Nell: Don’t wake Poppy, please. She has been up half the night working on new recipes for the cafe.
Me: Why?
Nell: A new French bakery has opened in Kingsbridge called Oiseau Noir and it’s causing quite a stir.
Me: Really? Oiseau Noir means a black bird, doesn’t it?
Nell: Yes. Everyone is walking around with a baguette under their arm. We could be in France.
Me: Proper French bread is really delicious. We should get some.
Nell: The Cat was there yesterday buying croissants and said it’s a very odd place. It’s run by rooks and everyone wears black.
Me: Gloomy but stylish.
Nell: And they only speak French which is fine for me, of course, as I’m virtually bilingual but David will struggle.
Me: So will Harriet.
Nell: No. Harriet has been going to evening classes in French for quite a while. Sally’s idea.
Me: Where is Sally?
Nell: With Charlie. The strange thing is, when she heard the name of the bakery she turned pale, which is hard because she is a very fair furred Golden Retriever, and said she had to speak to Charlie.
Me: Gosh. Curiouser and curiouser.
Nell: Calm down, Alice. Let’s not leap down the rabbit hole until we know what is going on.
Me: You are right. Sorry.
