Wendy asks for ADVICE

Is husband lain really seeing somebody else?

- Rose Mary

Tell me,' said Wendy. 'Have you ever thought that Tom might, you know, be seeing somebody else?'

For the benefit of new readers, Tom is Mr Dear. Wendy is my friend from the charity shop, and we are strolling through the woods near Chateau Dear with our dogs.

I am in charge of Charlie, who is part spaniel and part bichon frisé (which still sounds to me like a French cheese). Wendy has Jack, a chocolate labrador.

Jack and Charlie are currently chasing a butterfly, and it is my solemn duty to report that the butterfly is getting the upper hand.

You are now bang up to date with the background, so let's return to the burning question of the moment. Have I ever suspected that Mr Dear might, you know, be taking a romantic interest in somebody else?

'Well,' I said. 'There was that time in the late 1980s when I was sure something was going on, but...'

Luckily for the reputation of Mr Dear, the butterfly chose precisely the right moment to dodge behind a tree. Charlie saw the danger coming, but Jack - being a labrador and so unable to think of more than one thing at a time - ran straight into the trunk.