‘My dears, I’m back!’ Kiki stood up and went to embrace the couple in a huge hug. ‘You must tell me everything that’s happened since I left – knowing the Valley, it’ll be a lot, and after almost dying of pneumonia in New York, I can’t tell you how swell it is to be home. Now, come and say hello to my gorgeous goddaughter. Cecily, honey, meet Idina, one of my best friends in the whole wide world.’

Cecily greeted the woman, who was wearing a long gauzy dress that her mother would no doubt tell her was made of the finest chiffon. Idina smelt of expensive perfume, her short hair was waved neatly in a bob and her eyebrows were perfectly arched.

‘And who might this be?’ Kiki asked, smiling at the tall gentleman next to Idina.

‘Why, it’s Lynx, of course!’ said Idina in a very British accent. ‘You must remember, I wrote to you about him. We’re engaged to be married.’

‘Hello, Cecily.’ Lynx gave a bow, then took her hand and kissed it. Cecily saw features that were perfectly arranged in his face, and the eyes that appraised her were sharp and intelligent, like those of the animal he was named after.

‘What a delight to meet you, my dear,’ said Idina. ‘I hope Kiki has filled you in on every bit of scandal I’ve caused since I arrived in Kenya.’

‘Actually, she’s been very discreet.’

‘That’s not like her at all. Anyway, I’m on the straight and narrow now, aren’t I, Lynx?’

‘I bally well hope so, my dear,’ he replied as Aleeki arrived with a tray of martinis and champagne. ‘Although from what Idina has been telling me, I rather feel I’ve missed out on all the fun.’

‘It’s not what it used to be round here, but we do our best to live up to the scandalous reputation we’ve garnered over the years,’ said Idina, giving Kiki a wink.

Content to listen rather than participate, and still so tired, Cecily made an effort to sit up very straight in her chair so that she wouldn’t doze off. Idina and Kiki continued to gossip about their mutual friends, while Lynx sat patiently by his fiancée’s side.

Cecily watched as Aleeki placed a golden samovar on the table. Kiki removed the lid to reveal a small heap of white powder and a number of slim paper straws. Still chatting to Idina, Kiki slid the samovar so it sat in front of her, then picked up a straw and separated a small amount of powder from the rest. She stuck the straw up her nose, bent over and sniffed hard. Removing the straw from her nose, she wiped away any remaining dust then passed the samovar to Idina, who did the same.

‘Want some, honey? It’ll sure help to keep you awake a little longer tonight,’ Kiki said.

‘I, er...no thanks.’ Since Cecily had no clue as to what the powder actually was and why one would put it up one’s nose rather than in one’s mouth, she decided she wasn’t about to take any chances.

‘Alice, my darling!’ Kiki stood up once more to greet another woman who had arrived on the terrace, dressed in a midnight-blue silk gown that skimmed her thin frame. She had wide brown eyes and short dark hair that framed her elegant jaw. ‘It’s our very own wicked Madonna!’ Kiki greeted the new arrival with a warm hug. ‘Thank you for not coming in your farm clothes, my dear. And look who you dragged with you!’

‘Actually,’ said Alice, ‘I think he rather dragged me.’

Cecily recognised the man immediately, even though he was looking rather different to how he had in New York – Captain Tarquin Price was fully attired in military dress, despite the heat of the evening.