Frederica began, smiling at Morehouse. “The others tell me you were something of a buccaneer in your day.” “Well, I suppose I was for a time,” he admitted, a hint of pride showing in his voice. “My usefulness, in the government’s opinion, was attacking French East India Company ships. It drove the company out of business in seventeen sixty-nine. As a reward, I was offered the position of lieutenant on a British East India Company vessel with the promise of working my way up to captain, but I turned it down.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Now there was a magnificent ship—a British East Indiaman. Lord of the Ocean. It couldn’t outrun a pirate ship, mind you, but it took care of itself with heavy arms.” Anthony was wide-eyed. “It sounds awesome—what an adventure! How come you turned it down?” “It was dangerous enough. But adventure? Back and forth, back and forth, officer cabins furnished like a fancy house, crews with scurvy, dysentery, and the likes of me chasing after them.”
