A Visit From The Hudson Bay Company | Barkskins

[door opening] [exhales] Francis, there is an Englishman waiting for you. These tables are no good. No good at all. He is from the Hudson Bay Company. I gave Lafarge exact measurements. A table that will not tilt or list. That is all I ask for, a proper table, but this--

We will deal with the table at the proper time. There is a man. He is wanting--

I said not now, Mathilde. You have ruined my refinement. Now what will we do? We don't have money for these refinements, Francis! It is the floor that is tilt, not the table. I advised against green wood planks, but did you heed my advice? No. Everything here is poor and broken and made wrong. Even this. It is no use. These are unrefined tables to serve unrefined food for unrefined men. That is our business, Francis.

[footsteps approaching] A minute is a minute, not five.

My apologies. My husband and I were just--

Discussing refinements.

After a room?

HAMISH: Aye. Two, actually. He is my equal and will be treated as such. I have the other guests to consider. I wish to be civil in all enterprises, but I will not be denied a proper room for my co-equal, Yvon. Though he can speak for himself.

YVON: Aye. He is deadly with that book. I am not his equal in that.

My apologies. We will ready the rooms. Thank you.

Mathilde Geffard.

Aye, Mathilde. I wish to know about a recent guest in your inn. My husband keeps very careful records of all the guests.

HAMISH: Well, then. I am looking for a Mr. Randall Cross.

That name is not familiar to me.

HAMISH: He was an agent for the Hudson Bay Company. His correspondence indicate that he was a guest at your inn. He describes the food as adequate, though he did have a few words of praise for the prune tart. Exceptional, he wrote.

It can be, on occasion. We would like to see the room Mr. Cross stayed in.

Well, first I must check to see if he was a guest.

Francis--

Stay out of this.

Aye, Mr. Cross was a guest. He stayed in the Rose Suite. He left us some time ago.

I just wanted to make sure before--

I am sure. These men do not have time for games, Francis.