next leg of the covert mission his brothers have been pursuing and sails to Freetown. His actions are decisive, and he completes the mission’s next stage—but responsibility, once exercised, has taken root, and he remains in the jungle to guard the captives whose rescue is the mission’s ultimate goal.
Katherine Fortescue has fled the life of poverty her wastrel father had bequeathed her and come to Freetown as a governess, only to be kidnapped and put to work overseeing a child workforce at a mine. She and the other captured adults understand that their lives are limited by the life of the mine. Guarded by well-armed and well-trained mercenaries, the captives have been searching for some means of escape, but in vain. Then Katherine meets a handsome man—a captain—in the jungle, and he and his crew bring the sweet promise of rescue.
The sadistic mercenary captain who runs the mine has other ideas, but Caleb’s true strength lies in extracting advantage from adversity, and through the clashes that follow, he matures into the leader of men he was always destined to be. The sort of man Katherine can trust—with her body, with her life. With her love.
The first voyage is one of exploration, the second one of discovery. The third journey brings maturity, while the fourth is a voyage of second chances. Continue the journey and follow the adventure, the mystery, and the romances to the dramatic end.
Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens
“Stephanie Laurens’ heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.” Cathy Kelly
“Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.” Historical Romance Reviews
“Stephanie Laurens plays into readers’ fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.” Romantic Times Magazine
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Principal Characters:
Frobisher, Caleb – Hero, youngest Frobisher brother and captain of The Prince
Fortescue, Katherine (Kate) – Heroine, missing governess from the Sherbrook household in Freetown
In London:
Family:
Frobisher, Declan – Caleb’s older brother
Frobisher, Lady Edwina – Caleb’s sister-in-law, Declan’s wife
Frobisher, Robert – Caleb’s older brother
Hopkins, Aileen – Robert’s intended, Lt. William Hopkins’s sister
Staff in Declan & Edwina’s townhouse:
Humphrey – butler
Government:
Wolverstone, Duke of, Royce, aka Dalziel – ex-commander of British secret operatives outside England
In Aberdeen:
Frobisher, Fergus – Caleb’s father
Frobisher, Elaine – Caleb’s mother
Frobisher, Royd – Caleb’s oldest brother
In Southampton:
Higginson – head clerk, Frobisher Shipping Company Office
In Freetown:
Holbrook, Governor – Governor-in-Chief of British West Africa
Eldridge, Major – Commander, Fort Thornton
Decker, Vice-Admiral – Commander, West Africa Squadron
Winton, Major – Commissar of Fort Thornton
Babington, Charles – partner, Macauley & Babington Trading Company
Macauley, Mr. – senior partner, Macauley & Babington Trading Company
Undoto, Obo – local priest
Muldoon – the Naval Attaché
Winton – nephew of Major Winton, Assistant Commissar at the fort
At Kale’s Homestead:
Kale – slavers’ leader
Rogers – Kale’s lieutenant in the settlement
Fifteen other slavers, including “the pied piper”
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:
Dixon, Captain John – army engineer
Hopkins, Lieutenant William – navy, West Africa Squadron
Fanshawe, Lieutenant – navy, West Africa Squadron
Hillsythe – ex-Wolverstone agent, governor’s aide
Frazier, Harriet – gently bred young woman, Dixon’s sweetheart
Wilson, Mary – shop owner-assistant, Babington’s sweetheart
Mackenzie, Ellen – young woman recently arrived in the settlement
Halliday, Gemma – young woman from the slums
Mellows, Annie – young woman from the slums
Mathers, Jed – carpenter
Plus eighteen other men – all British of various backgrounds and trades
Diccon – young boy, seven years old
Amy – young girl, six years old
Gerry – boy, ten years old
Plus sixteen other children – all British, ranging from six to ten years old
Plus five other children – all British, ranging from eleven to fourteen years old
On board The Prince:
Fitzpatrick, Lieutenant Frederick – First Mate
Wallace, Mr.
