Nell: I need to talk to you about chairs.
Me: I know what this is about. I saw your face yesterday when Nigel sat in the yellow chair.
Nell: The yellow chair is not for everyone.
Me: Nigel isn’t everyone. He’s your cousin.
Nell: Animals with blotted copybooks should not be allowed to sit in chairs.
Me: Nigel’s awfully sorry about the Stealing and Growling.
Nell: I expect Charlotte was extremely disappointed in him.
Me: She had a word with him about the Growling but mostly she was relieved he wasn’t really unwell after eating things he shouldn’t have eaten.
Nell: Talking of eating things you shouldn’t, David ate a bowl of trifle for breakfast.
Me: I know about that, too. Dave was taste testing for Herr Hoffmann.
Nell: Trifle is not meant to be eaten for breakfast.
Me: I agree, but it’s nearly Christmas and people eat funny things at funny times during the holidays.
Nell: I hope Herr Hoffmann didn’t add any sherry. David has a council meeting later this morning and he’ll be of no use to anyone.
Me: No. It was definitely sherryless.
Nell: I prefer my sherry in a small glass.
Me: Sherry always reminds me of my mother and grandmother. They both loved a glass of sherry after church and before our Sunday roast.
Nell: Happy memories.
Me: Yes. In the car on the way home from church my grandmother would share a bar of chocolate with us girls. Only one piece each, but I can still taste its deliciousness.
Nell: I can’t see a strawberry jam sandwich without thinking of afternoon tea with our dear departed Queen. She ate them every day. They were cut into circles and called Jam Pennies.
Me: Crusts off?
Nell: Of course. Queens don’t eat crusts.
Me: Sorry.
