Merivel is given an estate named Bidnold in Norfolk, and Celia is installed in a house in Kew, where the King can visit her secretly. This is done purely to fool the king's other mistress Barbara Castlemaine. The King then arranges a marriage of convenience between Merivel and one of his mistresses, Celia Clemence. Merivel's decision not to apply any of the traditional cures of the era leads to the dog recovering naturally, and he is then appointed surgeon to all of the king's dogs. However, later, King Charles II asks Merivel to care for one of his dogs, which is grievously ill. Merivel is asked by his father to visit the King with the aim of continuing their family's connection with the royal family, but Merivel embarrasses both of them with his nervousness. Pearce condemns the sinfulness of Merivel's lifestyle, but Merivel is unaffected by his comments. John is a studious, pious counterpart to Merivel's shallow obsession with status, drinking and eating to excess. The novel tells the story of Robert Merivel, who begins the book as a medical student, studying alongside his serious, practical friend John Pearce. Tremain later wrote a sequel called Merivel: A Man of His Time, published in 2012. The novel is set in the reign of Charles II of England (reigned 1660–1685), and depicts a medical student who gains the king's favour by apparently curing a pet dog owned by the king. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1989 and was the Sunday Express Book of the Year. Restoration is a novel by Rose Tremain, published in 1989.
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