The Sun Sister (The Seven Sisters #6) - Lucinda Riley Page 0,217

herd was seen around here yesterday.’

‘They’re not looking for ivory, are they?’ Cecily asked her husband.

‘No, Diana just had a whim to see an elephant; she’s not had the luck to spot one before.’

‘They are magnificent creatures,’ Cecily agreed as she saw a sudden movement in the bushes.

Diana and Joss were walking back towards them, blatantly holding hands and giggling.

‘Spot one, m’dear?’ Jock asked her as the pair wandered back into camp.

‘Nothing, sadly,’ she said. ‘How about we set off back to the ranch? I doubt there’ll be further sport this afternoon, will there?’

Cecily watched her as she winked at Joss and refastened her partially unbuttoned shirt.

Back at Paradise Farm, Diana declared that she was desperate to get back to town and dance at Muthaiga Club.

‘It’s such wonderful fun there on a Saturday night, isn’t it? Especially with so many soldiers in town.’

‘I’m all in for the day after the shoot, but you head off with Joss and I’ll see you at the club tomorrow, what?’ Jock said.

‘Oh darling, you are sweet to me,’ Diana gushed as she kissed her husband’s ruddy cheek. ‘Don’t rush back to Nairobi on my behalf, will you? I’m sure I won’t get eaten by anything in town – well, not by any wild animals, that is,’ she laughed. ‘Cecily, may I borrow a mirror to put myself together before I leave?’

‘Of course.’ Cecily led Diana along the corridor. ‘You’ll need to use the one in my bedroom. I keep meaning to put some in the spare rooms, but we haven’t had many guests here so far.’

‘I know. Bill told me you lost your baby last year. Horribly bad luck, you poor thing. Oh, this is delightful!’ Diana said as she looked round the bedroom. ‘You have wonderful taste, which is more than I can say for Jock. The villa in Karen feels like a Victorian mausoleum! I’m dreading moving in – so much brown. I do hate brown, don’t you?’ Diana sat down at Cecily’s dressing table and opened the beauty case she’d carried in with her. ‘Bill’s such a sweetheart, and clearly wild about you.’

‘Oh, I don’t think he is, I mean . . .’

‘It’s written all over his face. You obviously have a happy marriage – so different to me and dear Jock. He and I have never yet spent a night in the same bed and I doubt we ever will,’ she chuckled as she brushed her wavy blonde hair and expertly fastened it back with two diamanté clips. ‘Do you come up to town very often?’

‘Not really, no.’

‘Then you must! I wasn’t sure how it would be, but Nairobi is far more fun than London, despite the damned war spilling over to here. I’m having an utter ball,’ she added as she painted bright red lipstick onto her full lips. ‘You absolutely must come for race week after Christmas – Joss says it’s the most fun to be had here all year. You don’t mind if Jock crashes here with you for another night, do you? The drive back is rather arduous, and he does look all in after today’s outing.’

With a generous spritz of perfume across her neck and décolletage, Diana stood up. ‘Right, face and hair done, and I’ll change into my dress en route. There’s so much dust everywhere, isn’t there?’ She took a last glance at herself in the mirror. ‘Thank you so much for a wonderful dinner last night, and I do hope I’ll be seeing you again soon.’ She kissed Cecily on both cheeks and walked out of the bedroom, the strong fragrance of her perfume lingering behind her. Cecily sat down on the bed and shook her head. The new Lady Delves Broughton sure was something else.

Having cooked supper for the three of them who remained, Cecily excused herself soon after and left Bill and Jock to chat. In bed, she tried to concentrate on her book, but Diana’s comments about it being obvious that Bill was wild about her haunted her mind. Perhaps, she decided eventually, Diana was just being kind, because she was certain that Bill hardly registered her existence as a woman.

Jock and Bill left for Nairobi after lunch the following day. Even if Cecily found Jock rather boring and arrogant, there was a large portion of her that also felt sympathy for him.

‘When will you be back?’ she asked Bill as she handed him a pile of clean army uniform.

‘I’m not sure, I’m afraid, but I’ll let you know