Douglas lifted the nearly finished glass.  "Quite lovely.  It is good with the beef.  Sae, good choice."  He finished the plate before himself and leaned back sipping a bit more of the beverage. 

He thought a bit more about what the doctor had said.  "Yu said something aboot naive youthful wishes and 'ow should settle down with practice.  What wood yu rather being doing?  Still working with the asylum?  Or what woold yu be doing if you could dae anything?"  He asked curiously.

He knew he was lucky that he was doing what he loved to do.  His art and traveling around finding other artists that might not have that opportunity if he didn't assist them gave him joy and happiness.  There were responsibilities with his rank that were less joyful, but other than his dark moments (sometimes days) were the only real problems he had now.  His trusted staff kept an eye on him when he had a hard spot, so he had not done damage to anyone or himself recently.

Tristan smiled when Douglas praised the wine. He ate and drank slower than the earl, but he held out the bottle to top up his friend's glass.

"Hmmm... Well, if I could do anything, I would want to visit the Continent and travel around. But workwise, I would have liked to do research. I've had my hypotheses while at university, and my work in the asylum has only deepened them, but I could find neither the funding nor the supervisor for it." And to think that those had been his ideas under a cover of a more general line of research that could pass the test of 'propriety'. "I do some study and a little writing in my private time, though, so I suppose I haven't given up entirely."

Starting in on the vegetables, Douglas raised a brow.  "Traveling is easy, next time I make a tour for a showing of my work, yu shoold gae with me.  I cannae guarantee I will be the best company, as I often find someplace to paint and work for hours at a time.  Though yu woold be able tae explore on yur own.  I am expecting tae dae another trip tae New York next year, and later that year another trip tae Germany."  He offered without any hesitation as he took a bite of the roasted potato. 

"I 'ave tae attend some social events when I gae tae these trips, and they can be a bore."  He thought of some in the past that were also full of parents of single daughters that would love to catch an earl.  "Some I avoid, but some I can nae."

"Yu should nae give up on it," he commented with a look at Tristan.  "If it is a dream, hold on tae it."

"As tae the research, the supervisor be like when I was an apprentice?  A master in the topic kind of thing?"  He asked.  "If sae, where would yu find one of those?"  He knew some academicals in London that were always looking for someone to sponsor as he did from time to time.  He tended to look for schools of the arts to sponsor, or particular individuals that had shown quite a talent.  He would not know how to help Tristan in this kind of focus, but he might could help him find someone that could.

Was this happening? Was this man whom he had just so recently met inviting him to travel with him? The idea already spun round in his mind and was elaborated and Tristan felt a blush creep up to his face, though that could be blamed on the wine and the warm food of course. Of course. He grimaced a little at the mention of New York, but let it go, for the bait was too tempting.

He smirked and sat back a little, looking at the earl. "I get the impression you'd bring me to shelter you from the young ladies," he teased. "Very well, I could settle for that deal, though I doubt I could protect you from all wandering eyes."

"As for the research, yes, it would be a professor in my field at university, who would help me set up and structure my research and advise me. But they are very busy and have to like you and your research, and then it has to please the boards and get funding and all that. I'm beginning to think it's better to do it in my private time. Gives me more freedom." And the possibility to publish anonymously.

Douglas chuckled.  "I willnae deny there might be some of that tae my reasoning."  He was honest.  "But 'aving someone tae visit with along the way and see things with a new viewpoint, is a good thing tae.  Besides I think my valet and butler would think I was less likely to go into one of my 'moods' if I had more friends around."  He admitted, the alcohol loosing up his words than normal, as he rarely spoke of what he called his dark moods.

He took another bite.  "Sae, plan on it."  He went on.  "I will let yu know when the dates for each are, and if yu are wanting to join me."  When Tristan spoke of feeling more about researching on his own, he nodded.  "I can respect that.  I prefer to paint or scult on my own.  It isn't exactly the same thing as what yu dae, but I can understand the feeling of it, I think."

Tristan wondered what the artist meant by his 'moods'. Perhaps he was melancholic. That would suit his profession. Perhaps the butler and valet referred to sullen moods. "Very well..." he said with a smile. "I will be your chaperone and personal doctor in one," he raised his glass to that idea and drank.

Oh dear. He was starting to feel it a little, and they hadn't even reached the whiskey yet. He quickly ate the last of his beef. "In all fairness, I think those young ladies cannot be blamed. Wealth, fame, a title, talent, and good looks. I'm sure they can't help it."

Douglas gave a shrug and waved off those descriptions.   He didn't see himself such a great get.  The title, he understood.  The rest, not so much, anyone with the title would draw the interest, he figured.  He put down his fork after taking a bite of the vegetable. 

"It isnae so much the ones that are interested in the title that bothers me as much as those that willnae leave it be.  The mothers and fathers pestering me about this daughter of theirs skills and talents and beauty.   I make it clear that I am nae oot tae find a wife to bring in a house full of little earls."  He leaned back on the chairback.  "I have some distant cousins that will be glad if I never marry or have even a single child this side or the other side of a wedding."  He paused thinking of the two that were next in line.

"Actually, I wouldn't sae like them taking over the property and the people that take care of it and the people that depend on the land."  He frowned.  "But tae marry some boring woman just tae 'ave an heir, is nae in me."

Tristan drank his wine as he listened to the earl with interest, with great interest. He sat back and studied the artist. Perhaps the man had been speaking ambiguously before after all. "Do you intend never to marry, then?" he asked.

Douglas waved his hands before him as if maybe, maybe not.  "I think it should be for love and nae for just an heir.  Should I fall in love and the lass is one that I would want to share a life with, then aye, I would marry.  Other than that, there are lovely lasses that dinna require a ring nor the title tae have the other things a man might want of a lass."  He grinned.  Then he looked to his now empty glass and indicated bottle, so he could pour some more.

"The lass would also need tae have a strong 'eart tae 'andle when I 'ave a 'mood'.  I would nae want a delicate lass tae 'ave tae deal with that."  He frowned thinking it would take quite a special lady to handle when he had a dark spell.  Sometimes it took both the butler and the valet to calm him down.

That reply disappointed him, and Tristan downed his wine for compensation. He refilled Douglas' glass and his own. The second part of the answer somewhat pleased him. "A more masculine type of lass then?" was quick to comment. He looked at his glass. Shut up, Tristan.