Me: Nigel is doing it now.
Nell: Doing what?
Me: Looking out for snakes. I can see he’s scared. Is that dreadful guest speaker snake slithering around somewhere?
Nell: Sally says Cicely Sissinghurst is seldom seen on a Saturday.
Me: Is she busy selling seashells on the seashore?
Nell: Why bring shells into this?
Me: Never mind.
Nell: Saturdays are Cicely’s Sundays.
Me: Does she sing songs followed by a roast dinner?
Nell: No. Saturday is her day of rest.
Me: How does Sally know all this?
Nell: Sally is head of MI5. It’s her business to know everything.
Me: I’d like to be the head of the Secret Service.
Nell: Here we go.
Me: I’d wear a long trench coat, a beret and dark glasses.
Nell: It’s the Secret Service, not the French Resistance.
Me: And on cold days I’d wear my all-encasing hat.
Nell: You most certainly wouldn’t. David chewed the front of it, for a start.
Me: A chewed hat doesn’t matter if you can carry it off with panache.
Nell: Good grief. Could we get back to reality?Beauregard has asked if he, Roary and Mrs King could stay with us tonight.
Me: Why?
Nell: Henry and Horst have reason to believe there are snakes resting in the Tree House.
Me: And you’re telling me this now?
Nell: I didn’t have the chance before.
Me: I thought Sally said Cicely seldom strays on a Saturday.
Nell: Cicely is seldom seen but she’s certainly not a solitary slitherer.
Me: Not a solitary slitherer? Does that mean there are more?
Nell: All I can say is keep your eyes open for any suspicious slithering.
Me: I’m keeping my eyes firmly shut, thank you.
Nell: Just get off the table, please. You look ridiculous up there.
Me: I can’t. Sorry.
