‘I love you, Piet,’ she said finally. ‘I always have, from the first day you came and jumped into the river beside me. And I always will.’

‘We’ll love each other and take care of each other for all of our lives, little Sarah, and our world will be a fine place.’ He stood up and held out his hand to her. ‘Come now, my beautiful woman. It’s getting cold up here on our ridge, and I want to take you home to our farm.’

They folded up the rug and cushions, and stopped once more to look down on the beauty of their shared universe.

‘This is our own piece of the earth,’ he said. ‘Everything down there was fashioned out of courage and strong will and hope. I believe it is a place given to us by God, and we will try to look after it and preserve it always, you and I, whatever the cost. I know that you love it like I do, and that you are the one who will always help me.’

‘I do,’ she said. ‘And I will. Always.’

When she looked into the mirror before dinner, Sarah saw that on this night she was truly beautiful, filled with the knowledge of Piet’s love and her vision of the future they would build together. Her skin was glowing, her eyes shining, as she entered the sitting room and Piet took her hand.

‘I want you all to hear something now,’ he said. ‘For years I’ve been a dumb Afrikaner who couldn’t see beyond his nose, couldn’t think straight about the things that matter. A young dunce, heh? But at last I’ve woken up. I’ve found the most important thing any man can find, which is someone I can love and trust with my life. So, Sarah Mackay, I’d like to ask you if you would agree to take care of this poor farmer. I’d like to ask you if you would marry me and make me the happiest man in the world. Could you do that, do you think?’

She could hear the cries and exclamations as she flew into his arms.

‘Yes, I’ll marry you. Yes. I love you, and I’ll always love you.’ She turned to face them all then, to accept their congratulations through the blur of tears. ‘I love each and every one of you,’ she said. ‘I’m so happy, and I love you so much that there aren’t any other words.’