Restoration Page #3

most profitably and pleasurably,

leaving me no moment

in which to write to you.

All day l am thick

in the affairs of state,

yet l manage to employ

my medical knowledge--

especially in anatomy--

in the services of the King,

who's particularly fond

of my trick of farting at will.

l am Aeolius,

King of the Winds !

- [ Flatulence ]

- [ All Laughing ]

That my dear departed father

could see me now,

for the King shows me

a flattering affection...

that stems, l suspect,

from my ability to amuse him.

[ Laughing ]

[ Giggling ]

Our physician

has become our fool.

What do you make

of the preparations, Merivel ?

Oh, sir. Most wondrous, Sire !

What is it for ?

- A wedding.

- Ohh !

- A most lavish affair !

- Yes.

- Who's to be married ?

- Celia Clemence.

Um... l understood

she was your mistress.

Then you understood

right, Merivel.

That is generosity indeed.

Merivel, let me explain.

Celia Clemence's

presence in my bed...

continues to be necessity.

So, too, does that of my grand amour,

Barbara Castlemaine.

But her tantrums on the

subject of Miss Clemence...

are making me edgy.

So... Miss Clemence

is to be married...

and seemingly dispatched

out of London with her husband,

while, in fact, l secret her

near the river in Kew,

the better to sport

with her unobserved.

[ Laughing ]

[ King ]

And for her husband, l need a man...

who is far too enamored

of women in general...

to make the mistake of

loving one in particular.

Ah ! Again, a most superior

aspect of the plan.

And whom has Your Majesty chosen

for this particular honor ?

Yes, in fact l've decided that you

should be the one to marry her, Merivel.

Marry, Your Majesty ?

''Marry Merivel.'' The phrase

is very pretty to my ear.

But, Sire,

l do not wish to marry--

l'm not asking you to wish it.

l'm asking you to do it.

Merivel, have l not done you

very many favors in the past ?

Yes, Sire,

many favors, but--

- Voila. You owe me

at least one in return.

- [ Whispering ]

l shall, of course,

reward you for it.

Make you a knight, give you

a most agreeable estate in Suffolk...

- and my second best bed.

- l would prefer to stay at court.

No, no.

You will go to Suffolk...

and you will make something

of the house.

And, perhaps,

if the time is right,

we shall favor you

with a visit.

- Aye. [ Panting ]

- Go now.

Only remember this, Merivel:

lf she's over there with you,

there will be no intimacy

of any kind between you.

Though she is your wife,

she is yours in name only.

You are to be

a paper bridegroom.

- [ Chuckling ]

- Voila, mademoiselle.

[ Speaking French ]

Un, deux,

troix.

- [ French ]

- [ Grunts ]

[ Reading ]

''Sir Robert Merivel, Bidnold.''

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