I peered in the direction he was nodding at, and saw Auntie standing over a table set for three. A man and a woman, a little younger than my father, were sitting down with teacups in front of them.

‘How are you both?’ Auntie said as we arrived. ‘Here, let me move some more chairs around the table.’

‘I’ll do it,’ I said.

She smiled at me. ‘Then I’ll leave you for now.’

I pulled up two extra chairs and shook hands with the strangers, who’d stood when we appeared. They both had grey hair and glasses, and friendly faces. The man had a moustache and was smoking a pipe; the woman was wearing white gloves.

‘You’re quite grown up now, aren’t you?’ the man said to me. He saw the expression on my face. ‘You don’t remember us.’

I flushed. ‘I’m sorry –’

‘Don’t be silly,’ the woman interrupted, smiling. ‘You were probably still exhausted after your journey, and you spoke more to our daughter anyway.’

‘Her name’s Lucy,’ the man said.

‘Of course, in Dar es Salaam. You’re old friends of my father’s.’

‘George and Sarah Cartwright,’ my father said.

‘Very pleased to meet you again.’

We sat. My father ordered another pot of tea.

‘Are you visiting Kenya?’ I asked.

George took out a pouch and started filling up his pipe. ‘We’re thinking of moving here,’ he said. ‘The situation in Dar’s getting a little too hot for us.’

‘You’ll have to be more specific, I’m afraid,’ my father said. ‘Theo doesn’t read the papers.’

‘It’s the new German Chancellor,’ George said. ‘He wants back the colonies they lost under the Treaty of Versailles.’ He tamped down the tobacco in his pipe and lit it. ‘And suddenly there’s an influx of Germans in Tanganyika.’

‘Bloody typical,’ my father said.

The waiter arrived with a fresh pot of tea and four cups and saucers.

‘Can you bring us another cup?’ Sarah asked. ‘We’re expecting our daughter at any moment.’

I thought I saw George and my father exchange a wink. My heart sank. I hadn’t remembered her parents, but I could remember Lucy.

‘She’s very excited to see you,’ Sarah said, pouring me a cup of tea. ‘It’s hard on her having to move so suddenly. We were hoping you might be able to show her around Nairobi?’

‘I’d be happy to,’ I said, forcing a smile. Something else to take me away from Maud and Freddie. I wondered how long I’d have to spend with her before I could escape back to Naivasha to squash games and sundowners and trips on the lake.

‘Here she comes now,’ George said, standing. ‘Why don’t you move up, Sarah, so the young people can be together?’