she’d given Stella a bath, Cecily went upstairs to administer another dose of the penicillin to Lankenua. She knew her maid must be better, because she made an awful fuss about the needle and where it had to go.
‘There, all done,’ Cecily said, pulling down Lankenua’s nightdress. She then went to fetch Stella and led her up to the attic.
‘Honey, I’m just going to head along the block to see a very old friend of mine,’ Cecily told Stella. ‘I won’t be long, but can you stay here with Yeyo and keep her company while I’m gone? Maybe you’d like to read her your new book about Winnie the Pooh?’
‘That’s a good idea,’ Stella nodded eagerly. ‘Don’t be late, Kuyia,’ she called as Cecily left the room.
It had finally stopped snowing when Cecily stepped outside and into the back of the family’s Chrysler. As the car moved along Fifth Avenue, the sound of traffic was muffled by the thick covering of snow on the sidewalks and streets, the steam from the subway beneath puffing out of the grates and melting the snow atop it. Arriving at the Stanhope Hotel, Cecily asked Archer to wait for her as she stepped out of the car.
‘I’ll be about thirty minutes or so,’ she called as she disappeared under the green canopy marking the entrance to the hotel. She could already hear live jazz music coming from the bar as she walked over to the reception and asked them to let Kiki Preston know she was here. Expecting Kiki to be indisposed, she was surprised when the receptionist told her to go straight on up to the suite. Cecily took the elevator to the fifth floor. After a knock, a woman she didn’t recognise answered the door.
‘Hello, Cecily, I’m Lillian Turner, a friend of your godmother’s. Please come in. Kiki isn’t feeling herself tonight, but she said she really wanted to see you,’ she whispered as she led her into a grand sitting room, where Kiki was lying on a chaise longue in front of the fire. It was one of the only times she’d ever seen her godmother with her face bare of make-up. Even though Kiki looked dreadfully pale, her dark hair down and scattered with grey, she was still very beautiful.
‘My darling Cecily! Excuse me if I don’t get up to greet you, but my health has not been robust these past few weeks.’ Kiki put out a hand to Cecily as she stubbed out her cigarette with the other. ‘How are you, honey?’
‘I’m well, thank you, and excited to be back in Manhattan! It’s been so long.’
‘And there’s me pining for Kenya in this dark, depressing city. One simply can’t see the sky here,’ she sighed. ‘Lillian, do get our guest a drink. What will you have, Cecily? Champagne?’
‘I’m fine, I don’t want to disturb you if you’re sick. I just came to drop off a Christmas gift for you.’
‘Oh! How terribly sweet of you to think of me. I sometimes feel New York has forgotten all about me. May I open it now?’
‘You can, of course, but maybe you should save it for Christmas Day?’
‘Oh my angel.’ Kiki placed an obviously shaking hand onto Cecily’s forearm. ‘The one lesson I’ve learnt is that one should never save special things for another day, because tomorrow may never come.’ Tears glistened in Kiki’s eyes. ‘Now, let’s see what it is you’ve brought for me.’
‘Oh, it’s nothing big, I just thought—’
‘As you know, it isn’t size that counts.’ Kiki gave Cecily one of her wicked smiles and suddenly looked more like her old self. She took the rectangular box out of its wrapping and opened it.
‘It’s a photograph of you and me at Mundui House before I left to marry Bill. Aleeki took it with my camera,’ Cecily explained.
Kiki looked down at the photograph, taken at sunset with Lake Naivasha behind them.
‘Oh my! What a beautiful gift you’ve given me.’ Kiki stroked the photograph. ‘And don’t we both look so young?’ She smiled, tears once again appearing in her eyes. ‘Thank you so much, Cecily. You’re so very sweet and I am – and always have been – so very fond of you. Here, Lillian, put it on the mantelpiece so I can see it.’ Lillian did so as Kiki grasped Cecily’s hand. ‘Are you happy, honey?’
‘Yes, I am, I think.’
‘Well, listen to my advice now and swear you’ll act on it: do whatever it takes to make yourself and those you