Unspoken Request

The headlights of my car swept across the damp gravel of the sprawling driveway, cutting through the thick mist of the midnight chill. Frost clung to the manicured hedges flanking the estate, and the silence of the grounds was heavy, broken only by the low rumble of the engine as I eased the vehicle to a halt before the main entrance. I cut the ignition, exhausted down to my bones after sixteen ho