Page 142 of The Sun Sister
‘I am, yes,’ Cecily managed to splutter. Because, despite their difference in age, he really was a ‘dreamboat’, as Priscilla would say.
‘It’s a dreadful shame that I’m no longer living at the Djinn Palace by the lake or I could have invited you – and your godmother, of course – to come for lunch or dinner. Sadly, my wife Molly is very ill and we must be near the hospital.’
‘Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that,’ Cecily said, unable despite herself to drag her eyes away from his gaze.
‘Will you be staying long in Kenya?’ he asked her.
‘Well, I—’
‘Come along, Cecily, you have plenty more friends of mine to meet and I can’t let Joss monopolise you all evening.’ Katherine firmly took her arm and more or less frogmarched her away. Cecily could not help but cast a glance backwards for one last look and found his eyes were still upon her.
‘Honestly, Cecily, I was counting on you to be impervious to Joss’s charms. Look at you, a perfect wreck!’ Katherine rolled her eyes. ‘I just don’t know what it is that he does to women, but they all go weak at the knees when they’re around him. He’s a tad too old for you anyway.’ Katherine reached for a glass of water that the waiter had found for Cecily. ‘Drink this and recover your senses. He’s thirty-seven, for goodness’ sake!’
‘The same age as your Bobby!’ Cecily found her voice. ‘Anyway, I see what everyone means about him. He is devastatingly handsome and so very charming.’
‘Darling,’ Alice cut into their conversation. ‘May I steal you away for a moment? The kitchen needs to know how long a pause you’d like between courses.’
‘Sorry, Cecily, back in a tick. Just behave yourself while I’m gone,’ Katherine called, as she followed Alice through the crowd.
Cecily sipped her water and, feeling the heat of the sun beating down on the top of her silk hat, stepped into the shade of a large bush covered in glorious pink flowers.
‘Wonderful, aren’t they?’ came a voice from the depths of the bushes. ‘They’re hibiscus, you know. I often think if I had time to plant a garden, I’d have them growing everywhere.’
Bill appeared by her side, looking very unlike himself in formal dress.
‘Sorry to creep up on you – I was just quietly relieving myself, if I’m honest.’
‘Oh, I see,’ said Cecily, feeling a blush spread up her cheeks and wondering if he actively enjoyed shocking her.
‘If I may say so, you scrub up rather well.’ Bill indicated her gown.
‘So do you,’ she retorted.
‘Got over the shock of missing being a lion’s breakfast by a hair’s breadth?’
‘I have, yes. And thank you again for saving me.’
‘My pleasure, madam.’
There was a pause in conversation as both of them stared at the crowd.
‘They rather remind me of the flamingos on Lake Nakuru, gathering together to gossip then migrating off again, back to their eyries in the hills, sated with booze and food,’ said Bill. ‘Not my scene as you might have guessed, but I am rather fond of Katherine and Bobby, so I felt I should break the habit of a lifetime, stifle my contempt and come along. At least for an hour or so.’
‘You haven’t brought Nygasi along with you today?’
‘As a matter of fact, I have. He’s guarding the pick-up, ready to make a quick exit.’
‘You didn’t invite him in then?’
‘Would that I could, Miss Huntley-Morgan, would that I could. There’s a strict no-blacks policy here for members. Which is faintly ridiculous, don’t you think? Given the fact that they work here, and that there are a hundred thousand times as many of them in this country as there are of us. Colonialism, eh? From where does it get its arrogance, I wonder?’
‘Your British Queen Victoria might have had something to do with it.’
‘Indeed, she might.’ Bill looked down at her. ‘Didn’t take you for a history buff, I must say.’
‘I majored in the subject at Vassar,’ said Cecily, and for the first time mentally thanked her father for suggesting it would be a far more useful subject to study than Economics.
‘Did you indeed? Well now, isn’t that a thing?’ Bill reached out a hand to grasp a glass of champagne from a waiter. ‘What do you intend to do with your education, might I ask?’
