‘No, no. I’ve taken up enough of your time.’ He shook my hand again. ‘Pass on my regards to your sister, won’t you?’

‘Will do.’

‘See you around, then.’

I spent the rest of the following day on edge, worrying about how isolated Maud was out by the lake, and left early to drive to Kiboko.

She was pottering around the garden when I got there. The sun had set and the sky was a pale purple. Someone had lit the lanterns for her to see by. She accepted a kiss on the cheek with a tired smile.

‘It makes me happy to see you out here,’ I said, putting my arm around her shoulder.

‘Yes.’ She brushed her hand across her cheek, leaving a smudge of earth. ‘I’ve been very boring recently, haven’t I? Sleeping all the time.’

‘You’re never boring.’

‘You have to say that.’

‘I mean it.’

We started walking towards the lake and she leaned into my shoulder. ‘Solly’s getting so fat these days – all he does is eat.’

‘Lucky bastard.’

She laughed.

‘Spanish – have you thought about what you’ll do if war does actually break out?’

‘Stay here.’

We reached the top of the jetty. I picked up a stone lying in the grass nearby. ‘What about Solomon? What if it’s not safe any more?’

‘This is his home.’ She disentangled her arm from mine and pulled her cardigan around herself. ‘What would happen to it if everyone who could just abandoned it?’

I threw the stone. It skimmed the water three times and disappeared with a hiss. ‘You can’t do the country any good if you’re dead, you know.’

‘And what about the Africans? Where would they go? We have to stay and fight for everyone.’

I tried to smile. ‘I’d rather you were fighting for them somewhere safer. Writing letters from Scotland, say.’

‘Are you leaving?’

I thought of Sylvie. I knew she’d never leave either. ‘Probably not – there’ll be more need of the railways than ever if it happens.’

Maud pulled the cardigan tighter around herself. ‘Well, let’s not discuss it then. I go where you go.’

‘You’re a real mule, you know that, don’t you?’

‘Funny, Abdullah says the same thing.’

I smiled down at her. The mention of Abdullah made me feel better. He could protect her when I wasn’t here, I told myself.

‘Poor man,’ I said.

She took my arm again, laughing. ‘Let me show you your nephew. He’s sitting up already at four months old. He must be some sort of genius.’

Chapter Thirty