Nell: I blame myself.
Me: You mustn’t do that.
Nell: I should have stayed focussed.
Me: Let’s go over what happened again. We might have missed something.
Nell: The picnic was all set up on the beach and the weather was perfect.
Me: Yes.
Nell: Knitwear Wolf wanted everyone to appear relaxed, so Mutley had a little sleep on a blanket in the sand dunes and Sally stayed with him.
Me: That was kind of her.
Nell: The Welsh Corgi choir sang sea shanties while the Whippets Institute passed round sandwiches and flasks of tea.
Me: Yes.
Nell: The cheese board was in the middle of the beach with the Cornish Yarg on prominent display.
Me: What happened next?
Nell: David was coming back from a swim when he noticed a dark shadow over the cheese board so he gave a warning bark.
Me: Yes. I saw Handsome move towards it. You have to admire the way cats can slink.
Nell: I crept in on soft paws and Harriet focussed on it intently.
Me: We were all fairly focussed to be fair.
Nell: And that’s when Sally screamed so we all ran towards her.
Me: It was shocking.
Nell: Apparently a wild Beefy had attacked her but it had gone by the time we got there.
Me: And so had the Cornish Yarg.
Nell: Yes. We only took our eyes off it for a moment but it was long enough for it to be taken.
Me: But it wasn’t only the Cornish Yarg.
Nell: No. It was Henry too. He had bravely positioned himself on the outside of the cheese. It’s wrapped in nettles so a woodlouse is easily camouflaged.
Me: Poor darling Henry.
Nell: Until we know differently Henry is just missing not lost.
Me: You are right. Sorry.
