Aubrey, in the Surprise, sails home from the West Indies. He spots a French privateer and gives chase. The two ships race through a storm, and through a British fleet. The privateer escapes and Aubrey is sent home by the admiral. A supposedly chance meeting with a stranger leads Jack to invest heavily in the stock market. Shortly after arriving home, he is arrested for fraud. His trial is rigged and he's sentence to pay a fine, spend an hour in the public pillory and lose his commission. Meanwhile, Stephen discovers that his wife, Diana, has taken off for Sweden with another man. He concentrates on helping Jack and soon uncovers a plot to kill him, discredit Jack and take over the British intelligence service. Stephen buys the Surprise and fits it out as a privateer, with Jack as its captain.