In the England of James I, it is better to keep one's own counsel, especially when the Gunpowder Plot is afoot. Lady Elizabeth Cary has been invited for a stay at Baynards Castle by her friend and mentor Countess Mary Herbert. The two are attending a play at the Globe when Countess Mary's son Philip appears and tells his mother of the plot against the king. When the play ends, Countess Mary's party returns to Baynard's, where all await news of...