‘Love rules the court, the camp, the grove, and men below, and the saints above, for love is heaven, and heaven is love.’ ~ Walter Scott. @racheldeering.bsky.social here for the rest of a Scottish #BookWormSat 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Painting of woman looking down at a dove perched on her hand. Her hair is up with a patterned red headpiece adorned with a veil. She wears a Renaissance-styled dress with deep-blue outer sleeves contrasting with a muted rose-and-gold under-dress with an ornate, lace-trimmed collar. Her left hand is raised to her chest, holding a freshly received, folded paper love letter. Nestled near her hand is a deep red rose pinned to her collar. A delicate red thread or string loops from her hand down across her dress, connecting her directly to the messenger dove and the embroidery frame on the lower left. The woman stands next to an open window. Her right hand extends outward and holds a white dove that has carried the message to her. Her position bridges the interior room with a classical landscape stretching along the river outside.