“Aye, I noticed.”
“I want them tae take ye seriously. Tae see how devoted ye are tae me.”
He patted my hand. “I would like that as well.” He looked around the gallery. “You know what I love about this century, Mairead? Everything is real. The wood is real, the fire is real, the wine.” He lifted his cup and considered it. “Thewine is aggressively real. Even the conversation is real. In our time everything has beenoptimizedand I find I prefer the unoptimized version.”
I laughed. “What on earth are ye on about, Wilfrey? The wine is ‘aggressively’ real? We hae much better wine in the kingdom.”
“We have spoken about more real things, here tonight, than I have in years.”
“Ye are confusing ‘real’ with things that are troublesome. There is a difference. I canna believe ye prefer this,” I waved my hand around, “tae our lives in the twenty-third century.”
He raised his glass. “1710 is the finest year I have ever visited and I intend to enjoy every moment of it, even the troublesome parts. I will think of them as ‘real’ if I want.”
“Fine, enjoy it. Ye dinna hae tae grow up here, ye daena ken how bad it could be.”
He teased, “When was that, a century ago, time has changed.”
I batted his arm.
“I was looking forward tae seeing the look on Magnus’s face when I told him that he was going tae be producing yer next film.”
Wilfred chuckled. “You promised me that I did not have to be in the room when you told him. I thought I would be staging a Hall Play, entertaining him with my sword fighting skills so he would be inspired to pay for my films.”
“He will nae be impressed by yer fancy stage fighting, tis a far cry from real sword fighting.”
“I know, but he might admire the flourishes. When he fought in the arena he seemed to have a good eye for the theatrical.”
“Twas tae the death, his theatrics could hae gotten him killed.”
“Yes, but it helped him win over the subjects of his kingdom. I do not know, Mairead, I think he would like my play, I wish Icould have put it on. I brought all my theatrical makeup and a wig. ”
I rolled my eyes.“Whether he does or nae, ye must be sitting beside him when I tell him that I hae approved yer project, so ye can look him right in the eye. He will bluster about it but then he will forgive me and relent. He is a good son.”
I looked down at my wine. “What ought I tae do about Lizbeth?”
He shook his head. “I do not know, Mairead, but it is just a move, she will feel better once she is in the castle at Riaghalbane.”
I frowned. “She has the look in her eyes that I hae seen on women in my past who are going tae take tae their beds and never recover. I am concerned about her wellbeing.”
He put a hand on my ankle, comfortingly. “Perhaps you could let her stay?”
“Nae, the reasons for her tae leave are too great. Tis verra complicated.”
“Recount them to me again, while I am here it will be less abstract.”
“Here she is her uncle’s household manager. There she will be the sister of a king, likely a duchess, her husband will be a duke, her sons will be in line for the title.”
Wilfred raised his brow and nodded. “That would be a great benefit.”
“Our kingdom is also verra wealthy and we hae modern medicine and many more comforts. She wouldna hae tae fear famine or pestilence anymore. She would want for nothing.”
“All good reasons.”
“And I would prefer not tae see my brother again, it vexes me tae hae tae do it.”
Wilfred said, “That is reason enough.”
My eyes traveled around the room. “Ye ken, Wilfred, most of this art is mine?”
