As a prelude to the main story, we first encounter the proceedings of a trial. Roderick Westerfield is being tried for theft and insurance fraud. He is the second son of an English Lord, and so, could inherit neither the title of his father nor his financial holdings. Roderick also embarrassed the family by marrying a woman whose vocation was a barmaid. His elder brother, though, tried to assist him by getting him work on a Merchant ship as a first mate, and he successfully saved the ship from destruction in a storm, a storm which also took the life of the Captain. Roderick then took over, but the ship was ultimately beached through no fault of Roderick, but a fortune in Brazilian gems was missing. Because Roderick had gambling debts, it was assumed that the gems were stolen by him so that Roderick could make good on what he owed. (Goodreads)