A Ship for Mr Fitton

Book excerpt: First published in 1991, A Ship for Mr Fitton continues the adventures of real-life hero and sailor Michael Fitton. It is 1815 and Britain is at war with France. Mr Fitton, relieved of his command, is finding shore-life difficult. With his wife expecting a baby, he is under pressure to earn more than his half-pay lieutenant's wage. When he is offered the command of a ship embarking on a mysterious expedition to Marseilles he feels compelled to accept. Promising his wife that he will return in time for the birth, he sets off on the voyage. But the enterprise takes him directly into the jaws of the enemy as he finds himself unwittingly aiding them. A desperate sea-chase ensues and Mr Fitton must use all of his resourcefulness and naval expertise if he is to escape the French warship and keep his promise to his wife.