Noel was up before the house.
He dressed quickly in the grey light of early morning, wearing a dark coat, white shirt, black trousers — and was at the writing desk with his journal open by the time the first birds started outside the window. He wrote for twenty minutes, adding to his notes from the day before, and then closed the notebook and sat back, listening to the house.
It was still and quiet. Arthur was somewhere in it, asleep.
A knock at his door. Two light taps.
He opened it.
Cedric was already dressed — dark coat, gloves on, bag in hand, looking at Noel.
Noel looked at him.
He looked at his gloves.
He thought about last night and his face went warm immediately and he turned away from the door.
"Give me a minute," he said.
---
Bennett was waiting in the carriage outside.
He was leaning against the door with his hat on and a folded notepad under his arm, and when he saw them coming down the front steps he grinned.
