It is the year 1805. The Hadleigh family, at their home on the edge of Romney Marsh, anxiously await news of their eldest son, Robert, serving as a midshipman on board the Victory under the command of Lord Nelson. Robert returns home on leave before the Battle of Trafalgar with Lieutenant Maxwell Forbes. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Carolyn Hadleigh is about to be married to a local lawyer, but when the wedding ends in a shocking scandal Carolyn turns to Maxwell for comfort. However, the family's trials and tribulations pale into the background as Robert experiences first-hand the drama of Nelson's confrontation with the Franco - Spanish fleet in the Mediterranean, the subsequent victory and the ultimate tragedy. This is a compelling novel of drama and romance.