JAMES. They’re like the waves of the sea. A tide rising and beating on our backs.

DAISY and RAMSAY enter, each carrying something.

What do you want!?

They stop dead, look at each other, look at JAMES.

RAMSAY. Your wine?

DAISY. You wanted some white cheese.

JAMES. No, I tell you what I want, I want to be left alone.

They look at each other again and then move to exit. DAISY exits, RAMSAY waits, pointedly holding the door for MARGARET. After a moment JAMES notices him.

What do you want, Ramsay!

RAMSAY (looking pointedly at MARGARET). Sorry… you said you wanted to be alone.

JAMES. Piss off, you stupid little prick!

RAMSAY exits, angry.

Come back to Edinburgh.

A beat.

MARGARET. Will you change?

JAMES. Don’t be stupid.

A beat.

MARGARET. It’s all about choices, James.

JAMES (bitter again). Is it? Is it really? And I’ve had so many of those, haven’t I? I don’t remember choosing to marry you, Margaret, do you remember choosing to marry me? I’ll just go and live in Tuscany, shall I? Make a wee pilgrimage to Rome and never come back. It’s not like I’m imprisoned on the throne of Scotland or anything, is it!?

(Points at the mirror.) Happy birthday, darling. Now you can watch your life slipping away moment by tedious moment.

You see this is when I need the choir! We need beauty we can rely on! Music. Food and drink.

I asked for wine and cheese, where the fuck are my wine and cheese?

He heads for the exit, shouting.

Ramsay!

Where’s my bloody choir!?

He exits.

MARGARET uncovers the mirror and looks at herself again.

JAMIE enters.

He comes to see what she’s doing.

He laughs in delight. He touches his own reflection.

He pulls faces, tries to startle his reflection.

JAMIE. Is that me?

MARGARET. Yes.

JAMIE stops clowning for a moment, just studying his reflection, taking it in.

JAMIE. I look like him. My father.

MARGARET (kisses him). You’re lucky, you’re going to break hearts.

Will you see him this time? He’s only gone to his rooms.

JAMIE. Did he ask to see me?

Her silence answers him. He turns away from the mirror.

MARGARET. Promise me. Say it.

JAMIE (sulky). He’s still my father. I’ll forgive him.

MARGARET. Good, now will you bring me my jewellery box?

He pulls it over. It’s big.

MARGARET is considering her reflection. She is wearing a lot of lavish jewellery.

She takes off a necklace. Then she’s pulling off more jewellery from her wrists, hair.

All these lovely things I had made to brighten the long winters. All the jewels.

She gives them all to him and looks at herself with nothing. Jamie… I thought I needed jewels. I thought they were my flowers.

JAMIE. Flowers?