‘It was only decided a couple of days ago, Han. And it is on condition that Pa can get someone to help out while I’m away.’ Piet thought it wise to change the subject. ‘Will you ride with us in the morning, Ma? I thought we’d go out before breakfast and see if we could find the family of cheetahs I saw last week.’

Sarah felt a shaft of disappointment. He had said they would ride out together – just the two of them. She had been so thrilled, had anticipated a perfect opportunity to spend time alone with Piet, to have his full attention, and not to share a single precious moment with anyone else.

‘I’m busy in the morning. Your father and I are going to a meeting at the Murrays’ farm,’ Lottie said. ‘We may not be back in time for lunch, but I’ll be here to drive you girls to school in the evening.’

‘Nobody can keep up with the government’s intentions these days.’ Jan frowned and helped himself to another spoonful of Lottie’s new potatoes. ‘One minute they’re talking about protection for us minorities when Independence comes, and the next we’re hearing rumours about having our land confiscated. We could be forced out – our farms bought by some compulsory scheme that would result in Langani being split up and given in small parcels to the kaffirs.’ He grunted in disgust. ‘No one will be able to farm economically on ten-acre lots. We can barely make it pay on the land we have now. And if our labour is anything to go by they’ll let the wheat rot, and replace it with maize that doesn’t grow well at this altitude, and they’ll finish up broke and starving. It’s a bad plan, I tell you, and it will get worse. We’re going to discuss what we can do for ourselves in the event that the government lets us down.’

‘We’re not going to talk about this over dinner, Jan.’ Lottie tried to head off her husband’s gloomy predictions. ‘And you should stop using the word “kaffir”. It’s not acceptable any more.’

‘Lottie, we’re going to have problems and we should all recognise it.’ This time Jan was not going to be silenced. ‘No one was attacked here at Langani during the Mau Mau years, and most of our labour didn’t get involved in oath taking. But we won’t get through the next two or three years without some trouble. Especially if the Britishers continue their plan to sell us down the river and walk away.’

‘I disagree,’ Lottie said calmly. ‘I don’t think Independence is going to change everything so much. Our watu are happy enough. No one on Langani is complaining.’