‘He’s not a god.’ She stubbed out her cigarette on the ashtray in between us and stood up. ‘Excuse me – I have to fetch something from my bedroom.’

Her smell lingered for a moment, then dissolved with the cigarette smoke. I jiggled my leg to distract myself from thoughts of yesterday again.

‘I have to get back soon,’ Maud said after a few moments. ‘Should we let her know?’

‘I’ll do it.’ I stood up. ‘Wait here.’

I knocked on Sylvie’s bedroom door and opened it before she could answer. She was sitting at the end of her bed, knees drawn up to her chest. She didn’t look at me when I sat down beside her.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.

She made to stand up and I caught hold of her arm. ‘Don’t be angry.’ I pulled her back down onto the bed.

‘Why?’

‘Because I love you.’

She shook her head, half-smiling, then looked away. ‘Go play with someone your own age.’

‘You don’t mean that.’

‘I do.’

I kissed her. ‘You love me too.’

She looked at me for a moment, then swung her legs off the bed and rose gracefully to her feet. ‘I’m thirsty. Cocktail?’

‘Do I ever say no?’

She straightened her kimono. ‘How’s Lucy?’

‘Very well, thank you.’

‘Does she know when you’re visiting me?’

‘I never say explicitly.’ I’d told Lucy I’d been spending my weekends at Naivasha because it was cooler out of the city. I saw her during the week instead, and she seemed to accept the arrangement.

‘Be careful, darling. It’s not good to have too much power over someone else.’

I selected a cigarette from the case under her pillow, taking care not to let my irritation show. ‘You speak from experience.’

‘What if I do?’

I considered her for a moment, and she raised her chin, meeting my gaze. ‘Come here,’ I said eventually. ‘Forget the drinks.’

‘I’m thirsty.’

‘And I’m half mad looking at you like that.’

When we’d finished we lay back on the pillows. She ran her hand down my torso to my penis, still wet from being inside her, and wrapped her palm around it. I moved in her hand, she withdrew it and licked her palm, looking at me steadily.

I laughed. ‘Give me five more minutes.’

‘Where’s Maud?’

‘You’re right – we should probably go back to her.’ I stood up and started collecting my clothes. ‘Shall we go out for a drive?’

‘I don’t feel up to it.’

‘Alright. Can I come next weekend?’

‘I’m going away with Edie for a little while.’

‘To the coast?’

‘Coast, safari.’ She rolled over onto her stomach.

‘When will you be back?’

‘When I’m back.’

I grinned. ‘I know what you’re doing.’

‘What am I doing?’

‘You can’t make me stop loving you that way. I already knew you were cruel, remember?’