The Best Offer Page #8

A 17th-century

Fassadenschranke wardrobe

in walnut, Maple, oak and ash.

The carved frame surmounts

an inlaid stripe,

and two doors engraved

with architectural motifs,

surrounded by carvings of fruit.

Three spiraled, tapered

columns flank the doors.

The lower body has two drawers.

And um...

There's nothing for it

but to call the police.

It'll be all over the papers.

They'll drag me into it.

Let's wait a bit longer.

What do you hope will happen?

That she'll come back...

or turn up.

Or they'll find

out where she is.

Someone with her problems doesn't

just disappear into thin air.

Well, that depends.

No matter how deeply

rooted it is,

sometimes a phobia can

just disappear by itself.

So, why did she run away?

Maybe something

happened between you

that drove her to take

that kind of decision.

You know perfectly well

that's impossible.

You're the only person

who knows everything

that happened between us.

Excuse me a minute.

- Hello?

- I'm sorry, Mr. Oldman.

I've called all the

publishers in existence

but none of them

knows who she is.

They said that often

even they don't know

the identity of authors

who use pseudonyms.

I'd never have guessed that you

would have ended up

in a mess like this.

- I don't know how I can help you.

- All you had to do was listen.

Ah.

Considering the lady's illness,

it seems highly unrealistic

that she's just run away.

I'd say, I don't know, she'd

been abducted or something.

That's not likely. I don't

think she had any enemies.

It could be somebody became

so besotted with her

and carried her off by force.

- But who?

- I've had my doubts about Robert.

The young guy?

The way you describe him,

he doesn't seem the type.

From the literary point of

view, he fits the bill.

The young knight

rescuing the damsel

from the clutches of the

old man incapable of love.

Literature, exactly.

Don't go overboard, Virgil.

She could have had her own

reasons for disappearing.

I can't imagine what reasons.

Recently, she's been experiencing

emotions and feelings

that are incompatible

with flight.

I wouldn't be so

sure, if I were you.

Human emotions are

like works of art.

They can be forged.

They seem just like the original,

but they're a forgery.

- Forgery?

- Everything can be faked, Virgil.

Joy, pain, hate.

Illness, recovery.

Even love.

- Hello?

- Listen.

There's something that

hadn't occurred to us.

Are you sure there are no other

secret rooms in the villa?

I don't remember

any other doors

like the one to Miss

lbbetson's room.

Claire!

The only place we haven't looked

at is the attic... if you want?

Did you know that Miss

Claire was a writer?

I heard her parents

talk about it.

She used a pseudonym

for her books.

I never knew that. I've

never seen the books.

She never wanted them here.

Claire!

We're wasting time. There

are no other secret rooms.

You've come back.

- We should...

- Quiet!

You've...

You've come back.

You've...

You've come back.

You've... Claire?

Claire, I can feel you're there.

Answer me.

You've come back.

- You've come back.

- Of course I have.

Were you afraid I wouldn't?

I thought you'd abandoned me.

- Like last time.

- Last time?

When we got back from Prague.

Claire.

I will never abandon you.

I'd been happy in Prague in

that very odd restaurant.

I was there with my first

and only boyfriend.

He was older than me.

When we got back

from that excursion,

one afternoon, we were

walking in the city Centre.

A car crashed into us.

When I came to, he

wasn't there anymore.

I went back home and I

never went out again.

I've never slept with a woman.

In fact, I didn't close my eyes.

I spent the whole night

just looking at her.

- It was wonderful.

- Well, welcome to the grown-up club.

You've succeeded in

making her fall in love.

I had a good teacher.

I understood where

the dwarf hid.

Look, there must have been

a sunken pedestal here.

He would crouch in there

and his voice would

reverberate in the body.

It must have made an impression.

Do you think love can be faked?

In keeping with what you

say about art forgeries,

I'd say it can't be

completely faked.

If one could say love

is a work of art.

It'd be amazing if it

were, wouldn't it?

It could be sold

off at an auction.

The highest bidder could relive

the greatest love stories.

I hope I haven't destroyed

your love story.

No problem. No problem.

A new valve, two

hinges, one fuse...

It'll be good as new.

Just like the first day.

What do you think

you're going to do now?

I want to coax her out.

Yeah, I wouldn't push

too hard if I were you.

She's too fragile.

You'll see. When you least expect it,

things will fall into place naturally.

No!

Hello? Hello?

Virgil? Virgil, is that you?

Virgil! Virgil!

Virgil?

Help! Help!

- Hold it up!

- It is up!

Why don't you love it?

I've never felt it to be a

real home. More like a hotel.

You come home a night,

sleep if you can.

Next morning, you're

off somewhere else.

Let's go back inside.

Seems to have been planned

to welcome a lot of people.

Yes, but the plan

was never realized.

Except for the

inaugural reception.

I was so distrustful

of other people

that I kept them away from the

perimeter of my personal hotel.

I was a fool.

Even now, I still get upset

when I see the housekeeper

and the maids walking about.

After dinner, I send them home.

I wasn't wrong when I said

we were very similar.

Yes, you were right.

And thanks to you, I understood.

- Where are you taking me?

- You'll soon find out.

Close your eyes. I'll tell

you when you can open them.

Don't be afraid.

I'll lead the way.

I never liked games where

you had to close your eyes.

- Mind the step.

- Gently, please.

We're almost there.

Stop now.

Open your eyes.

I don't believe it.

It's overwhelming.

I've been collecting

them all my life.

So, I'm not the first. You

have had other women.

Yes.

I've loved them all and

they loved me back.

They taught me to wait for you.

And now that you're here,

we'd like you to come

and live with us

and make this beautiful

hotel your home.

Oh, Virgil.

If anything should

ever happen to us,

I want you to know

that I do love you.

I love you too.

The catalogue for the sale of

the paintings and furniture

of Ibbetson Villa is ready.

Congratulations. It's a

lovely volume. About time!

I wonder who'll buy this

wonderful stuff... Oh, sorry.

I can't conceal my anxiety to

know what you think about it.

Well, don't you like it?

No, it's just that...

ever since I decided to

come and live with you...

I've been thinking I...

don't want to sell anymore.

I'd like to leave

everything the way it was.

I understand.

Are you sure?

Believe me, if I were you,

I'd do the same thing.

Tomorrow, everything will

be back in it's place.

Alright, Virgil!

To the most tortured and most

fortunate catalogue of my career.

That's saying something.

- Here, here.

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