The Best Offer Page #6

They need interpretation.

They're starting bids.

- There'll be higher bids later.

- Suppose there aren't!

Unlikely, but in that case,

we'll even things out.

We'll raise the margins

on other pieces.

A gamble? Where I'm the

only one that can lose?

You're trying to cheat me.

It's all to your advantage.

You're a f***ing thief!

I'm willing to resign the

commission forthwith.

Huh!

I'll have them replace all your

mediocre bric-a-brac immediately.

And do me the favor of

disappearing completely

from the face of the earth!

1984, Sir.

- Hello.

- I behaved so badly.

I feel so stupid. I constantly

have to offer justifications.

I've never been given

flowers before.

I don't know what

this says to me.

There's no need for this display of

anguish. I'm not angry with you.

My birthdays have always

been so horrible.

And you... Since

you came along...

you've turned my

life upside down.

The other day, I

went downstairs.

I opened the main door and

looked out onto the garden.

- Did you go out?

- No.

I was afraid.

I felt terrible.

But I never even got

that far before.

Do you want me to come over?

I already know it's pointless.

There are new treatments

nowadays. They might help you.

I'd rather talk to you

than to some shrink.

- Should I take that as a compliment?

- Yes.

I see you brought up the

portrait of the dancer.

- It's something I want to keep.

- No great value.

It's a portrait of my mother.

She was about my age

when she had it done.

Do you look like her?

- She was prettier, I can assure you.

- I cannot judge.

Alright, Claire. I'll go.

Don't hesitate to call if

you need anything at all.

Thank you, Mr. Oldman.

See you soon, I hope.

Hello? Oh, it's you, director.

No, I would've called

you, it's just that...

clearing the furniture

has been complicated.

Yes. Oldman is dealing with it.

What's he like? Not as

old as you might think.

He dresses in an odd way, but

he's still a good-looking man.

I know I can trust him.

Why? Are you jealous?

In love? No, I don't think so.

He's too put off by my

illness, like everybody.

Oh no, it's nothing. I...

I hurt my foot.

Can we talk later?

Who is it?

Who's there?

No, get out! No,

please, get out!

Go away! Get out!

Get out! Please, leave me alone!

Get out!

Get out!

- Hello?

- Please, help me, please.

Calm down, Claire.

What's happened?

You have to help me! Help me!

- I'll be there as soon as I can.

- Please.

Claire!

- It's me. I'm here. What's happened?

- There's somebody in the house!

- Please get them out!

- Calm down. There's nobody here.

- There's someone in the house!

- Calm down.

It was me before, Claire.

It was me.

It was me.

I hid in the room

so I could see you.

You were spying on me?

You were spying on me?

Get out!

I want nothing more to

do with you! Get out!

Please, Virgil. Don't go.

Believe me, I don't normally

behave like this...

Neither do I.

So I'm bound to make

some mistakes...

but nothing in the world would

make me want to hurt you.

It's just that I

can't help myself.

I need to see you.

You should've seen her.

Pale, like a Durer etching.

She had the look of some creature

terrified of the universe.

And I could read my own

terror in her eyes.

Every man on earth would like to be

as terrified as you at this moment.

- You've worked a miracle.

- It's too soon to tell.

And you be careful, alright?

This is when mistakes occur.

When you think you've made it,

that is when you lose strategy.

- And what strategy would that be?

- Never stop surprising them.

Do things they couldn't have

foreseen. Take a gamble, run a risk.

You're asking me to behave

in a way that isn't me.

That's why you have to do it.

As long as you're playing

according to her rules,

you're always gonna make her

feel like... like a patient.

She needs to be

treated like a woman.

What do you think?

Do you like it?

I don't know.

What do you think?

It looks marvelous

on you, Claire.

Perhaps the smaller size?

Yes. I think so too.

It's been a long time since

I got a present like this.

- Long overdue, don't you think?

- I don't know.

I'm a little, you

know, taken a back.

- I'm sorry, I can't...

- What?

Oh, certainly.

I'm sorry. I

didn't understand.

I don't honestly know

if I deserve all this.

Let me be the judge of that.

If we don't set a date for

the Stockholm auction,

they'll shoot themselves.

It's too far. Let them

shoot themselves.

We have to schedule the

meeting with the Hermitage

and the auctions in San

Francisco and Madrid.

Ditto. Too far away.

- We can't abandon them.

- There are auctioneers galore.

They'll find someone else

and it will cost them less.

As you wish.

Lambert, are you married?

Yes. Nearly 30 years.

What's it like,

living with a woman?

Like taking part in an auction.

You never know if yours

will be the best offer.

- This one.

- Very well, Sir.

What do you think? Have

I made myself pretty?

- Beautiful. You've done very well.

- Liar.

- Claire.

- I haven't done this for years.

I've forgotten how to do it.

I look like a monster.

Trust me. Some practice

and you'll be wonderful.

And you'll take me to

one of your auctions,

and to galas with

elegant people,

and to the most refined

restaurants in the world.

That's the reason for your

presents, isn't it, Virgil?

To help me recover little by

little, and then take me out.

Isn't that right?

No!

Claire. Don't be like this.

Let's talk.

Maybe we did get the last moves

wrong. I was a bit rash.

Don't blame yourself.

It's always her who manages

to pull everything apart.

Robert. My aunt's

gone missing again.

- You're kidding.

- Pardon me.

- We found her in Central Park.

- I'm sorry, Terry.

It was no good trying

to reset this thing.

It was much more easy

just to make a new one.

This one has a much wider range.

She can go off and you

won't lose touch.

Just make sure you

reprogram the PC, okay?

I can manage that.

You're an Angel.

- Thanks, darling.

- No worries.

- I'll see you tomorrow night, yeah?

- Yeah.

You need an idea that'll excite her

but at the same time reassure her.

Yes, but she'll still see through

it as some deceitful therapy.

- You should invite her to dinner.

- Yes! Noma in Copenhagen!

At the climax of the

evening, by candlelight,

tell her that she's beautiful.

And after you'll

have coffee with us?

Why not?

Joking apart, I'd be glad if you

did see her, hear her talk.

I'm sure you'd understand

far more than I.

Who said anything about joking?

129,403.

Your champagne.

- Thank you.

- Calculate this.

12,624,831.333.

Unbelievable!

You're radiant, Claire.

You did all this?

I can turn my hand to

interior decorating.

You've done a wonderful

job, Virgil. Thank you.

I can't tell you how long I've

wanted to spend time alone with you.

Somewhere quiet, far

from the madding crowd.

To your serenity, Claire.

To your irony, Virgil.

- Now I feel I can finally tell you.

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