The men said goodbye and Stephen disappeared into the house, with no sign of disquiet at leaving Ginie alone with Mark. A splinter of frost slid into her heart.

Their marriage was changing and she felt powerless to stop it.

Mark settled back into his chair. ‘I never had a chance to tell you how sorry I was to hear about your lemur,’ he said gently. ‘I know you loved it.’

There was a pause.

‘Him,’ said Ginie.

‘Pardon me?’

‘I loved him. Jongy was a “him,” not an “It”.’

‘Oh, yes, of course he was,’ said Mark, hastily.

Grief that had lost its edge flared up without warning. A line of tears built at the edge of Ginie’s eyelids and she quickly blinked them away.

‘Actually, I brought you something,’ he announced. Reaching into his pocket, he handed her a piece of pink quartz carved in the shape of a poodle. ‘It’s Rhodesian crystallized quartz. I found it on one of my expeditions and took it to a local craftsman to be sculpted for you. I know you love gemstones. Though of course, you must have far more valuable pieces in your collection. . .’ he trailed off, unsure of himself.

‘I love it!’ declared Ginie quickly, ‘thank you.’ She was cradling the poodle, turning it this way and that. ‘Stephen made me give away Sandra’s puppies, so I’m thrilled to have at least one baby poodle.’

They sat, content and silent, sipping their drinks. In front of them, birds wheeled and soared, singing their hearts out. She looked at him for a few moments.

‘Come on, let’s go for a walk,’ she said, getting to her feet.

‘It would take at least two days to explore your magical garden properly,’ said Mark, as they wandered across the lawn. The sunlight was oblique, sending slanting rays across the grass and lighting on the treetops. ‘It really is a flowering Eden: Rhodesia’s equivalent to the botanic gardens at Kirstenbosch.’

Ginie smiled. ‘It’s Stephen’s boast that a tree from every country in the world is planted and grows in this marvellous soil. He knows the names of each one. He pores over catalogues of plants and trees from nurseries across the globe and orders new seeds and seedlings. Of course, the garden hasn’t had enough time to establish itself properly. In a hundred years or so, it should be a delightful spot.’ She reflected that she wouldn’t be alive to see the full fruits of their labour with the garden, or any of their other projects.

In front of them, monkeys cavorted in the lower branches of trees, dropping down to chase each other across the grass.

‘Oh look, there’s my special pet!’ Ginie exclaimed, pointing at the one who walked on his hands.

‘You have a real affinity with animals,’ Mark said.

‘Well, they’re nicer than most people. They don’t stab you in the back, or let you down.’