Me: Has anyone seen my pillow?
Nell: No. Has it gone missing?
Me: Yes. It’s the one I use to support my back.
Nell: Are you talking about the downstairs pillow?
Me: Yes.
Nell: Harriet is using it.
Me: What do you mean ‘using it’?
Nell: She’s resting her legs and paws.
Me: Her muddy legs and paws?
Nell: Don’t start. There’s nothing anyone can do at this time of year. Where there’s rain, there’s mud.
Me: But preferably not on my pillow.
Nell: Harriet’s tired. She was up late zooming Sally.
Me: Why?
Nell: I think we can expect a visit soon.
Me: Dave will be delighted.
Nell: Yes. He misses Sally dreadfully.
Me: I’m afraid missing people is part of life at the moment.
Nell: We’re certainly all going to miss Captain Sir Tom.
Me: Such a wonderful man. An example of the good in people.
Nell: He will live on in our hearts as a Guardian of us all.
Me: Yes.
Nell: Now, Terry is due here soon to take some of Poppy’s shortbread over to Pamela. Is there anything you need collecting from the town?
Me: No. I’m fine thank you. Have you told Susan yet?
Nell: No. Terry says he would prefer to tell her himself. It’s more complicated than we thought.
Me: I suppose it’s not every day you find out you have a half brother. Especially one who is a Beefy.
Nell: Or even two.
Me: Two?
Nell: You remember Squawk?
Me: The horribly rude Beefy with a ring through his beak who wore Dorothy’s scarf and threw a mackerel at her?
Nell: Yes. That one. Well, it turns out that he and Terry are twins.
Me: But that means he’s Susan’s half brother too.
Nell: Sherlock Martin strikes again.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
