She walked elegantly out of the waves. I tried to guess her age and put her at about thirty five. She led me up the beach and into the dunes beyond. W...e came across a house in the dunes; it was of an unusual construction, being made completely of wood with a veranda that looked out to sea. Almost an old colonial bungalow in sunny Cornwall. She led me up to the door and took me inside. She let go of my hand and left me in the hallway. A few minutes later she appeared with a towel drying her. A trebuchet would only be useful against a fixed target like a castle wall. Or, a fixed location like a mountain pass or a particular location on a road. Or, a restricted shipping channel.A large arrow-engine would be easy to build. The only issue would be the spring, but we could use steel for the spring on an arrow-engine. It was just a larger crossbow. Or, since it wasn’t going to be portable and it didn’t matter how heavy it was, we could make the spring out of wood.I wasn’t so sure I could. She had teased me throughout the years for not taking enough chances and risks, which was ironic, since one of those risks probably would have led to me going after her. Although she clearly liked me as a person, I know she didn’t think much of me sexually, probably as a result of how calm and decent I always presented around her. But, this was going to give me the chance to finally show her what I had, even if the memory would be only mine. There wasn’t a perfect moment to go back to. There. ‘My father does not associate with criminals.’ ‘I was a gentleman once, would you believe, Kitty. Or what your vapid society would term as such. I found your genteel stock to be a worse nest of vipers than the roughest band of ocean brigands. I prefer the rugged honesty of piracy to the cultivated hypocrisy of the ton.’ ‘How could a gentleman become a pirate?’ wondered Kitty, captivated by Prince’s revelation despite herself. ‘A lifestyle of debauched pleasure-seeking, leading to debts, leading.