Me: It’s far too cold for June.
Nell: I know. I had to wear one of Knitwear Wolf’s soft cardigans at Book Club yesterday evening.
Me: Wasn’t it too big? Rupert’s a lot larger than you.
Nell: It wasn’t actually his. He gave it to me from his knitwear line.
Me: Of course. Silly me. He’s such a thoughtful wolf.
Nell: Frau Hoffmann would agree. She never stops singing his praises.
Me: He’s certainly charmed the socks off her.
Nell: She doesn’t wear socks. Only slippers.
Me: It’s just a saying.
Nell: He gave her a lovely woollen blanket. Socks would have been useful, but quite wrong as a welcome present.
Me: Never mind. You enjoyed your walk by the river, didn’t you?
Nell: Yes. I take my time nowadays but I get there.
Me: Everything is so wonderfully lush and green at the moment.
Nell: It is.
Me: The estate agents’ photographer is coming this afternoon to take some new photos of the house and garden, so we’re all going to have to keep out of the way.
Nell: Why? I would have thought we’d be a selling point.
Me: Not everyone likes dogs, Nell. We want the house to appeal to as many people as possible.
Nell: What about bears?
Me: Bears, too.
Nell: People love bears.
Me: Not in the house.
Nell: The llamas aren’t going to want to move.
Me: Actually, the llamas are fine to stay in the field with the sheep.
Nell: I beg your pardon? Since when were llamas and sheep acceptable and Labradors and bears not?
Me: You’d probably be fine in the field, too.
Nell: If you think I’m leaving my comfortable yellow chair to wander about a muddy field with a herd of llamas, you can think again.
Me: Sorry.
