Sylvie was waiting for us on the veranda when we arrived. She stood up to greet us, setting off Minnie and Louis, and I saw Lucy take in the emerald-green dress with nipped-in waist and loose top. The hem reached the floor, and made a swishing sound as Sylvie walked towards us.

‘I thought I’d dress up,’ she said, taking Lucy’s hand, ‘as I know you’re so important to Theo.’ She smiled at me.

‘You look magnificent,’ I said, kissing her cheek.

‘So do you two – a very striking pair.’ She squeezed Lucy’s hand. ‘Let’s have a drink.’

There was a bottle of champagne already out on the table, three coupes, and blue, flowered china. Sylvie poured out the champagne and raised her glass. ‘To happiness,’ she said.

‘To happiness.’

Not far away a tame eland trampled through the flowerbeds and rubbed his twisted horns on the trees.

‘He’s beautiful,’ Lucy said, following my gaze.

‘He is, isn’t he? It’s not home without animals.’ Sylvie moved to sit down and I held the chair out for her. ‘Thank you, darling.’

Lucy took a small sip of her drink and put her glass back down.

‘Don’t you like champagne?’ I asked, holding her chair out too.

‘I haven’t eaten anything. I don’t want to get tipsy.’

‘Let’s have the food now then,’ Sylvie said, and signalled one of the totos.

I joined them at the table and smiled at Lucy, trying to put her at her ease. She smiled back, but not as widely as usual.

The toto brought out fresh bread, cold duck, a salad of lettuce, leeks and potatoes, and dishes of butter and mayonnaise.

‘You remembered the duck,’ I said to Sylvie.

‘Of course,’ she said, and caught Lucy’s eye. ‘Apparently Theo loves it.’

‘I didn’t know that,’ Lucy said.

‘Didn’t you?’ I said.

‘Well – there’s red wine, too,’ Sylvie said, getting up from the table.

She disappeared inside, and I turned to Lucy. ‘Is everything alright, darling?’

‘Yes.’

‘Are you sure?’

Sylvie reappeared. ‘They’re bringing it.’

‘Thank you,’ Lucy said.

‘When are the whisky sours?’ I asked. ‘Sylvie makes great cocktails, darling.’

Lucy chewed a mouthful of bread. Sylvie gave me a look that was part-amused, part-unreadable. No one spoke as the toto brought out a decanter of red wine, or after he’d placed it carefully on the table and gone back inside.

‘So you’re from England, originally?’ Sylvie said eventually.

‘Yes,’ Lucy said. ‘I haven’t been back since I was five though.’

‘It hasn’t changed that much,’ I said. ‘Still rains all the time.’

‘It’s changed a lot for some people,’ Sylvie said.

‘I suppose the clothes are different. There are more cars. Everyone has a vacuum cleaner.’

‘What’s a vacuum cleaner?’ Lucy asked.

‘A torture device. Probably invented by a sadistic landlady. You wouldn’t get them in Tanganyika.’