The Sun Sister (The Seven Sisters #6) - Lucinda Riley Page 0,157

dead, Kiki would just go away and leave her alone.

‘Sweetie, I know you must be in a terrible state of shock, but you know what? I’ve been where you are at this moment. It’s mighty scary, but we’re going to find a way through this together. You hear me? Cecily?’

She felt Kiki shake her gently, and she managed a miserable nod.

‘So, let’s get you out of here. Aleeki is outside with the car. Tarquin was called back to Nairobi last night after the terrible news about Hitler and has to stay on to do whatever an army captain does in these situations. So you and I will go back to Mundui House together. Okay?’

Cecily shrugged, feeling like a spoilt child, when she really wasn’t. She heard Kiki moving around the room.

‘Come on, sweetie, I have your day clothes here. You need to put them on and then we can go home.’

‘I’m so ashamed, Kiki,’ she moaned. ‘What if Dr Boyle has told all those people out there? Everyone who is anyone around here could know already.’

‘I swear to you that Dr Boyle is the soul of discretion. Some of the things he could have told everyone about me, he never did. Come on now. Let’s get you up and dressed.’

Common sense prevailed and with Kiki’s help, Cecily put on her blouse and skirt, packed her case and, while Kiki spoke to Ali, Aleeki met her at the door then escorted her to the Bugatti. Cecily slid down the back seat, just in case anyone decided to come peering in through the windows.

‘We’re all set, now let’s go,’ Kiki said, getting into the front with Aleeki.

Cecily dozed on and off on the journey to Mundui House, shock acting like a drug to dull her senses. When they arrived, Aleeki handed her over to Muratha, who helped her up the stairs and into bed.

Having fastened the shutters, Muratha left. Cecily closed her eyes once more and slept.

Cecily woke with a start and, for a few blissful seconds, didn’t remember what had happened earlier that day. Then, as reality dawned, she climbed out of bed, walked to the window and opened a shutter to see what she now recognised as a soft afternoon sun lighting the perfectly manicured lawn between the fever trees. She turned her back on the view and moved to sit on the end of her bed.

‘What on earth am I to do?’ she whispered, her hands instinctively going to her stomach once more. Was it really possible that one coupling with Julius could have produced a tiny, fledgling life inside her? Perhaps the doctor had been wrong – he couldn’t see inside her, couldn’t prove that she was pregnant, she thought suddenly. Perhaps it was some form of malaria (which would be infinitely preferable at this stage), or food poisoning, or in fact anything that wasn’t what he’d said it was.

But Cecily realised from talking to Mamie that she had every symptom there was to have; she’d noticed in the last week that her breasts had become heavier and tingled oddly. That her waist had filled out, which was why her dress last night had been so uncomfortable. Then there was the absence of her monthly since she’d left New York, plus the sickness . . .

There was a soft tap on her bedroom door.

‘Bwana? You awake?’ Muratha’s bright eyes appeared around the door.

‘Yes, come in.’

‘I get you dressed, then you downstairs for tea with mistress, okay?’

‘I can dress myself, thank you. Tell Kiki I’ll be down in fifteen minutes.’ Cecily was now paranoid about anyone seeing her developing body.

Kiki was waiting for her in the drawing room, a lofty space with a polished wood floor, filled with objets d’art and comfortable armchairs placed in front of a fireplace, which Cecily could not imagine was ever needed.

‘Come in, sweetie, and close the door behind you,’ Kiki said from one of the armchairs. ‘I’m sure we can manage to serve ourselves some tea, can’t we? I guess you’d prefer complete privacy while we have our little chat.’

‘Yes, thank you,’ said Cecily, looking at the tiered silver cake stand, filled with delicate sandwiches, scones and cake. She felt queasy at the sight of them.

‘I’ve had some ginger tea prepared for you. It’s very good for morning sickness. Come sit down.’ Kiki indicated the chair opposite her, then proceeded to pour some pale orange liquid into a bone china cup. ‘Try it; it saved my life when I was pregnant.’

Despite Cecily’s current