Stephanie Laurens - Lord Of The Privateers

Dearne, Marchioness of, Letitia – Christian’s wife

Warnefleet, Jack, Lord – ex-member of the Bastion Club, ex-operative of Dalziel’s

Warnefleet, Lady Clarice – Jack, Lord Warnefleet’s wife

Trentham, Earl of – ex-member of the Bastion Club, ex-operative of Dalziel’s

Hendon, Jack, Lord – owner of Hendon Shipping, ex-operative, ex-army

Hendon, Kit (Katherine), Lady – Jack, Lord Hendon’s wife

Carstairs, Major Rafe – army officer, covert liaison, involved in Black Cobra incident

Delborough, Colonel – ex-army officer, involved in Black Cobra incident

Clunes-Forsythe, Mr. – power broker, wealthy member of the haut ton

Deveny, Lord Hugh – indolent member of the haut ton

Risdale, Marquis of – wealthy member of the haut ton

Cummins, Sir Reginald – wealthy member of the haut ton

Rundell, Mr. Phillip – jeweler, part owner of Rundell, Bridge, and Rundell

Bridge, Mr. – jeweler, part owner of Rundell, Bridge, and Rundell

In Southampton:

Higginson – head clerk, Frobisher Shipping Company office

At Sea:

Frobisher, Captain Lachlan – captain of Sea Dragon

Frobisher, Captain Catrina (Kit) – captain of Consort

In Freetown:

Holbrook, Governor – Governor-in-Chief of British West Africa

Satterly, Mr. Arnold – governor’s principal aide

Eldridge, Major – Commander, Fort Thornton

Decker, Vice-Admiral Ralph – Commander, West Africa Squadron

Winton, Major – Commissar of Fort Thornton

Babington, Mr. Charles – partner, Macauley & Babington Trading Company

Macauley, Mr. – senior partner, Macauley & Babington Trading Company

Ross-Courtney, Lord Peter – wealthy and influential visitor

Neill, Mr. Frederick – well-born and wealthy associate of Ross-Courtney’s

Undoto, Obo – local priest

Muldoon, Mr. Silas – the Naval Attaché

Winton, Mr. William – Assistant Commissar at Fort Thornton

Hardwicke, Reverend – minister of Church of England

Hardwicke, Mrs. – minister’s wife

Sherbrook, Mrs. – lady-employer of Katherine Fortescue

Dave – Cockney coachman

In the Mining Compound:

Mercenaries:

Dubois – leader of the mercenaries, presumed French

Arsene – Dubois’s lieutenant, second-in-command, presumed French

Cripps – Dubois’s second lieutenant, English

Plus twenty-eight other mercenaries – of various ages and extractions

Captives:

Frobisher, Captain Caleb – youngest Frobisher brother and captain of The Prince

Fortescue, Miss Kate (Katherine) – ex-governess of the Sherbrooks and Caleb’s intended

Quilley – quartermaster of The Prince

Foster, Martin, Ellis, Quick, Mallard, Collins, Biggs, Norton, and Olsen – experienced seamen from The Prince

Lascelle, Captain Phillipe – longtime friend of Caleb’s, privateer captain of The Raven

Ducasse – quartermaster of The Raven

Fullard, Collmer, Gerard, and Vineron – experienced seamen from The Raven

Dixon, Captain John – army engineer

Hopkins, Lieutenant William – navy, West Africa Squadron

Fanshawe, Lieutenant – navy, West Africa Squadron

Hillsythe, Mr. – ex-Wolverstone agent, governor’s aide

Frazier, Miss Harriet – gently bred young woman, Dixon’s sweetheart

Wilson, Miss Mary – shop owner/assistant, Babington’s sweetheart

McKenzie, Miss Ellen – young woman recently arrived in the settlement

Halliday, Miss Gemma – young woman from the slums

Mellows, Miss Annie – young woman from the slums

Mathers, Jed – carpenter

Watson, Wattie – navvy

Plus eighteen other men – all British of various backgrounds and trades

Diccon – young boy, eight years old

Amy – young girl, six years old

Gerry – boy, eleven years old

Tilly – girl, fourteen years old

Simon Finn – boy, twelve years old

Plus sixteen other children – all British, ranging from six to ten years old

Plus three other boys – all British, ranging from eleven to fourteen years old

On board The Trident:

Latimer, Mr. Jordan – first mate

Hurley, Mr. – master

Wilcox – bosun

Miller – quartermaster

Foxby, Mr. – steward

Various other sailors

On board The Cormorant:

Caldwell, Mr. Joshua – first mate

Johnson, Mr. – master

Grimsby – bosun

Elliot – quartermaster

Henry, Mr. – steward

Various other sailors

On board The Prince:

Fitzpatrick, Lieutenant Frederick – first mate

Wallace, Mr. – master

Carter – bosun

Hornby, Mr. – steward, carries information to London and returns on The Corsair

Various other sailors

On board The Raven:

Reynaud – bosun, on ship, but returns to the jungle compound

Plus four other seamen – on ship, but return to the jungle compound

Various other sailors

PROLOGUE

Aberdeen

August 9, 1824

Royd Frobisher stood behind the desk in his office overlooking Aberdeen harbor and reread the summons he’d just received.

Was it his imagination, or was Wolverstone anxious?

Royd had received many such summonses over the years Wolverstone had served as England’s spymaster; the wording of today’s missive revealed an underlying uneasiness on the part of the normally imperturbable ex-spymaster.

Either uneasiness or impatience, and the latter was not one of Wolverstone’s failings.

Although a decade Wolverstone’s junior, Royd and the man previously known as Dalziel had understood each other from their first meeting, much as kindred spirits. After Dalziel retired and succeeded to the title of the Duke of Wolverstone, he and Royd had remained in touch. Royd suspected he was one of Wolverstone’s principal contacts in keeping abreast of those intrigues most people in the realm knew nothing about.

Royd studied the brief lines suggesting that he sail his ship, The Corsair, currently bobbing on the waters beyond his window, to Southampton, to be provisioned and to hold ready to depart once news arrived from Freetown.

The implication was obvious. Wolverstone expected the news from Freetown—when it arrived courtesy of Royd’s youngest brother, Caleb—to be such as to require an urgent response. Namely, for Royd to depart for West Africa as soon as possible and, once there, to take whatever steps proved necessary to preserve king and country.

A commitment to preserving king and country being one of the traits Royd and Wolverstone shared.

Another was the instinctive ability to evaluate situations accurately. If Wolverstone was anxious—

“I need to see him.”

The voice, more than the words, had Royd raising his head.

“I’ll inquire—”

“And I need to see him now. Stand aside, Miss Featherstone.”

“But—”

“No buts. Excuse me.”

Royd heard the approaching tap of high heels striking the wooden floor. Given the tempo and the force behind each tap, he could readily envision his middle-aged secretary standing by the reception desk, wringing her hands.