Honour Be Damned

Honour Be Damned finds the fiery British lieutenant in the waning days of the French Revolution. The revolution is turning in on itself - Robespierre has met the guillotine - but still the French fight on. After completing the siege of a French fortress in Corsica, Markham and his men are assigned to a sloop under the impetuous Captain Germain. Before long, Germain's foolhardy hunt for glory throws Markham and his 'Lobsters' into desperate ship-to-ship action. Fortunately, fighting hand to hand is what the battle-hardened Marines do best. Like Markham, Germain has been branded a coward, but in his zeal to restore his good name he sets Markham on another, more perilous venture. This time, Markham must go ashore to escort a group of French royalists on a secret mission. Dodging the French army patrols would be difficult enough, but it is particularly hazardous because he is shackled with a French count, a devious Catholic prelate, a young lady, and their contingent of servants. But what is the secret prize they are hunting for? Why have they embarked on this fool's errand? Markham must answer these questions as he untangles the deceit and subterfuge all around him. He must rely on the loyalty of his men and the ever-grudging assistance of Sergeant Rannoch to succeed in this most unusual and dangerous mission - one complicated by the unexpected arrival of a figure from Markham's past. The French Revolution is turning in on itself even as the war with the English drags on. As the armies move towards Italy, George Markham and his Marines find themselves assigned to the sloop Sylphide under the impetuous Captain Germain. Set ashore in the midst of the French army, Markham is charged with escorting a group of loyalists on a secret mission and is soon wishing he was back in the thick of it at sea. His wits and courage are tested to the limits as he tries to untangle the web of subterfuge surrounding young Germain's insane mission. Just as Markham looks like making headway, the unexpected arrival of a ghost from his past overturns everything and the fight is on again..