‘Yes,’ he asserted strongly. ‘I do believe it can. My mother and father are still devoted to each other.’
While this statement did not relate to her in any way, it lifted Emily’s heart and she turned around, smiling at him. ‘That’s really nice.’
He smiled back. ‘We do have that in common since your own parents are content with their marriage. And speaking of them—’ he waved towards the computer notepad he’d acquired for her use ‘—you haven’t checked your mail this morning.’
‘I’ll do it now.’
She crossed to the writing desk where the small slimline computer was set up, ready for her to connect with the Internet. As she switched on and started keying in her password, she was very conscious that this was yet another example of Zageo’s generosity and his caring consideration for her needs, ensuring she had electronic access to her family at any time of the day or night.
She hadn’t asked for it. She hadn’t asked Zageo for any of the things he’d bought for her along the way. He’d taken her shopping for clothes whenever he’d considered her own outfits unsuitable for his companion and Emily had argued to herself she was indulging his pleasure in her, not taking him for all she could get. The clothes were unreturnable but this computer could be passed to Abdul Haji if and when Zageo said her time with him was over.
She wasn’t like Veronique.
She had come to love Zageo with all her heart.
‘There’s a message from Hannah,’ she said, wanting to share everything with him.
‘Any news?’
‘Malcolm is happy to get into the sugar industry, managing Dad’s cane farm. Jenny and Sally have started at a playschool to get them used to being with other children and they’ve both found best friends to play with. And Hannah…oh, how wonderful!’ She clapped her hands in delight and swung around, beaming a big grin at Zageo. ‘Hannah’s pregnant!’
‘That’s good?’ he quizzed with a bemused air.
‘She wanted to try for a boy, but Malcolm was worried about her going through another pregnancy when the situation in Zimbabwe was so unstable. Besides, he insisted he was perfectly happy with his girls and didn’t need a boy.’
‘All children are precious,’ Zageo commented.
‘Yes, but having been just two sisters ourselves, Hannah and I always fancied having mixed families. I do hope it’s a boy for her this time.’
‘You wouldn’t mind having three children yourself?’
‘Actually I think four is the perfect number. Two of each.’
‘Four has always been a very significant number,’ Zageo mused. ‘Did you know it resonates through all the religions of mankind?’
‘No, I didn’t.’
‘Even in your Christian religion, it comes up over and over again—forty days and forty nights in the desert, the four horsemen of the apocalypse…’
Emily’s interest was captivated as he went on, spelling out the commonality that underpinned so much of what the people of the world believed in. Zageo was far more broadly educated than herself and he often expounded on fascinating pieces of knowledge. She couldn’t help thinking he would be a marvellous father and fiercely wished she could be the mother of his children.
He suddenly stopped theorising and smiled at her, bestowing a sense of warm approval that made Emily tingle with pleasure. ‘There’s a place I’d like to show you today. Let’s get ready to go, once you’ve replied to Hannah. And please send my congratulations to her and Malcolm.’
‘Will do.’
She turned back to the computer notepad, happy to write her own congratulations as well as his and eager to go wherever Zageo wanted to take her.
When they emerged from the hotel, a gorgeous yellow Mercedes convertible with blue and black leather upholstery was waiting for them. ‘Wow!’ Emily cried excitedly as the doorman led the way to it. ‘Is this for us?’
Zageo laughed at her burst of pleasure. ‘It’s a beautiful day, we will be driving down the coast, and I thought we should have a happy sunshine car to make it a more exhilarating trip,’ he said.
‘What a great idea! I love it!’ Emily enthused, having long given up protesting Zageo’s extravagance over anything he did with her. Over the past three months of being with him, she’d learnt that what gave him pleasure invariably gave her pleasure so it made no sense to fight it.
It was, indeed, an exhilarating trip, all the way to Cape Point which offered a spectacular view over the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point of Africa. The peninsula ended in a high cliff, on top of which stood a lighthouse. It was clearly a popular tourist spot. Numerous flights of steps led up to it and there was a funicular to transport those who didn’t want to do the long climb.
‘Would you like to ride or walk?’ Zageo asked.
‘Walk,’ Emily decided. ‘We can take our time enjoying the view from all the rest stops along the way.’
He took her hand, encasing it firmly with his. Emily loved the physical link with him. Somehow it was more than just companionable. It felt as though he was laying claim to her in a much deeper sense. Or maybe she was reading into it what she wanted to.
Just savour this time with him, she told herself, and make the most of each day as it comes. Hadn’t she learnt from losing Brian so young that it was important to live the moment, not spend it counting her tomorrows?
Yet even as she enthused over the spectacular vista of cliffs and ocean, she couldn’t help commenting, ‘You really should visit Australia, Zageo. It has the most brilliant coastline in the world. Just north of Cairns we have the Forty Mile Beach, all clean white sand. The Great Ocean Road down in Victoria with the fantastic rock formations called the Twelve Apostles rising out of the sea, is just breathtaking. Not to mention…’
She ran off at the mouth, encouraged by the warm pleasure that danced over her from his twinkling eyes. ‘If you would be happy to show me, I would be happy to come,’ he said when she’d finished her tourist spiel, making her heart swell with joy. It was clear proof that he saw no end for their relationship in the near future.
Emily’s delight in the day increased a hundredfold. Having been assured that this last tip of the African continent had no personal relevance as far as she Zageo were concerned, she could barely stop her feet from galloping up the last flight of steps to the top viewing area around the lighthouse.