The quiet calm atmosphere of the household was suddenly broken by a series of sharp, firm knocks pounding against the front door.
A young housemaid, who had been carefully dusting the legs of a side table near the foyer, set down her polishing cloth and hurried across the wide marble floor. She reached out with both hands, lifted the latch, and pulled the door inward.
Standing outside on the wide stone porch was Lieutenant Kade.
His military uniform was clean and properly fitted, but his entire posture carried the weight of extreme emotional exhaustion and long, sleepless nights. Dark shadows hung low beneath his tired eyes, and his jaw was clamped tight as if he were bracing his body to receive the same news of Damon still being unconscious. Without waiting to be formally invited inside, Kade crossed the stone threshold, his leather riding boots clicking loudly against the polished floorboards.
