It took only a little while to make the arrangements they required for the wedding. Even the wedding rings were able to be purchased, though quite discretely, from a jeweler who was an associate of Levi's father. With little other work to do while businesses remained closed, the rings were finished within two days. The wedding itself was quite small, with only Bethiah's father and Levi's parents as guests, and they left immediately to begin the four-day's journey to Boston to avoid the need to spend their wedding night at either of their parental homes. In this way they were able to avoid the suspicion that their marriage was something other than the expected, regardless of the conversation Bethiah had already had with her father. Strangers in their travels wouldn't take note of what they did or did not do as a newly married couple, though she knew they would be sharing a bed along the way.

As Bethiah went to step into the carriage Levi's father had hired to take them to Boston, her attention was caught by a figure in the road. It was Mr. Osborn who stood staring at her small party. The expression on his face was not one of a man who was happy to see a wedding party full of joy. It was an expression of hate and anger. She had not realized truly how determined Mr. Osborn had been to marry her. In truth, she could fathom no reason why he had wanted her so very much. There was a city full of eligible girls for him to seek – though not perhaps as many as there had been before the occupation caused many of the families who were considered rebel sympathizers to leave. Many of those who remained were of Tory families. Surely a man with Tory leanings would prefer a wife with similar beliefs.

"What is it?" Levi asked, looking in the direction she was gazing.

"Mr. Osborn," she told him.

"I see he's not quite happy to see you won't be ending your engagement to me to marry him."

Bethiah turned her attention back to the carriage. "It's no matter to me. I told him many times that I would not break off the arrangement with you. If he did not accept it, that is not my doing."

She turned her mind away from Mr. Osborn as they settled into their seats. Her father appeared at the door and reached for her hand. She gripped his firmly and smiled.

"I expect you to write," he told her, and she noted that his smile was offset by the glisten in his eyes.

"I will," she promised. "And I will visit when I can."

He nodded. "I'll expect you."

Bethiah leaned close to kiss his cheek, then released his hand. He stepped away from the carriage and closed the door. She waved to him as the carriage began to rattle down the road, pulled by two fine bay horses that had somehow not been taken by the army. Her father stood at the road and watched the carriage draw away, and she continued to watch him until they rounded a corner and she could no longer see him.

"He could relocate his business to Boston. I imagine there is just as much a need for lawyers there as here."

She turned to Levi, who sat across from her, and smiled sadly. "I don't believe he would move so far from my aunt Maggie. He does much to help her since her husband died."

Levi nodded. "The offer will remain if he ever wishes to move closer to you. Though, he would not be able to stay with us for any long period of time in much comfort. I have been intending to purchase another house, though I haven't had the opportunity to do so yet. Where I live now with Jasper is perhaps a bit small. It's above my shop and office. There are two rooms, the largest of which will be yours and the other is for storage. There is a small room beside the kitchen where I stay with Jasper. My things will need to remain in your room in the event my father visits and decides to tour the space. He is, of course, the one who purchased the house for me and would consider it his right, even if I have nearly repaid him for it. Were your father to stay with us, I'm not certain where he could sleep. There isn't even a sitting room in the house. I hope the arrangement of shared space doesn't burden you."

Bethiah smiled. "I will happily share the space with you."

He took a deep breath. "I'm thankful to hear that. I had hoped to purchase the larger home before bringing you to Boston."

"It's quite all right, Levi," she assured him. "I promise you."

He smiled. "Thank you. We will get a larger house, I simply don't know when yet."

Bethiah wasn't certain how much more clearly she could assure Levi that she didn't care one bit about the size of their house, so she chose to move the conversation to a new topic that she truly wanted to know more about. "Tell me more of your privateer," she requested as they left the city.

He smiled and settled back in his seat, a spark in his eye. "The entire process of privateering, or the aspect of the process I take charge of in Boston?" 

"The entire process," she replied, smiling fondly at him. "I know some of it, but tell me of it all so the information is all connected for me."

