Regency England, September 1812: After a long night spent dealing with the tragic death of a former military comrade, heartsick Sebastian learns of a new calamity. Russell Yates, the dashing onetime privateer, who married Kat a year ago, has been found standing over the corpse of Benjamin Eisler, a wealthy gem dealer. Yates insists he is innocent, but he will surely hang unless Sebastian can unmask the real killer.