The Sun Sister

That is, if you were to agree to it. Now, I will leave you alone
to think about it, but if you did feel it was a possible solution
to your quandary, then I would suggest that we announce our
engagement sooner rather than later, which will stop tongues
wagging and salvage your reputation. I’ll drop in again
tomorrow to see how you are, by which time I hope you will
have had the chance to consider my proposal. For now’ – Bill
strode over to the bed, took Cecily’s hand in his and kissed it
– ‘I will say goodbye.’
And with that, Bill turned on his heel and left the bedroom.

Cecily kept what Bill had said to herself – she’d learnt enough
to know that Kiki was an impulsive person; parties were
planned on the spur of the moment and decisions made in the
blink of an eye. And if Cecily knew one thing, it was that she
needed time to think alone. Whatever she decided, that deci-
sion would alter the course of her life irrevocably.
But at least she had a choice now, which made everything
better, yet at the same time, more complicated.
When she heard Kiki’s footsteps pass her door, heading for
her afternoon ‘siesta’, as she called it, Cecily went downstairs
to sit on the bench by the lake and commune with her hippos.
‘Could I live here permanently?’ she asked them as she
stared across the calm water. ‘It is so very beautiful after all.
But more importantly,’ she sighed, ‘could I live with Bill . . . ?’
She cast her mind back to his tin shack and tried to
imagine herself there. At least he’d promised to build her a
new house and it might be fun to create a wonderful garden
like this one around it . . . The thought of being in charge of
her own home was a mighty tempting one. And Katherine and
Bobby would be her near neighbours . . .

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Her parents would be thrilled to hear that she was marry-

ing an Englishman from a good background – Bill’s brother,
the major, was a friend of Audrey’s after all. But most impor-
tant of all, she wouldn’t have to give up her baby, because Bill
had told her he would bring the child up as his own. Yes, she
was sure there would be local gossip about their shotgun
wedding, and the subsequent early birth of their baby, yet that
was nothing compared to having to relinquish her child for
adoption.
‘But what about Bill . . . ?’ she asked the hippos. ‘He’s
made it plain that this is a marriage of convenience . . .’
On the other hand, weren’t all marriages ‘convenient’ in
some way? A simple contract?
Besides, Cecily, you said you were done with love and
would never trust a man again, she told herself firmly. So
you’ve just got to stop hankering after it once and for all.
At the very least, she knew she could trust Bill to take care
of her – he had saved her life after all – and to her surprise,
after their first awkward meeting, she had recently begun to
enjoy his company.
She wished she could ask him whether he’d want to con-
summate the marriage, so they could truly become man and
wife, but of course, that was out of the question. Cecily
squeezed her eyes shut to try and imagine what it would be
like to have him kiss her. The thought really wasn’t so bad.
He certainly wasn’t unattractive, even if he was fifteen years
older than she was.
Or she could go to Switzerland and have the baby, then
return to America to resume her life there . . . In truth,
Cecily knew it would be impossible to look her parents in
the eyes and keep her dreadful secret from them for the rest
of her life.
Cecily stood up and walked to the water’s edge.

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 The Sun Sister
‘You know what, hippos? I don’t think there is a choice
at all.’

That evening, Cecily sat with Kiki on the terrace, Kiki drink-
ing a martini and Cecily a cup of ginger tea.
‘You look a lot better, honey.’
‘I feel it,’ Cecily replied.
‘Good, you’re being a brave girl, and I like bravery. Now,
we absolutely must call your mother and let her know you’re
not going home. And then make plans to leave for Switzer-
land as soon as possible. Tarquin says that war is now
inevitable; it’s just a question of when it becomes official. But
please don’t worry, honey, you’ll be tucked up safe and sound
in Switzerland, which really is the most beautiful place.’
‘As a matter of fact, Kiki, it won’t be necessary for me to
travel to Switzerland.’
‘Whyever not? We agreed that it’s the only solution.’
‘Yes, but another solution has appeared since we talked
yesterday.’
‘Has it? How can that be?’
‘Bill Forsythe has asked me to marry him.’
Cecily couldn’t help but enjoy the look of total incompre-
hension on her godmother’s face.
‘Why, I . . . Bill Forsythe wants to marry you?’ Kiki
repeated, parrot-like.
‘Yes, he does. I’m to give him my answer tomorrow morn-
ing.’
‘Well, I’ll be damned!’ Kiki threw back her head and
laughed. ‘You dark horse, you. How long has this been going
on?’
‘I . . .’

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Cecily realised suddenly that she would have to play the

game from here on in and hide the true nature of the arrange-
ment. Even if she knew the truth about the pregnancy, at least
it was still possible to pretend that she and Bill had feelings
for each other. Kiki was very much part of this community
and she couldn’t risk her gossiping after a few cocktails.
‘Oh, since I went on the game drive with him a few weeks
ago.’
‘Then why didn’t you tell me about this, honey?’
‘Because I thought that Bill wouldn’t want anything more
to do with me once I told him about the baby. What man
would, knowing their . . . girlfriend was pregnant with
another man’s baby?’
‘A very special one, obviously. Bill must love you very much
to be prepared to do this. I thought only yesterday how odd
it was that he’d driven over to see how you were. Presumably
the two of you will tell the world it’s his?’
‘Yes.’
‘And Bill is comfortable with that?’ Kiki eyed her.
‘Yes. I mean, if he wasn’t, I’m sure he would never have
asked me to marry him.’
‘No. Well now, I can’t say I’ve ever been his biggest fan,
and nor has he been mine. But I take my hat off to him for
being so . . . open-minded. I hope you realise what a lucky girl
you are, Cecily. You have a knight in shining armour who has
come to your rescue.’
‘I know. So you think I should accept his proposal? I said
I had to discuss it with you first.’
‘I think that if I was you, I’d be biting his hand off. Seri-
ously, honey, I am thrilled for you! And what’s more, it means
I get to keep you here in Kenya. Shall we telephone your
mother right now? She’ll be over the moon that you’ve gotten

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 The Sun Sister
yourself an English husband, and an aristocratic one too. Bill’s
mother is an “Hon”, you know.’
‘What’s an “Hon”?’
‘It means she was a Lady before her marriage. Now, shall
we call?’
‘If you don’t mind, Kiki, I’d prefer to speak to Bill tomor-
row and say yes first.’
‘Of course, and let’s just hope he hasn’t changed his mind
by then. Now, this calls for champagne!’
An hour later, when Cecily had managed to extricate her-
self by feigning exhaustion, she walked upstairs, pausing on
the landing to look out of the big picture window at the
descending dusk.
‘Hello there, Africa,’ she whispered. ‘Looks like I’m here to
stay.’

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