‘Don’t stay up too late, Hannah,’ Piet said, leaving the room reluctantly half an hour later, unable to keep his eyes from closing. ‘I have to go to Nairobi tomorrow, remember? I’ll be back in a couple of days, with the tractor spares and the sisal rugs you ordered. And you have a big programme here.’

‘There’s nothing that can’t wait for a day,’ she said defiantly. ‘It’s not often I’m up late and enjoying good company. And if I don’t get up early in the morning for once, the farm isn’t going to fall apart. We do have a manager, after all.’

When Mwangi had cleared away the coffee cups and retired, Viktor moved close to Hannah on the sofa. She did not make any sound when he reached out to trace the curve of her face, touching her eyebrows and the line of her mouth, making goose bumps on her skin. When he leaned over to kiss her she froze, unsure of what she wanted. Then she put her arms up around his neck and opened her mouth so that she could taste him as he kissed her again. His hands moved over her body, caressing her expertly, sending riffs of pleasure through her. She had never been touched like this before and she drew back, afraid of what she might do.

‘Viktor.’ It was hard to breathe. ‘We can’t do this here. No. What I’m saying is that I’m not sure what I feel right now. Viktor – listen to me.’

But he silenced her by standing up and pulling her up with him.

‘I’m going to make love to you,’ he said into her ear, and she felt as though a jolt of electricity had rushed through her veins. ‘It is time to do something joyful. Come now. It is time.’