One moment, he was listening to the loveliest string sonata drifting out through a window near the pier – and possibly growing careless in his distraction – and the next, his heavy black coat began to drag him down to the bottom of the sea.

Spluttering and frantic, Stephen Maturin reached up in the vain hope that some angelic creature might lift him from the harbour. Instead, a splash nearly submerged him once more, and then a crushing arm was around his middle, while some fellow laughed into his ear.

And as if by magic, he was suddenly out of the water and sat dripping on the stoney beach, and a big golden-haired man in full naval uniform heaved himself out and fell down beside him.

"Still with the living, Sir?" he asked, rather foolishly as far as Maturin was concerned. Though he could scarcely be angry with his saviour, especially now that he was having a better look at the man. A pair of quite blue eyes beamed at him from a tanned face, and the officer's smile could not have been happier had he pulled his very own sweetheart from the sea.

"Thank you, Sir. It would appear so," Stephen replied breathlessly while rubbing salt water further into his eyes.

"Capital. I say we celebrate the fact by dining together." The man rose and pulled Stephen up to stand before him, where he steadied him with two powerful hands on his upper arms. And once they were more or less at eye level, even the uncomfortably sodden state of their clothing could not keep the smiles off both their faces.

"That would be most agreeable, Sir," said Stephen, astonished to find he loved his very nearly lost existence suddenly so much that his heart should beat so wildly.