There were hardly any cars out in the early evening, and the journey was peaceful. The sky was indigo and a September chill was in the air, although the lake was perfectly still when I arrived. After the heat and dryness of Nairobi, it was a welcome relief. I stowed the box in my glove compartment, ready to take to Mahalbeth in the morning, and wandered down to the jetty, breathing in deeply as I passed the African huts. Maud had been planting again, and fresh-looking saplings were tied to stakes not far from the compound, eucalyptus, lime, juniper and peach, their scent mixing foggily together.

Abdullah had finished building a treehouse in the big cedar, and the murmurs of children playing in it drifted down to me. Half a mile down the shore I could see the ungainly outline of some eland grazing, their twisted horns growing from surprisingly petite heads. A heron paddled near them, snapping at fish from time to time. I turned back to the jetty and the boat bumping gently against it. I still hadn’t heard from Sylvie, but as I stood there she materialised at the far end in her bathing costume, one shapely leg bent at the knee, the other dipping down so her foot skimmed the surface of the water. I watched her with a smile on my face and she laughed, ‘It’s cold.’ She disappeared when I went towards her, arms outstretched, and I felt disappointed, and foolish.

No one was on the veranda, or in the sitting room. I could hear clanging coming from the kitchen, but otherwise all was quiet.

‘Hello?’ I called.

My mother appeared in the entrance to her wing, wearing a long navy-blue dress and carrying an empty wine glass.

‘Maud’s out with Abdullah and Scotty,’ she said. ‘They’re looking at land to buy.’

‘When will she be back?’

‘I don’t know.’ She put down the glass. ‘Shall I ring for tea?’

‘No thank you.’

‘Suit yourself. It means not dealing with Bulawayo.’

She was acting as if nothing had happened, and it angered me. ‘Father said you mentioned me leaving the firm.’

She clasped her hands together and waited.

‘It didn’t cause a rift between us, if that’s what you were trying to do.’

‘How can you think that?’

‘I know you’ve never been on my side.’

She took a step towards me, holding her hands out. ‘Whose side have I been on then?’ She looked the picture of innocence and motherly concern, and I almost admired the act.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘You could be extraordinary, Theo. Successful. I’m only trying to help you, darling.’

‘I can do without your help.’

‘I’m your mother – I know what’s best for you.’

I felt my mouth twist itself up into a smile. ‘I do remember my childhood, you know.’