Me: How did it go yesterday?
Nell: Very well. Although we have an awful lot of fleece.
Me: Yes.
Nell: Fortunately, there’s a Pyrenean Mountain Dog in Kingsbridge with her own spinning wheel and time on her paws.
Me: That’s lucky. How’s Alejandro?
Nell: Transformed.
Me: Well, he would be.
Nell: He’s like a different animal. He must have danced the whole evening.
Me: Bless him.
Nell: He insisted on giving us all rides around the garden. Even David.
Me: Gosh. I’d like to have seen that.
Nell: I think someone filmed it on their iBone so it’s probably on YouChewed by now. Search under ‘labrador wearing sequinned top hat riding alpaca’ and you’ll find it.
Me: So Dave was wearing a top hat?
Nell: Everyone was wearing a hat. Well, Alejandro had a sort of Aztec crown. Extraordinary thing. Like a peacock.
Me: Where did it come from?
Nell: Don’t ask me. The Cat was in charge of costumes.
Me: I’m so glad it all went well.
Nell: Yes, although a high spirited alpaca is quite tiring, to be honest. Not everyone wants to welcome the rising of the sun. Some of us like a lie in on a Sunday.
Me: True.
Nell: So what time are you arriving?
Me: My train gets in at 5pm. Will you be there?
Nell: Of course I will. You and me. Always.
Me: Yes. So will you be arriving at the station on an alpaca wearing a crown?
Nell: Certainly not. I agreed to a quiet walk around the garden and I may even have worn a feathered crown briefly, but that was yesterday.
Me: Yes.
Nell: Kev and I will be driving over in the car to collect you as usual. No crowns and definitely no alpacas.
Me: Of course. Sorry.
