Page 36 (1/2)

"Surely not," Theo said, hating to think it

"The vessel was headed to India, by all accounts, and never heard froed with pirates," Mr Boythorn observed "More than one sailor has told me that it would be a miracle if the Percival escaped an unfortunate fate"

Theo sighed "Cecil, would it be acceptable to you if Mr Boythorn began the proceedings to submit a death in absentia petition to the Lord Chancellor and the House of Lords? If we receive other news in the next month, of course, the petition would be withdrawn immediately"

"Would you prefer to wait another year, my dear?" Was there ever a more reluctant duke than Cecil?

Theo looked at hi the estate, particularly with regard to the weaving and ceramics concerns But I should like to move on with my life I know I’m practically elderly--"

"You are not!" Cecil cried with a satisfying snity in his voice

"But I intend to throw e market after the petition is approved," Theo continued, "and another year would do ood in that respect"

"As it should be," Mr Boythorn intoned solee in the history of the Dukes of Ashbrook Lord Islay was cut off in the prio on"

And with that rattling series of platitudes, the conversation ended

Long live the new duke

Twenty

On board the Poppys

In 1814 the Poppys sailed to India without taking a single ship on the way; they did so rappling with monsoon winds But since they were there, they wandered around until Griffin decided that Sicilian noblewoilded birdcages; he filled the hold with the called curry, so he filled all the birdcages with packages of turnorant enough to try to take them down, so they sunk that ship, dropped off the men on an inhabited island (as was their custom), and sailed on, a pile of e that the Poppys were not the first boats those particular ill-fated pirates had approached

They sold the birdcages in Sicily at an outrageous profit They sent the curry to England, where their e their assets in five countries) reported that it was slow to take on at first, but by the end of three months, it had sold at a neat seventy times the cost

Jack had learned to control his te of his father with equanih men--albeit pirates who had killed hundreds themselves--embezzlement seeuilt beca that he refused to allow to rule his life

And Daisyhe found hi way her eyes had widened when he first touched her breast, not to ht together But he told himself over and over that those were the etting everything to do with his life in England, e included

Then his luck ran out

It was early 1816, and they had just taken down the Groningen, on special request fro used to rob trading vessels Everything ell in hand; the pirate captain had gone to his just reward, and only a fewhard

Jack was about to bellow an offer for surrender when there was a rush of ht, and a pirate came up fast and hard with an open blade