“Damned Yankee pirates!” Shapland stomped into the drawing room, swearing. “They’ve captured more of my ships!”
“How many ships?” Kate lowered her mirror and pushed Leah away. “Not now, Leah. Leave us.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Leah curtseyed and withdrew from the room, closing the door behind her.
“Four at the last count,” Shapland said. “Only one damned privateer, and he captured Britannia’s Reign as well. I paid a lot of money for that Letter-of-Marque. I may as well have tossed a hundred guineas into the Thames for all the good she did me!”
Britannia’s ReignKate stood up. “One privateer, you said. What was her name?”
“It was Abraham Hargreaves again, in Liberty’s Revenge.” Shapland crumpled a document and threw it on the floor. “That’s seven of my ships he’s captured. If he carries on like t
