Me: Tell me again what happened when Sally arrived. I can’t believe I missed it.
Nell: Neither can I. Where were you?
Me: I had an idea for a story so I nipped upstairs to write it down.
Nell: I’ve told you to carry a notebook with you at all times.
Me: I know. I forgot.
Nell: Anyway, David had just started helping himself to a roast potato when the doorbell rang.
Me: As planned.
Nell: Yes. Rupert answered it and called out ‘Parcel for David Martin’.
Me: How exciting. I wonder what it was.
Nell: It was Sally. Good grief. Do keep up.
Me: Was she inside a big box with a ribbon on the top?
Nell: Certainly not.
Me: Was she dressed as a post person?
Nell: No, she was simply her beautiful self waiting for David at the door.
Me: Quite right.
Nell: David asked if he could finish his roast potato first and we all said ‘No’ so he went to the door.
Me: And what happened then?
Nell: We heard a triumphant bark and then ‘Hello Davey’.
Me: How romantic.
Nell: The next thing we knew he was running around the table. He must have gone round six times before he calmed down.
Me: Darling Big Brave Beautiful Boy. He loves his Sally so much.
Nell: They’ve been inseparable ever since. He hasn’t left her side.
Me: He’s going to have to if she’s got secret meetings with Harriet, Henry and Horst.
Nell: Yes she was trying to explain that to him at breakfast but he wasn’t listening. He even asked Poppy to cut Sally’s buttered toast into heart shapes.
Me: And did she?
Nell: Absolutely not. Poppy doesn’t do romance. Sally had soldiers with her boiled egg like everyone else.
Me: Of course. Sorry.
