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Luke Settle is one of the villains of the novel, appearing to be without a single redeeming feature. He is a soldier of fortune, who has fought in the Low Countries, and will change sides to suit his purposes. Settle has no fear of death provided it is someone else’s.
He first appears in Chapter I, where Hannibal Tingcomb engages him to assassinate the Killigrews, starting with Anthony in the Crown tavern and then travelling south to intercept Sir Deakin and Delia Killigrew at the Three Cups inn. The first is achieved with a dart of his sword.
To effect the interception he deserts the Royalist cause and temporarily turns highwayman, but then he moves on to the Three Cups, where the landlord is an associate. The assassination attempt fails owing to the cunning of Sir Deakin, but a message of success is sent to Hannibal Tingcomb.
In order to intercept the Killigrews further west (he cannot have known of the demise of Sir Deakin), he joins the Parliamentarians and gets himself posted to an inn on the Launceston – Bodmin road. Delia is duly captured and word is sent to Tingcomb. By his command Delia is conveyed back to Bristol to await the outcome of Stamford’s campaign. If successful Delia is to be imprisoned at Gleys; if unsuccessful she is to be transported to Virginia.
Settle travels to the coast after the Battle of Stratton. He murders an old woman so as to secure her two horses for his escape. When signalling to the sloop carrying Delia he is discovered by Jack Marvel and taken prisoner, having first directed Delia ashore to save his own life.