Captain Sir Martin Forrest-Bowers returns to the sea once again in the service of his grateful nation, along with First Lieutenant Patrick Brooks and rest of his valiant and loyal crew. Only this time, Martin finds that his wife, Lady Jennifer, is not content to sit idly at home waiting for her seafaring husband to return. Eschewing the expectations of high society, a class to which she and her husband belong, Lady Jennifer decides that she, like Ruth, whether thou goest, will sail at her husband's side and join him in battle as it may come. Finding that she is not the lone female aboard ship, Lady Jennifer learns that her Naval Captain is as brave as she had thought and that battle at his side is even more hazardous than she had imagined.

Captain Forrest-Bowers finds himself and his crew fighting the French, the Spanish, Barbary pirates, and the Americans as he and a small band of other ships sail the dangerous waters of war in service to his homeland. Then, just when needed and much to his surprise, Martin finds an unexpected ally in battle: the Americans. But can they really be trusted? One question: Friend or Foe? The correct answer means survival.