you, Joss, I’m pleased to be here,’ Diana said, holding his gaze.
Even Cecily admitted later that the evening – and Diana – were fun. After dinner, Diana asked if Cecily had a gramophone.
‘Why yes. And Mama sent some of the newest records over from America with it.’
‘Well, for heaven’s sake, let’s put them on! The ones at Muthaiga Club might have been popular in the twenties, but they’re hardly up to date,’ Diana drawled.
Cecily did as asked, setting the gramophone up on the veranda, while the men moved the table and chairs out of the way to create a makeshift dance floor.
‘Dancing under the stars is just so romantic, don’t you think, Cecily?’ Diana said dreamily, clasped in the arms of her husband as Glenn Miller’s ‘Moonlight Serenade’ played in the background.
‘Dance with me, Diana?’ asked Joss, holding out his own arms.
‘If you insist,’ Diana smiled, disengaging herself from Jock.
‘Then Cecily, will you afford me the pleasure?’ Jock asked.
She had no choice but to agree. Looking over his shoulder as they danced, Cecily saw Bill had taken to the floor with Katherine, but her attention was mainly caught by Diana and Joss, who were swaying together in a shadowy corner. Jock asked Cecily lots of polite questions which she duly answered. When the music ended, she excused herself to put another record on the gramophone.
‘For goodness’ sake, put on something upbeat,’ whispered Katherine, sifting through the records. ‘Here, Count Basie will do.’
Yet still, Diana and Joss continued to sway languidly together to ‘Lester Leaps In’, as Cecily and Katherine held hands and hopped around the veranda together, giggling as they did so. Bill was now in conversation with Jock at the table, Jock seemingly oblivious to his wife’s behaviour.
‘Bobby says there’s already gossip at Muthaiga Club about the two of them,’ Katherine whispered as, perspiring from their exertions, they sat down on the veranda steps.
‘Put on another one, will you, girls?’ called Joss. ‘Do you have “Blue Orchids”?’
‘I’ll go and look,’ said Katherine, getting up. ‘You stay there, Cecily, you’ve been on all your feet all night.’
‘Yes, you have,’ said Bill, walking over to her with Jock.
‘Wonderful party, but I’m rather bushed, what? Think I’ll head off to bed. Bill has said he’ll take us out with his Maasai chaps on a game drive tomorrow. Goodnight, m’dear.’
Cecily and Bill watched Jock amble rather unsteadily into the house as Glenn Miller’s orchestra blared out on the gramophone.
Bill held out his hand to Cecily. ‘Dance with me?’
‘I . . . okay,’ she agreed, taking Bill’s hand and letting him pull her to standing from the steps. She felt a small tingle of desire as Bill’s arms went around her, but she pushed it down hastily. She knew Bill would never be interested in her on that level, so she amused herself instead by watching two people who were so obviously very interested in each other. One could just tell from the way their bodies moved together and how Diana was looking up into Joss’s eyes.
‘They make a handsome couple, don’t they?’ Bill said, lowering his voice.
‘They sure do. It’s a pity Diana is married.’
‘That’s never stopped Joss before. Even though I love him dearly, his behaviour with women . . .’ Bill sighed. ‘Anyway, enough of him. I have to say, you look very lovely tonight, Cecily.’
‘Why, thank you.’
‘And now . . .’ Bill released her as the record came to an end. ‘I must give Katherine a ride home as I promised. I’d go to bed if I were you, leave them to it,’ Bill whispered, nodding in the direction of Diana and Joss. He kissed her on the forehead. ‘See you tomorrow.’
Cecily was woken by Bill the following morning. He was already dressed in his khaki shirt and pants.
‘What time is it?’
‘Just after six. Time to rise and shine, we’re off on that game drive.’
‘Do I have to come? You know it’s not my thing. I hate watching those beautiful animals die.’
‘I’d be very grateful if you did. You saw last night what’s going on with Joss and Diana and I need you there to divert attention.’
‘Whose? Diana’s or Jock’s? Or, in fact, Joss’s?’ she pondered out loud as she got out of bed.
‘All three of them if possible. Diana and Jock were only married less than a month ago. Even for Joss, this is untenable behaviour.’
‘Diana doesn’t seem to mind the attention one bit, so you can’t put all the blame on Joss. She’s rather beautiful, don’t you think?’
‘She