Under Gerhard’s supervision, local builders and craftsmen had converted the Courtneys’ former home into the central hub of a discreet, luxurious resort. A bar, restaurant, reading room and lobby occupied the ground floor, with half a dozen bedroom suites upstairs. A swimming pool and two tennis courts had been built in the grounds, along with fifteen cabins, each of which had a bedroom, bathroom and terrace. The cabins were aligned so that they had a view of the spectacular Rift Valley landscape, but none could be seen from any of the others. Absolute privacy was guaranteed.

Gerhard had insisted that local stone, wood and thatch should be used wherever possible, and the decorative motifs in every guest room and public area reflected the traditions of the Kikuyu and Maasai people. His intention was to give the people who stayed or dined in the hotel an experience that was uniquely, unmistakably Kenyan.

‘My father’s spirit is looking down on this, I’m sure of it,’ said Benjamin, as they entered the reception lobby that occupied the old hall and dining room. ‘He is so proud of what you have created in his name.’

‘Are you sure he’s not off boozing with my father?’ Saffron asked.

They both laughed, but their amusement was bittersweet and laced with melancholy, for passing time had dulled, but not erased, the pain of the night when the two blood-brothers had died.

A Kenyan man in an elegantly tailored grey suit, whose handsome, intelligent face was set off by gold-framed spectacles and made even more distinguished by the hint of grey in his close-cropped hair, walked up behind Saffron.

He coughed politely and said, ‘Excuse me, ma’am.’

She turned and her face broke into a broad smile.

‘Maku! How lovely to see you! The president’s office didn’t tell me you were coming.’

Maku Makori, proud possessor of a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the London School of Economics, and Private Secretary to President Jomo Kenyatta, smiled back.

‘I am our leader’s right-hand man. Naturally, I want to make sure that all his arrangements are in order.’

‘I hope you wanted to see old friends too.’

‘Of course – always,’ Maku said as they exchanged a social kiss. Then he held out his hand, said, ‘Benjamin!’ and the two men shook hands. ‘So, the National Hospital decided it could spare you for a couple of days?’

‘Well, I hate to leave my patients . . . but I have a good team. They will manage without me.’

‘Seriously, everyone is very impressed with the work you are doing in the fight against malaria. You know we’re hoping to have a new school of medicine at Nairobi University College within the next three years?’

‘I’d heard, yes.’

‘Well, I think you should be involved from the start, and the president agrees. We must talk about this soon.’