The Letter of Marque

Aubrey & Maturin and the now Private Man of War, Surprise c. 1812

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Since last we met up with our heroic pair, Lucky Jack Aubrey has been struck from the Royal Navy lists and the recently very rich Stephen Maturin has purchased their old ship, Surprise. He has also obtained from his connections in the intelligence services a Letter of Marque, making the Surprise into an official privateer. What is more, Stephen has obtained another special letter, preventing the officers and crew from being impressed into service aboard any other Royal Navy ships. 

On a first cruise, training the new privateers in the ways of the Surprise, Luck Jack earns his name again by capturing a string of enemy vessels as easy as kiss my hand, honey. May I give you joy of the day.

Of course, Stephen and his connections are also a great source for secret missions, off the books. In this case Whitehall wants the new privateer to do something about a French frigate, Diane, moored at St. Martin's. What follows is a wonderfully exciting cutting-out mission; and guess what? Aubrey is even more successful, arriving back in jolly old England with a new string of prizes and a treasure trove of intelligence-related papers. The scuttlebutt around the capstan is that Aubrey may just be reinstated in the lists; the public loves him (and hated the trumped up scandal of late attached to his name). The coup de grace? Following the death of General Aubrey, Jack's father, our hero is approached by a powerful old cousin and asked to become a member of Parliament in his father's stead. Whoah! Basically a done deal with the whole reinstatement (even with preserving his seniority on the Post Captain list). The situation will take some time to work its way through the system (hopefully we're back in the Royal Navy by next book).

Maturin has a touching reunion with his estranged wife, Diana Villiers. Things seem good on that front again, perhaps better than ever. Just lay off the tincture of laudanum, Stephen. AND Padeen.