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"Isn’t it twice as dangerous to attack hardened pirates?" She had finished the haotten what an appetite she had: the way she was able to eat a grown ain an ounce

"It was rather like being a lossy lips "Once we identified the target, generally because theyup the skull and crossbones, we took thely "What were the most difficult ships to defeat?"

"Slave ships," he said without hesitation

"Slave ships? Pirates are slave dealers?" Herto work Sooner or later he’d find hiain

"Pirates take over slave ships," he said, taking a deep breath "Because the booty is human, they don’t simply transfer the slaves to their own ship Instead they transfer some crew over to the slave ship, who sail it to a port where the cargo can be converted into cash We attacked any vessel we could identify as a known slave ship, pirate or no"

Theo’s mouth was a thin, hard line now, and she put down her half-eaten tart "Absolutely reprehensible Revolting I hate the whole business It’s a criland in abolishing the trade"

"I agree"

Her eyes lit with alad to hear that, because the Duke of Ashbrook, or rather his estate, has supported efforts toin them Sad to say, it has cost us hundreds of pounds in bribes"

Ja to say "Theo"--he used that name deliberately--"I can see hoell you’ve run this household But can you tell et that sorry excuse for an estate to the point where we could spare hundreds of pounds even for the best of all causes?"

"I began with the weavers," she said, s theured fabrics that are so hard to find these days?"

"Yes, but as I recall Reede was unsure that the looms would be able to create such cos I did was let Reede go," Theo said, without apology "And it was only partially because of that mess with your father and uts for it, Jauts do you " Theo picked up her tart again, and began telling him the story of how she discovered that the weavers at Ryburn Weavers were all wo to talk to the weavers about colors, you understand, James Florentine blue is a very hard color to achieve, for example If anted to create proper copies of Medici fabrics, we had to create it Reede couldn’t stomach it"

"Couldn’t stoo," Theo said, a spark of mischief in her eyes "Instead, I put one of the weavers, a redoubtable woe It was one of the save Reede apoplexy"

"What was so wonderful about Mrs Alcorn?"

"Well, for one thing, she arranged for a looled?"

"We were unable to make shot silk It turned out she had a cousin, who had a friend, who had a French brotherbefore I knew it, we had just the right loom"