Jane Stowe frequently finds her irritable father, peevish stepmother, and half brother Rupert a trial. Her only hope of eventual escape is her maternal uncle, Roger Markham, whose heir she is. When he dies under mysterious circumstances, Jane is the obvious suspect. Alex Gordon, family misfit, has been sent to find out if there's anything to Markham's suspicions about the schooner Sea Mew. With half the Continent at war, and the Young Pretender...