"Well then, I should enjoy seeing them very much," said Tristan with a smile. Nothing prevented him from spending time around the artist and enjoying some beautiful views.

He downed the rest of his tea and stood up. "If you've finished your tea, we could have a look at the study and you can decide whether it will do for the portrait. Dinner should be ready soon, but there's some time."

With a nod, Douglas stood up with an easy graceful move to follow the doctor.  "I set aside the evening to visit here so I am in no hurry."  He was looking forward to the project.  When he enjoyed spending time with the subject and became friendly, it was all the more pleasureful.   The doctor was a handsome man.  As an artist, Douglas noticed these things, or at least the characteristics that drew his eye be it male or female, old or young, healthy or sick,  or rich or poor.

Tristan turned and smiled at Douglas. "Very well. This way." He led Douglas across the landing and into the study. It was a small room, with only space for a desk, two chairs on either side, a book case, and some plants, but the two large windows, looking out on the street side made it look somewhat bigger.

Unlike the rather empty book case in the drawing room, the one in here was filled with books in English, Italian, French and German on medicine, insanity, lunacy, the human body, and other medical topics. One section in the corner was covered with little doors. Tristan had considered it wiser to hide away the books on the more delicate topics intended not intended for a wider audience.

"Here we are. How would this do?"

Douglas looked around and then moved to stand from a different angle, and then one other location.  Coming back to the door, he nodded already sketching it in his mind as he looked around with a focused expression. 

"Yes, this is good.  I could do a few options for you to have behind you, and then have you sitting on the ledge of the desk looking out at me or perhaps you standing there with the window and books behind you."  He paused and thought a bit before adding another option, "Or you sitting behind the desk with the books and window behind you."  He thought any would be appropriate.  It would be determined by Tristan's choice, of course.

He thought for a moment. He liked the idea of standing by the window with a book, but then he realized that that would involve holding up a book for at least several hours, and that idea was less inviting. His mother would probably dislike the informality of him leaning against the desk, and all of this was to please his mother. "Perhaps sitting down..." he said, and he sat down behind the desk and tried to pull a stern portrait like face. "How is this?" he asked.

With a serious gaze as Douglas looked at the view, he nodded.  "I could capture some of the bookshelves and some of the windows behind you.  I think a book open there in front of you on the desk and perhaps some paper and a nice pen?"  He suggested, moving over to pick up a random book to open it to set in front of Tristan so show him what he was thinking.  He made it more at an angle as he had perhaps been looking at it to write something down on paper in front of him. 

"Maybe the pen in your hand.  Or hands folding in front of it like you just laid it down on the paper when someone came in to talk to you."  There were quite a few portraits in that kind of position that Douglas had liked.

Tristan tried the different positions that Douglas indicated. Then he began to laugh, because they all felt so unnatural. "You'll make me look more accomplished than I am. My mother shall be delighted. Where were you all my life?" He put his hand under his chin and pretended to think deeply.

With each pose, Tristan seemed uncomfortable.   At the question, Douglas laughed.  "Likely out with paint and a canvas or being bored as 'ell at a society event that I could name avoid."  He tilted his head and gave the man a look.   "Actually right there like that is really good.  With your hand there under your chin with that expression."  He nodded moving around the room to look at the scene and nodded all over again.  "Yes, that is perfect.  You look like I would want a doctor looking when pondering a problem I might have."  It was an attractive look for the doctor as well, if he were into men, that was.

Tristan held the pose, but couldn't help a chuckle. "A very dramatic doctor that would be, if you ask me. But very well, if it impresses you, it should impress my dear mother." He relaxed the pose and stood up and leaned his hip against the desk. "How about the room itself?" He had ordered it, put all the books back on the shelves or in the 'safe space' behind the door, and had had Pippa clean it for the first time. "Some books on the desk? Or keep it like this?"

"Well, you are a doctor and you seemed to want it to look professional and official.  I think it is a good look for you."  He shrugged.  He liked more casual and relaxed settings, but this was to be a portrait.   Then he looked at the books again. 

"I think, for the artistic eye, I think picking two or three books on the desk.  I know you are more interested in what is in the books, but for this, the color is what I am thinking of.  I think a red, a brighter blue, and maybe a green one on the front corner most away from you but the binding clear to be in view.  Perhaps two closed and the third one open and propped over the other two so you could see it if you were to be writing notes."

He went closer to the bookshelves and looked at the titles for the first time, really looking at them.  "So, you are more into the mental state of the mind.  Interesting."  He gave the doctor a look.  He had been a patient to one or two of the military mental doctors when he got so ill.  A raised brow went up.  "I thought the doctors that do that were born old men and had bushy eyebrows and glasses that made you feel like you were an insect."  He said with the tone of someone that had not a good experience with such doctors.

"Maybe you haven't been in that area of study long enough to look that way."  He joked then looked at the shelf.  He was curious.  "This is an interesting addition to a bookshelf."  He indicated that closed off area.