Me: Have you seen Poppy? Dave says we’ve run out of bacon.
Nell: Poppy is upstairs in your bedroom pouring her heart out to Seamus.
Me: Is she?
Nell: Yes. They’re on the bed and she is telling him all about John and Babycakes Gillespie.
Me: Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?
Nell: She’s making herself out to be completely innocent, of course.
Me: Is she tilting her head and opening her eyes wide?
Nell: Yes. And he’s hanging on her every word and saying ‘Oh dear. You poor little thing.’
Me: She’s probably missing Mutley, Nell. She always used to confide in him.
Nell: How can we have run out of bacon already? I’m going to have to address this at Morning Thoughts.
Me: Must you?
Nell: Yes. We’re discussing Greed with particular reference to David and his Eating by Mistake.
Me: My poor Big Brave Beautiful Boy.
Nell: How can someone eat a whole gammon on the way from the kitchen to the dining room?
Me: I expect he had a little taste and couldn’t stop. He left the pineapple.
Nell: He doesn’t like pineapple.
Me: True.
Nell: Fortunately Poppy had cooked two more for our picnic today.
Me: Picnic?
Nell: I thought a trip to the beach might be nice for our visitors. Our Penguin will be filming. We shall make some memories.
Me: Wonderful. Are John and Babycakes coming too?
Nell: I don’t know but Naughty Nigel has something planned and Gladys and The Cat are involved. I caught them whispering.
Me: Maybe that’s why Boo is wearing sunglasses. He’s incognito.
Nell: Stop getting carried away. Boo is simply recovering from a late night playing poker with the larger animals.
Me: Really?
Nell: Thursday nights are poker nights. Everyone knows that.
Me: I didn’t. Sorry.