Sebastian concurred with a grunt.
A moment elapsed, then Sebastian looked at Drake. “That brings us back to your earlier supposition. Idealistic young men are notoriously easy to recruit and also to mislead—for instance, by someone who thinks like you. Or your father.”
Drake swallowed a mouthful of wine. “There aren’t, thank God, that many people in this world who think like His Grace.” He quietly added, “It would be frightening if there were.”
Antonia looked from one to the other. “Frightening or not, time, gentlemen, is getting on, and we have ten barrels of gunpowder that are presumably somewhere in London, in the hands of unknown plotters whose intentions we can’t begin to guess. So what are we going to do?”
Drake looked at her, then looked at Sebastian and straightened in his chair. He set down his goblet. “Aptly put.” He drummed the fingers of one hand on the table, then said, “I suggest we leave aside the question of exactly who is behind this, at least for now. Given that the only real use for ten barrels of gunpowder is to blow something up, the more pressing questions facing us are”—he raised his hands and ticked off each point on his fingers—“what are they planning to blow up, when, and where is the gunpowder now?”
“Arguably the most pertinent of those questions as of this moment,” Sebastian said, “is how long we have before they act. How long do we have to stop them?”
“That,” Antonia put in, “and how are we to approach answering Drake’s three excellent and very pressing questions?”
All three of them looked from one to the other. Silence reigned, deep enough for them to hear the ticking of the long-case clock in the corner.
Then Drake grimaced. “I fear I’m not at my best at this moment, and, I suspect, neither are you. Despite the likely urgency, making decisions in a fuzzy-headed state is never wise.” He glanced at the clock. “It’s almost midnight. I suggest we reconvene tomorrow, after we’ve all had a decent night’s sleep.”
“An excellent idea.” Sebastian pushed back his chair.
“Motion carried.” Antonia waited until Sebastian and Drake rose, and Sebastian pulled out her chair.
As she got to her feet, Drake said, “We can meet here again—the parents are at Elveden, and my brothers will be out, so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”
Sebastian and Antonia nodded. With Drake, they walked slowly into the front hall, where Hamilton was hovering.
They strolled up the black-and-white tiles and halted before the front door. Hamilton retrieved their coats and Antonia’s bonnet; after he’d assisted her to don her cloak, Antonia left him to help Sebastian while she turned to a large mirror and adjusted her bonnet.
When they were ready, Drake, who had been studying the floor, swung to face them, an amused light in his golden eyes. “As I take it you two have parents to see, arrangements to discuss, and announcements to make”—his smug expression made it clear that, without any word of it passing their lips, he’d guessed their intentions—“and I need to catch up on rather a lot of sleep, shall we say two o’clock?”
By ton schedules, that was still early in the day.
Antonia arched a haughty brow. “Two o’clock will suit admirably.” She nodded to Hamilton, and he opened the door. With a dismissive, “Goodnight, Drake,” she walked briskly out onto the porch.
Sebastian grinned, and he and Drake followed.
Drake halted on the threshold.
About to follow Antonia onto the porch, Sebastian halted and, curious, met Drake’s eyes. “Aren’t you going to wish us well?”
The light wasn’t strong, but he would have sworn Drake faintly colored.
Drake glanced at Antonia, who was waiting, one brow arched expectantly, for his reply, then he looked back at Sebastian. “I would—I do.” He looked uneasy—an odd look for Drake. “Except”—he grimaced—“once you make your announcement…” He met Sebastian’s gaze. “I’m older than you.”
Sebastian laughed and clapped Drake on the shoulder; he exchanged an amused look with Antonia, then murmured to Drake, “Perhaps it’s time you faced the music, too.”
Drake’s expression turned genuinely horrified. “Thank you, but no.” His features set, and he reached out and seized the door.
As, chuckling, Sebastian walked onto the porch, joining Antonia, Drake stepped back and firmly shut the door behind them.
Antonia laughed softly. She looped her arm in Sebastian’s, and together, they descended the steps to the pavement. A wide smile on her lips, she murmured, “Poor Drake.”