Charles returns home from a tiring trip to Denver and receives a troubling letter from England.
Charles needs to travel to England, but Judith doesn't want to take the children, so she resolves to stay home, even though she knows that Charles will be gone for weeks.
Charles travels to England with George and sets about settling a dispute with an angry man that claims Charles's farms are ruining his farm's ability to produce crops due to the loss of water. He claims is caused by the wells, windmills and the digging of ponds on Charles's farms.
Charles is not pleased with the progress of the vineyards and decides to shake things up and get people motivated.
After setting things right in England, Charles returns to America. Three days into their voyage the ship is attacked and sustains severe damage.
Charles worries that once again he may be taken prisoner at sea or possibly go down with the ship, and all he can think of is Judith and the children as the Spanish warship closes in.