Nell: Who are those other dogs in the distance?
Me: Maya the fluffy Golden Retriever and Elsie the Chocolate Labrador who’s in love with Dave.
Nell: I thought so.
Me: They’re Dave and Harriet’s best friends. They spent the whole walk hoping to see them and they finally did on their way home.
Nell: They seem very happy to see each other.
Me: They are. It’s really sweet. It warms my heart to see them all together.
Nell: I hope David is behaving himself. He’ll have Sally to answer to otherwise.
Me: He’s extremely well behaved and respectful, Nell. Darling Big Brave Beautiful Boy.
Nell: Good to hear. It’s easy to lead a young animal astray.
Me: You can’t blame Elsie for falling for him. He is exceptionally handsome.
Nell: As long as she realises it is just friendship.
Me: She does. Don’t worry. I think it’s lovely that Dave and Harriet have friends in the village.
Nell: I suppose so.
Me: There’s no need to feel jealous. Nobody could ever replace you.
Nell: Of course not. The mere idea. I’m irreplaceable.
Me: You are.
Nell: Moving on, the Weather Guardians tell me it’s going to be getting a lot colder.
Me: It is November.
Nell: So you’re going to have to start wearing a warm hat.
Me: I know I am.
Nell: You suffer terribly from earache in cold weather.
Me: I’ve got my all-encasing hat somewhere. Dave chewed the front off but it still works.
Nell: Good grief. Don’t wear that horrible old thing.
Me: It keeps me nice and warm and I can go incognito if I need to do any spying.
Nell: There’s nothing incognito about that awful hat and you could never be a spy.
Me: I think I could.
Nell: Absolutely not.
Me: Sorry.
