‘Wonderful.’ He rubbed his hands together again. ‘I think I’ll start with a sherry.’

Abdullah poured him a glass and helped remove his shoes, then knelt in front of him and massaged his feet, while my father poured the drink down his throat.

‘Your face is very pleasant, Abdullah,’ he said.

‘Thank you, Bwana.’

‘Good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used. What do you say to that, Abdullah?’

‘Nothing, Bwana.’

‘It’s Shakespeare, you know.’

‘I agree, William,’ my mother said. ‘But we should let Abdullah tell Joseph you’re here.’

‘Yes, go, go.’ My father waved his hand.

Abdullah disappeared in the direction of the kitchen. I turned to Maud, grinning, and caught her staring after him with a strange look on her face.

‘What is it?’ I asked in a low voice.

‘Do you ever wonder if Abdullah minds working for us?’ she whispered.

‘Why should he?’

‘He’s just so …’ She looked at my father’s feet, then quickly away again.

‘At least he has work.’

My father got up to pour himself more sherry, then returned to his seat. ‘Why don’t we all eat together tonight? The children can stay up a little later.’

My mother raised her eyebrows, but she didn’t say anything.

‘How are your lessons progressing?’ he asked us.

‘Fine,’ we said together.

‘Good, good.’ He pointed at me. ‘You’ll need good grades to read Engineering, especially if you go to Edinburgh.’

My mouth felt dry with the sudden fear that he wanted to send me away. ‘What?’

‘I know it’s not for a few years. But –’

‘How are things at the office?’ my mother interrupted.

‘Ah yes. Passenger numbers are rising steadily. Courage and comfort, all shall yet go well.’

‘How nice,’ my mother said. She stood up. ‘I think I’ll have a lie-down before supper.’

‘Maud, come sit on my lap,’ my father said. ‘I want to cuddle my little girl.’

‘Don’t spoil her.’

Maud sat on my father’s lap and circled her arms around his neck. My father hugged her to him, and I felt a brief, sharp pang at how easy they were with each other.

‘I’m going on a safari tomorrow,’ I said. ‘With Nicolas and Sylvie.’

‘Who?’ my father asked.

‘The American woman and the Frenchman,’ my mother said.

‘You’re not going to shoot anything, are you?’ Maud said.

‘No,’ my mother said. ‘No guns. You wouldn’t touch them, would you, Theo?’ Her expression was neutral but I felt somehow she was on edge behind it, and I shrugged to stop her staring at me.

My father took another sip of his sherry. Maud leaned her head away.

‘You smell like oil,’ she said.

‘I’ve been inspecting the engines today.’ He put down his sherry. ‘You’re almost too big for this now.’

‘I’m not,’ she said, burying her face in his beard.