Me: Nigel is keeping very close to Harriet. He refuses to leave her side.
Nell: There’s a reason for that.
Me: I thought he’d got over his crush on her.
Nell: He has.
Me: And Dorothy has forgiven him, hasn’t she?
Nell: Yes. They’re friends again. Dorothy is wise enough to know crushes are dreadful things. One almost loses one’s mind.
Me: So, what’s the reason for Nigel being so clingy?
Nell: Nigel knows Harriet will protect him.
Me: Protect him from what? Not Dave? He’s gone to work at the beach. The surfers love a Beefy Bacon Bap in the morning.
Nell: No, it’s not David.
Me: I mean I know Dave is a little bit rude and defiant at the moment but he would never hurt anyone.
Nell: If I tell you, you must agree not to laugh because the fear is real.
Me: Now you have to tell me.
Nell: Nigel is afraid of Maud.
Me: Maud? The name rings a bell. Is she a Labrador?
Nell: No. She’s a grandmother clock.
Me: The one Kev saved and brought home to mend?
Nell: Yes. He put her in the living room and Nigel doesn’t like her.
Me: Does he know she’s just a clock?
Nell: We’ve tried to tell him, but he’s still afraid.
Me: He took against the Stuffed Tiger. Do you remember when he tried to bite its leg?
Nell: That’s completely different. The Stuffed Tiger is not to be trusted. It’s lazy and sly.
Me: It’s stuffed.
Nell: Nigel thinks Maud is watching him.
Me: She’s a clock.
Nell: Clocks have faces.
Me: But no eyes. She’s an object.
Nell: Some would say your car is an object, but you still call him George and talk to him every day.
Me: That’s true. Sorry.
