‘You can’t trust any of these munts. They don’t think the way we do. They don’t have the same loyalties. I’ve warned you about this before, Piet. You’re a damn fool, son, if you believe otherwise. It’ll lead to nothing but disaster.’

‘This talk will stop right now!’ Lottie brought her fist down on the table, making the glass and china clatter. ‘Piet, you can pour everyone some wine. Janni, we’re going to raise our glasses now, to our wonderful son and daughter and their friends. And to a bright, joyful future for all of us.’

Jan was silent, regretting that he had been so sharp with Camilla. She was only a child, eighteen years old like his own daughter. Lottie was right. He should never have started in on this subject. They toasted one another, but Hannah had tears in her eyes, and Sarah found that the lump in her throat made it difficult to swallow. As they put their glasses down Camilla felt Piet’s hand find hers under the table and squeeze her fingers. After dinner they sat around the log fire and played charades. Jan’s clumsy attempts at acting were received with hoots of laughter. Sarah won effortlessly, and then kept the whole company convulsed with a series of mimes and animal noises. At last Jan rose and put his arm around her.

‘Enough, you crazy young miss! It’s time for bed. I have to go out and look at some grazing early tomorrow, since Piet has abandoned work in favour of pretty women. And I’m going to the meeting at the Murray farm after that. Goodnight to all you young people.’

‘The lights will go off in about half an hour, girls.’ Lottie embraced them, touching Camilla’s cheek with tenderness. ‘Don’t stay up all night talking.’

In Hannah’s room the kaross that covered the blankets had been folded away on top of a trunk at the foot of her bed. She loved the soft fur and the supple feel of the animal skins that her father had cured and smoothed for her when she was small. Lottie had offered her a variety of new quilts since then, but Hannah stubbornly held on to her kaross. She sat down and patted the bed for Sarah to join her, while Camilla draped herself across the window seat overlooking the garden. The moon was full and the night sky seemed to offer a still, remote beauty that could not be marred by misunderstanding or greed or violence.

‘I can’t get over Pa tonight,’ Hannah said. ‘But maybe he’s just sad that this place won’t be the centre of the world for us now.’

‘It’s all right. I touched a raw spot with all that silly stuff about not being able to return here.’ Camilla seemed to have recovered her poise.