Returning safely to England after the dramatic capture of Martinique, Richard Bolitho finds an all too brief respite in the arms of his mistress, Lady Catherine Somervell. But new conflict arises as France forges an alliance with America and threatens the safety of British trade routes. Ordered to the Indian Ocean, Bolitho’s thoughts dwell on his—and the Navy’s—past. Both Nelson and Collingwood died in their country’s service—what would be the fate of the Navy’s newest Admiral?