Greetings Ekaterina,
The fat brown bear that lives down in Oberon’s Wood has been stuffing himself as he’s come out of hibernating; he’s even been snuffling around the back door to the kitchens, hoping for leftovers from some of the feasting we’ve been doing here.
Hamish the hedgehog is done hibernating. Did you know that hedgehogs hibernate? Well, they do. Of course Hamish doesn’t have to burrow into the damp ground like common hedgehogs. He has a nice little blue velvet bed in a hidden corner of my Library, where the Several Annies can keep an eye on him over the winter, but now he’s ambling through the Library looking for tasty treats to consume.
As you know, I like hiding too, and I’ve found the best spot. Even in my office with the door closed and the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign up, there are interruptions — someone wants me to approve a book for ordering for the Library, a staffer bounces in from the mailroom to show me the latest publisher catalogs, even the brownies trying their best to be unobtrusive while cleaning. Sometimes I just want to get away from it all with a book and a mug of Earl Grey.
When nobody’s looking, I go back to what everyone thinks this is a broom closet. Well, it is a broom closet, but look, there’s another door in here, and on the other side: privacy. Blessed privacy. I’m not sure what this room was originally, but I suspect that long ago it was another priest hole.
I’m not even sure that the Several Annies know it’s here which is fine as I’ve got it just the way I like it. There isn’t any room for an extra person, anyway. Just one overstuffed comfy chair, a small table, and an old fashioned reading lamp. Sometimes I can hear the kitchen staff talking through the air vents, but for the most part my little nook is quiet and peaceful. So I curl up with my newest novel and spend some hours here.
Sometimes I even get a few hours of napping there…
Love Iain
