Marcus felt a sudden chill run down his spine. The chill had nothing to do with the morning air.
He gulped inwardly.
A wave of pure fear crashed over him. He suddenly remembered the terrifying reason for his journey.
He had been summoned. The letter had been a demand, not a request.
'Require your presence promptly. Do not delay.'
Those words echoed in Marcus's mind like a death sentence.
And he had delayed. He had delayed for days. He had arrived looking like a bloody vagrant.
Marcus stood frozen on the steps. His mind began to race with terrifying possibilities.
He started to fantasize about the things that might happen to him inside those walls.
His brain presented him with a horrific menu of noble punishments.
At best, he could be banished.
He imagined his father standing in his study. The Viscount would strip him of his title and cast him out of the Aldridge family forever.
