Dear Thea,

I hope my letters are reaching you. They should be headed to the right address. If not…well, we’ll figure it out somehow when I visit you again. 

Speaking of which, I know I’ve left you for a while, and it’s because I’m on the run at the moment.

From criminals, of course.

I know how you feel about thieves and pirates.

I’d been infiltrating some bandits in Bombay as a spy for the British army officers. Unfortunately, I made a slight error on my part by leaving my belongings unattended and they soon found a few documents about my assignment. 

I’m not injured! Don't worry!

I’m merely scarred in a few places, so I will make a speedy recovery. I managed to escape swiftly, as any heroic brother would. (It’s hard not to brag about it, there were more than 10 bandits). 

Besides that, I regret to inform you that I won’t be able to visit you in a few weeks as I had promised. I don’t mean to alarm you, but…I’m currently being held hostage on a pirate ship called 'The Golden Ship'. Not by any fault of my own, it’s simply another assignment that the leading officer has given me. Despite my failure they believed I could still be useful as a spy to weed out criminal activity in the area.

I won’t bore you with the details. I’m not planning on staying here for long, I will return to America as soon as I can! Or am capable of doing, I’m no longer subjecting myself to strict promises, they seem to backfire on me almost instantly. 

Regardless, I wish only the best for you, and give my love to our parents as usual.

Sincerely, 

Lyle Farrows