Desmond held her hand gently. The warmth of his touch, nesting her hand in his, always made her feel secure. He always brought her back to her peaceful place. A place where, no matter how tough things became, her spirit could gently come to rest. She needed to stay in this place now.
There is terrible storm outside. A dove, no a pidgeon is flying through the shrieiking wind and bullets of rain. Poor thing, it has nowhere to go, no shelter. Wait, it is flying towards the gate. It has found an opening in the small tower above the gate. There you go sweet bird, she says to herself. Now you are safe. Stay inside and waitout this storm. Keep the walls wrapped around you until this storm has passed.
Stepania Hornley awoke to find little changed in her stark, London hospital room . Where is Desmond? She thought, looking about her room in a panic. But as her eyes adjusted she slowly focused on the generic print of a manor house somewhere in Normandy or Brittany hanging on the
wall. She smiled to herself and remembered that Desmond was not here. He was not anywhere other than in her dreams, faithfully waiting her return.
He had not been here for many years, she thought. Not since death separated them in that terrible accident nearly twenty years ago in France.
She was sleeping more now, as the doctor's said she would. After all the cocktail of merciful medications, was keeping the dogs of her cancer pain on a tight leash. Letting her fly and visit Desmond more frequently. This was a good thing, actually a very good thing she thought. When she would take the final flight, no one was sure. She hoped it would only be soon.
Just then her physician, Dr. Doocot, came into the room smiling. He asked while reading her chart, "and how is my favorite patient today?"
"About the same, but sleeping more" she said. "Well that is to be expected Stephania. But tell me, how is your pain?" She shrugged "about the same". "Well then, let me see what we can do to make you more comfortable. We will increase the dosages a bit and let's see how that works for you."
She smiled and thanked him, thinking to herself works for me, a little more and I'll be out of this place for good. Smiling she said to Dr.Doocot, "tell me Dr. I've been staring at that painting and thinking I know that place. But I just can't remember. Are you familiar with it?"
Dr. Doocot turned to his right and said "actually yes I do recognize it, it's the Colombier at Manoir d'Ango near Dieppe in Normandy, it's quite famous." I've been there. A lovely place for holiday. Stephania said, "I see, do you know why there are all those little doors on top of the gate tower? The ones where the birds seems to be going in and out."
Dr. Doocot smiled and said "I believe that is called the dovecote. It's a place where the owner would keep doves or pidgeons protected from predators and the weather. Inside it is very quiet and peaceful for the birds. At one time they were a sign of wealth. Smiling at her he said, "my surname is actually the word the Scots use for a dovecoat." "
Drifting off again to sleep Stephania smiled and thought "protected from the outside, peaceful on the inside". I always wanted a dovecote.
Note: This is in response to a writing challenge offering a bonus character in search of a novel. The offer: She has always wanted to have a dovecote, but doesn't know what they are: Stepania Hornley