He grinned. "Of course. It all begins, at least in this war, with the colony of Massachusetts choosing to allow privately-owned vessels to be fitted out for war. The vessels are permitted to seize those of the enemy, disrupting their trade and the shipment of their supplies."

"It is legal piracy," she observed.

"In its most basic sense," he replied. "Piracy, of course, has no guiding laws and those who engage in it do what they please. Privateer vessels are commanded and guided by the letter of marque and reprisal, which allows them to attack the vessels only of the enemy nation or its allies. Privateers may also address ships carrying flags of neutral countries to determine if they are truly neutral vessels or enemy ones sailing under a false flag to avoid such attacks. Enemy vessels can be seized and their cargoes brought to port to be sold at auction. The money earned from the sale of the vessel and its cargo is divided among the owners of the privateer and its crew, after the court expenses have been paid. The courts must rule that the prize is a legal one before the cargo and other items, including the vessel itself, can be sold. For that they require the prize master's testimony and documents that prove the ship was an enemy vessel."

"What of the crew of the captured vessels?" Bethiah questioned.

"They are often allowed to do as they please once they reach Boston, in the case of merchant ships. They may plead their case and be awarded some money to assist them in returning home, though I'm not truly certain what becomes of them. Until they reach Boston they are held as prisoners on the prize ships. In the case of Captain Dunn and the Scot, they are treated with quite a significant amount of respect and kindness. In the rare instance of military prisoners, they are guarded more thoroughly and remain prisoners when they arrive in Boston."

"Privateers also seek to take enemy naval vessels then, not only merchant ships?"

"The main purpose, of course, is to disrupt trade by taking merchant vessels," he replied, nodding. "The Royal Navy has greater resources at its disposal when it comes to waging war at sea. To engage a navy vessel in combat would be treacherous for a small privateer. Though, a small supply vessel or a ship blown off course and away from its fleet might be worth taking. Military prisoners would be taken and brought to Boston as they could be exchanged for American prisoners, and military supplies are ever needed by the army."

Bethiah was thoughtful for a moment. It all seemed a very detailed process. "What happens if the Scot takes a cargo that is perishable and is unable to return to Boston for any reason?"

Levi's expression became conspiratorial. "I have several contacts in many areas of the world who will purchase the cargo outright, without the process of a court to hinder the sale. Of course, it is something to be done infrequently, but Captain Dunn has a very detailed list of the people to locate in nearly any part of the world, if need be. Many of the contacts are closer to being friends to my father than to me, as they are his smuggling contacts, but they have assured me they will ever be interested in any cargo I could provide."

Bethiah laughed. "And that is piracy."

He waved his hand as if to brush her comment away. "Merely a break in formality, as I see it. If the progress of the war results in an inability to access the harbor of Boston, the captain and crew still must be paid for their work, and therefore they must be permitted to sell their prizes elsewhere. These contacts have always been good to my family in the past. Captain Dunn knows the best ways to ensure every exchange is completed discretely and without too much fuss. Any marks on crates or barrels would be destroyed before the cargo is sold. If too many questions are asked, he will not sell."

"You truly have learned much about moving goods illegally," she observed, amused.

"The legal business far surpasses the illegal," Levi assured her. "The Scot has yet to see its cargo sold anywhere else, as Captain Dunn would have brought me a receipt with my share of the income. The man is a good one who would not sell and keep all the money to himself, I believe. As for my smuggling contacts, even those are but a handful. My legitimate trading interests have taken a decline due to the war, but a privateer is a legitimate business, as well, and the Scot has been doing quite well despite the ever-increasing number of other privateers on the sea. I hear France is fitting out its own privateers now that they have joined the war. I've also heard British and its allied shipping is traveling in tighter fleets now, with more ships of war to guard them. That has not prevented slower merchant ships from being picked off from the fleets, however. Perhaps ships and crews are intimidated by the Scot. That was, indeed, why Captain Dunn chose her."

"Tell me more of the ship, then."

