Miss Rachel Berry, the adopted daughter of Freetown missionaries, wants to re-connect with her African mother’s family. She does not trust the Royal Navy, or Captain Hotham of the African Squadron. Her lying English father was a former naval seaman who jumped ship to join the lucrative African slave trade. Capt. Christopher Hotham, 3rd son of a baron, transports a group of slaves he rescued to the missionary school in Freetown before attending the prize court to see if the judge will rule in favor of him and his crew so they can get on with the work of patrolling for slavers. The last thing he needs is to get involved with a beautiful mission teacher who seems hell-bent on putting herself in harm’s way with the illegal slave traders swarming at the fringes of Freetown. Can they escape the destiny Society assigns them, or will they create their own?