Bruce spotted her first. “Morning. Sleep okay?” As ever, he was the consummate host. No matter where the friends were, the role was always his. “Coffee? The water has just boiled.”

Derek’s bed had been empty and his sleeping bag rolled when Faye awoke. As she scanned the yard for her husband, she saw Geoffrey crouching alongside the unmoving form of Clare.

“She’s got a migraine,” said Diane, following her gaze. “Feeling awful apparently. Vomiting since the early hours.”

“Oh dear. Michelle seemed to think the headaches had stopped, but clearly not. Poor girl.”

“She insists we go on,” said Bruce. “Says she’ll hitch a ride to Grootkloof with the rangers when they come to transfer our stuff. Good thing we decided on the slack-packing option.”

Faye stared at him. “Is that a good idea? I mean, leaving her here on—”

“Worried me too, but Geoffrey says the migraines pass within a few hours. There’s nothing much any of us can do for her. She’s dosed herself and wants to lie still. Says she’ll be fine to continue tomorrow,” he said.

“But leaving her alone? Do we know what time the rangers will come?”

Diane shook her head. “Not exactly. There’s no way of contacting them.”

“The info sheet indicates sometime after lunch,” said Bruce.

“I don’t—”

Bruce poured water into Faye’s mug. “It also says if anyone decides not to hike on any particular day, they should wait at the huts for the rangers to transport them to the next overnight stop.”

“But what if she’s still feeling unwell when they arrive? Wouldn’t she like company?”

“Apparently not,” said Diane.

“Geoffrey says she always insists on being left alone when she’s like this. He’ll help her into the cabin before we leave.” Bruce rinsed his mug. “We should eat breakfast and get ready to go. We’ve quite a distance to cover today.”