‘Right.’ Piet stood up, and they all moved out on to the verandah. ‘Lars and I have work to do. Ah, there you are Simon. I want you and David to clean out the dry goods store and make a list of anything running low.’ He saw the hostile glance that passed between the two young men, and frowned. ‘Just do it, heh? And don’t leave any old sacks or taka taka lying around the stores. If there’s one thing that makes me truly mad, it’s litter on my property.’

Farewells were brief. Camilla was airy and dismissive.

‘London in November, I hope. I’ll miss you. I really will.’ Anthony kissed her mouth and got into his Land Rover, and then he was gone in a flurry of dust and gravel. Pain splintered her heart.

‘Come, Camilla,’ Hannah said. ‘Sarah’s going with Piet to check on the mare that’s lame. You can help me with some filing in the office, and then we’ll go to the lodge with Simon. You can advise me about the furniture. The rest of them will join us later.’

Later, from the viewing platform, Camilla could see a herd of buffalo making their way across the open ground. She thought of Anthony and the way he could mimic the rumbling sound of an old bull. Tears threatened, and she squared her shoulders and went to see how she could be of help. Simon was constantly at Hannah’s side, writing with precise, neat letters and figures in his notebook, drawing chalk outlines of furniture on to the stone floors.

‘I have made a list of furniture for each room, Memsahib Hannah,’ he said, in his careful English. ‘While you were away I went to your office and prepared them on the typewriter.’

Hannah looked at him in surprise. She was annoyed that he should have gone into her office and used her machine without permission, but relieved that there was yet another routine task he could take off her hands.

‘I can type fast,’ Simon said, proudly. ‘They taught me at the mission and I have passed an exam.’ He hesitated, trying to gauge how best to obtain her approval. ‘You have seen that I have also taken my exam in elementary bookkeeping. I would like to be a proper accountant. But this takes many years and much money.’

‘Maybe when we get the lodge going, we can arrange for you to do a course. If you continue to do well, I’ll ask Bwana Piet about it.’

‘Thank you.’ His face lit up with pleasure as he savoured the idea, but then his expression became downcast. ‘But I do not know if I can do that.’

‘Just keep working hard, Simon, and you’ll be fine. In the meantime, let’s measure this window.’