Levi sighed, almost in a lovestruck way, Bethiah thought with a chuckle. "She's the grandest privateer there ever was. Captain Dunn was able to secure a frigate directly from the Royal Navy. She's perhaps not the fastest of the privateers, but he keeps her light and trimmed for speed as well as possible. She's quite a bit larger than nearly any merchant vessel, and she mounts twenty-six guns of various weights. Armed merchant vessels have much fewer guns, at times as few as eight, though I believe they've all started to mount more as the war has gone on and privateers have begun to fill the sea."

"That is a formidable ship," Bethiah agreed, quite impressed. "I hope to see it."

"When it next arrives in Boston I will certainly have you see it," Levi assured her. "To see it in the harbor fills myself with pride, and much of Boston is quite proud of her, as well. She brings in many goods the people of the city want but are unable to purchase due to the restrictions on trade. When she arrives, even with simple household goods and nothing too luxurious, the people of Boston know they will be able to have goods from England and her allies, but that those goods were rightfully stolen."

Bethiah smiled. "It does sound quite rebellious. But how did Captain Dunn acquire the ship from the navy?"

Levi shrugged. "He stole it."

She laughed. "Do tell me how, please."

He laughed, as well. "Captain Dunn knew a British lieutenant on the ship, and that lieutenant was in command of the ship at the time. He permitted the taking of it by Captain Dunn. I believe the circumstances were such that the size of the crew was greatly reduced and even the usual commanding officer was away from the ship, but nonetheless it is a remarkable feat."

"How did you come to know Captain Dunn?" Bethiah asked.

"I had learned of him, or his family, rather, from my father," Levi explained. "My father had employed his father as one of his smugglers for some time, and in the war with France he was captain of a privateer my father supported. The senior Captain Dunn unfortunately died a few years ago, but his son was interested in the offer of an arrangement. Before visiting the Nantucket area to locate him I had enquired about the possible employment of any Captain Dunn, and had learned of the younger whaling captain who also appeared on my father's copy of the crew list from the previous privateer. I was comfortable offering the arrangement to him knowing he had some experience on a privateer. In truth, we are the third generation of Finley-Dunn partnerships. My grandfather also partnered with his in an older smuggling business."

"You are friends then?" she questioned.

Levi thought for a moment. "We are friendlier than mere business partners, but I'm not certain he would consider us friends. He does appear to be an honest and good man, I will attest to that. I'm happy to have formed our business agreement."

"I suppose you hope the war lasts a very long time, then."

"I wouldn't go so far as that," he replied. "It is doing much to disrupt honest trade, and even the smuggling business. The repeated concerns over what city the British will seek to occupy next is tiring. It may be possible for them to seek control over Boston once more. In such a case, I would be in danger for supporting privateering. In the minds of many of our enemy the privateers are engaging in piracy. There is the possibility of Captain Dunn and the Scot being captured if they run afoul of a Royal Navy fleet. Surely that will not end well for any involved, as the Scot is a stolen navy vessel. Yet, I will embrace it for as long as we are safe and the Scot continues to return to Boston with excellent prizes. And so long as there are those with the means to purchase those prizes. As the war continues, many may lose that ability. War is expensive."

Bethiah nodded thoughtfully. "Of course there is the possibility as well that we will lose the war. It's likely more possible for us to win with the support of the French now, but the British may very well still end the war victoriously."

They were quiet for a moment as the coach rattled along the road. Bethiah looked out the window to watch the countryside roll by. After a moment she asked, "What will you do when the war does end? Surely you will need to dissolve the partnership with Captain Dunn as there is no place for privateering in peacetime. Assuming the conclusion of the war favors us and we don't all become prisoners in a British jail for treason." She kept her tone light. She supposed, as frightening as the prospect may be, she would be in good company.

"I prefer to believe the war will conclude in our favor," Levi assured her. "As for what I will do, I'm not certain. Perhaps Captain Dunn would like to become a merchantman captain, or a smuggler. If he wishes to do neither, we will part company then."

Bethiah nodded. "I hope to meet him when next he's in Boston."

"And so you shall," Levi promised.