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“Take another look,” Mr Blake said. The young man rested back on his elbows on the grass, prompting Marcus to do the same as he lifted the sketch with one hand for them both to see. It was a landscape view of Hyde Park with the people walking through, only it was quite a comical look at the place. “I particularly like the young lady with the feather in her hair, and the blackbird that is trying to nest in it.”
“That is based on something I did actually see,” Marcus said, laughing under his breath.
“I also like the lady who is scared of walking in puddles, lifting her skirt out of the way.” Mr Blake pointed to the sketch. “Yes, it is quite an accurate depiction of the ridiculousness of it all.”
The words caught Marcus’ ear and made him look to Mr Blake in surprise. It was just how he saw the world, and he was quite startled to see that there was a like-minded fellow out there. Someone who saw all the frivolities and nonsense in the same light.
“Where exactly is Somerset House?” Mr Blake asked, going back to their original subject.
“About a half an hours’ walk.” Marcus didn’t want to leave this young man’s side. It was so long since he had found anyone who would laugh at his jests so freely or think as he did, that he found an invitation falling from his lips before he had realised it was out there. “We could go to see it now?”
Mr Blake whipped his head round sharply to look at him, before groaning in pain and lifting a hand to his neck.
“Cricked your neck?” Marcus asked knowingly.
“Indeed!” Mr Blake made a point of wincing.
“I guess I took you by surprise.”
“A little, but….” Mr Blake paused and looked to his valet before turning back to Marcus with a smile. “Let’s go.”
Marcus smiled and jumped to his feet, collecting the sketchbooks and the pencils as he went.
“You do not have anywhere else to be then?” Marcus asked as Mr Blake stood to his feet too and placed his hands in his pockets.
“Not in the slightest, I’m pleased to say.” As Mr Blake fell into step beside Marcus, with the valet following, his smile grew wider. “I associate London with freedom, my lord. Freedom to do as we wish to do. If I should like to go to Somerset House, then why shouldn’t I?”
“I envy you that feeling of freedom.”
“Do you not have it?” Mr Blake asked in surprise.
“I am merely…borrowing that feeling for a time,” Marcus said, confessing the truth. “I will have it for the next week, anyway.” After that, he knew that freedom would vanish again when he had to return home.
“Well, one week of freedom is better than none, I suppose,” Mr Blake said with a spring in his step. “How will I know in Somerset House what are the finer painters and which ones are thought ill of? My own personal taste could be against the consensus!”
“Ha! I’ll teach you what others say, but I for one, welcome your opinion as much as theirs.” Marcus smiled at Mr Blake as they walked toward Somerset House, rather liking the idea of taking Mr Blake under his wing.
