He reached out to take Sarah’s hand and she pressed his fingers, praying that he would understand how desperate she was to share his problems and his dreams. She leaned forward, hoping that this moment would finally bring them closer than they had ever been, and she was wondering if she could kiss him when they heard the sound of a key in the door. Piet leapt to his feet, bounding away from her.

‘Thought I’d never get out of that draughty studio. Awful clothes, too. Not worth the rolls of film. Piet, you look like a ghost. Very strange in that city gear.’ Camilla tossed down her bag and put her arms around his neck, kissing him square on the mouth. ‘How long have you been here?’

He could not answer and Sarah realised that he was shy, overcome by Camilla’s casual embrace. Dumbstruck in the presence of his dream, she thought bitterly. She bent to lift the coffee tray and there were tears of rage and despair in her eyes as she put the empty cups into the sink and made an effort to compose herself, before joining Camilla on the sofa.

‘Scotland has been a great place to work,’ Piet was saying. ‘I’ve learned so much, seen plenty of new techniques, some great machinery we could do with at Langani, if we can ever scrape up the money. I spent a week in Edinburgh, too. It’s a friendly city. I had good times in the pubs and I went to the theatre festival. But oh man, after all these months I’m so ready to go home.’

‘You can’t take the farm out of the boy, it seems,’ Camilla said. ‘Maybe when you get back you’ll find that you miss everything you’ve done here.’

‘There’s no chance of that,’ he said, smiling. ‘I just want to get back into everything at the farm. Especially the idea of turning part of Langani into a game reserve. Just before I left I met an architect in Nairobi. He’s drawn up plans for a small safari lodge, and Anthony Chapman has agreed to put some money into it. We’re going to form a company to get the whole thing going. I’m starting on it the moment I get home.’

‘You’re a true jungle baby, Piet. Goodbye purple heather and single malt and bonny lochs, then. And never a backward glance.’ Camilla lit a cigarette and blew smoke towards him.

‘I just don’t know how people can live in that climate. There’s no bright colour to light up the land, and the sun never really warms the heart of you.’

‘Well, Sarah and I have plans for the next few days that will warm you. Have a snooze while we wait for Timmy. He should be here in an hour or so. Then we’ll find plenty of bright lights to cheer you.’