It was as if they had agreed, prior to this meeting, to gang up on him. Why was Emrys even asking for his opinion if he was going to swoon over that naked shepherd?

Truth be told, Christobal preferred the painting with the shepherd and that was the reason why he was so against it. He couldn't admit to liking a painting, unless it was one of those famous ones that everyone liked. Even with those, though, he felt as though he was in direct competition.

"Yes, but they are wrestling," Christobal argued lightly. He wouldn't let that shepherd painting win. "That is far more masculine than this dandy with his William out. And-" He pointed at the shepherd's head with the end of his pipe. "His head is bigger than it ought to be, compared to the rest of the body."

That was true. Christobal wouldn't usually care about such small things, but he didn't want Emrys to go for that painting. He didn't want to be on the losing side of the argument.