Vincent was stirred from his sleep by the sound of a gentle knocking on his bedroom door. Bleary-eyed he threw back the covers, making sure his movement did not disturb Corinne, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed before making his way towards the bedroom door.
Much to his annoyance, there followed a louder, more insistent knock, before he managed to reach the handle. Vincent resisted the temptation to call out to whomever was causing the racket for fear that he might disturb his wife, so instead he merely took a longer stride so that he would reach the door sooner.
Turning the handle, Vincent flung open the door, only to find one of his younger servants standing outside, looking almost petrified for having disturbed his master.
“I beg your pardon, your lordship,” the young man
