Les Huit Jours du Petit Marquis; Carlos et Cornélius

In the heat of a sweltering June Sunday, a young French marquis finds himself stranded in the fog‑laden streets of 1793 London. Fresh from a perilous crossing of the Channel, he wanders Pall Mall and the Thames, haunted by memories of Paris and Versailles while trying to make sense of the bustling, unfamiliar city that now shelters him. His thoughts drift between the grim realities of the French Revolution and the uneasy calm of his English exile, as he counts the eight days he has allotted himself to wait for a chance to return home.

Through his eyes the novel paints a vivid portrait of a nation in turmoil, juxtaposing the aristocratic melancholy of a displaced noble with the gritty, bustling life of London’s taverns and markets. As he grapples with loneliness, dwindling funds, and the strange kindness of strangers, the marquis must decide whether to cling to hope or surrender to the uncertain future that lies ahead.