Blowing Weather

Anthony Stevens returns to the busy port city of his youth and is quickly drawn into a world of warehouses, dockside commerce, and half-hidden danger. From the Black Horse Tavern to the counting-house of Rufus Stevens' Sons, he encounters the uneasy merchant J. Magruder, whose panic over a private letter and ruined investments suggests a larger commercial scheme gone badly wrong. Though Anthony first dismisses the warning, the family firm's proud history of war, trade, and hard-won success leaves him uneasy, especially as old tensions of class, marriage, and colonial prejudice linger in the background. His attention then shifts to a newly arrived French household, centered on a graceful, intelligent young woman whose poise and botanical learning fascinate him. A brief act of chivalry brings embarrassment, while conversations with Christopher Dent and Captain Weir deepen the novel's reflections on ambition, excess, and moral decay. When the household suddenly departs, Anthony's disappointment turns to violence: he is ambushed, awakens aboard the ship Le Mousquet, and confronts the one-eyed captain who has abducted him. Only Mademoiselle Lafargue's intervention saves him, setting the stage for revenge, mystery, and romance on the restless riverfront. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.