Welcome to the fourth excerpt from my Pride & Prejudice alternate history! My plan is to post the first quarter of the book in weekly segments. That’ll take you through the point which will answer some of your biggest questions.
If you missed the first three chapters, here they are: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Elizabeth quickly put on her bonnet and gloves when she saw the Darcy coach approaching Longbourn the following day. Once again, she and Mr. Darcy escorted Georgiana to Jane’s rooms before taking a walk.
When they were by themselves Darcy cleared his throat. “I find myself in a dilemma. There is an item I greatly wish you to have at your disposal, but it would be improper for me to give you a gift. Would you perhaps be willing to consider it as a sort of permanent loan?”
Elizabeth drew back slightly. How puzzling! He sounded very serious, not at all as if he planned to flirt with her. “I suppose it would depend on what the item is and why you wish me to have it.”
“That seems fair.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a small muff pistol with an engraved barrel. “I think you know why I wish you to have it. For the sake of the puppies, if nothing else.”
She turned it over in her hand, admiring the carved ivory handle. Such a lovely object to be a dangerous weapon! But of course Mr. Darcy would have the best. “I do not know what to say.” Especially as owning pistols was illegal, for him as well as for her.
“You could say you will accept it. Come, do you know how to load it?”
“It is not muzzle loaded, then?”
“No.” He took it from her and unscrewed the barrel from the handle. Turning the handle section to face up, he pointed at the opening where the barrel had been. “Black powder here, and then a ball. Do not tamp it; just screw the barrel back on.” He demonstrated and then pointed at a tiny opening beneath the flashing pan. “A touch more black powder here and you are ready to go.”
What was a lady to say when receiving the gift of a pistol? Thank you, it is very lovely? Thank you, I will do my best to shoot only villains with it? Thank you, there is nothing I like better than a lethal firearm? Thank you, I promise not to turn you in for possessing an illegal pistol?
Perhaps it was simplest to avoid thanking him at all. “I am certain the puppies would be grateful to you.”
“You will accept it, then?”
“Are you certain you do not need it? I cannot imagine you have spare pistols lying about waiting to be given to hapless damsels in distress.”
He muttered something under his breath. It sounded like “You would be surprised.” Aloud he said, “I have others.” He handed her a cloth bag and small embossed flask. “Powder and shot.”
Both hands now full, she looked up at him mischievously. “I will do my best not to employ it.”
“If you need it, use it.”
She smiled up at him “I know just the place to keep them – a cubbyhole in the stables. It might be difficult to explain their presence if someone found them in my room!”
***
To the delight of Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Darcy and his sister continued to call on Elizabeth on days when the weather was clement.
“Lizzy, I cannot believe you have attached a single English gentleman with a fortune! What luck, with so few available! Providence is watching over you. Such pin money you will have! Such dresses! Such carriages!”
It was a novel experience for Elizabeth, who had become accustomed to her mother’s constant disapproval, but her attempts to lower her mother’s expectations failed. “I believe he comes primarily because he wishes for his sister to have female companionship, not for his own pleasure. And he is still a French agent – no fortune can wash that stink away.”
“Nonsense, Lizzy, how you do go on! Of course he wishes for you to be friends with his sister before making you an offer! I shall go distracted if I think of it.”
As it happened, Miss Darcy was a common topic of conversation on Elizabeth’s walks with Mr. Darcy. There were so many topics to be avoided that Elizabeth clung to the few that remained, and Mr. Darcy seemed to be glad of the opportunity to hear a woman’s view of his sister.
“She has lived almost in seclusion since the invasion,” Darcy told Elizabeth. “I have only just begun introducing her to other people in the last year. She has had a music master, of course, and a woman who taught her to paint watercolors, but even those were difficult for her.”
“What of servants? Surely she must have dealt with them.”
Darcy looked away. “She is uncomfortable with servants, and does not trust them. This is why your sister has been a godsend. Georgiana feels safe with her precisely because your sister’s life is as constrained as hers is. It is a step forward for her to be so comfortable with both Bingley and Miss Bennet.”
“It seems you spend a great deal of time in her company. If she has difficulty being around others, does not that limit your ability to socialize?”
He ran his hand along the needles of a fir tree they were passing, keeping his gaze upon it. “It does, but that is of no great importance to me. I have little interest in the events of the ton, and I can be happy spending the evening in the company of a good book. When we are in London, there are events I am obliged to attend, but it is difficult for Georgiana to be alone so many evenings, and she is glad when we leave the city.”
What sort of events could make him feel he had no choice but to attend? It was most likely wiser not to ask. “To think that sometimes I feel sorry for myself because seeing to Jane’s needs limits what I can do! You show me how little I have to complain of. And indeed, I am happy to be able to help Jane.”
He turned a searching gaze on her. “What would you do if you did not have to tend to your sister?”
What was it about his eyes that made her mouth go dry and her body flood with warmth? Her fingers itched with the urge to explore his face. She pulled her attention away from him before she could respond. “Most likely I would go to Scotland.”
“Is that what you would do if Captain Renard persisted in his attentions to you?”
Her cheeks grew hot and she looked down at the footpath. “Yes,” she said in a low voice. “I am not proud of it because I know full well how selfish it would be to abandon my father and Jane here to suffer Captain Renard’s displeasure. But I am not Jane; I cannot sacrifice myself for them.”
Darcy halted, and when Elizabeth turned to see why, he put his finger under her chin and lifted it until she had no choice but to meet his eyes. “You are not being selfish. It is your father who is selfish if he would want you to pay that price for his comfort. He should be taking the entire family to Scotland. What would you think of me if I were willing to allow Georgiana to degrade herself in that manner merely so I could remain in my home?”
The intensity of his gaze made her swallow hard, her lips tingling. “I cannot imagine you doing that.”
“Do you think it is right for your father to allow your sister to hide in the stables all this time?”
She looked away. “Jane could stay in the house if she chose, but it would mean pretending to be sick all of the time. It was her idea to move to the stables, claiming the doctor said she needed complete quiet. My mother was happy to agree, since Jane’s coughing irritated her nerves.”
He shook his head. “How long has that been going on?”
Elizabeth touched the tip of her tongue to her dry lips. “Almost a year.”
“God in heaven!” he swore. “Is your family so little to be trusted?”
“My sister Mary, perhaps, but we cannot be certain. My mother supports the French because it means Longbourn will stay in our family. Under English law it was entailed away from our family, and the French civil code breaks the entail. She would urge Jane to do as the captain wishes.”
“Does your father know?”
“Yes, but he has never been a man of action. His nature is to be indolent and to avoid conflicts. That is why Jane and I were sent to live in London after the invasion.”
Frown lines appeared between Darcy’s brows. “I do not understand.”
“The French had taken Longbourn for one of their barracks, so we had to move into our steward’s cottage. Jane was sixteen and I was almost fifteen. The cottage was crowded with all of us, and the soldiers were always trying to corner Jane or me. Rather than demand that they leave us alone, my father sent us to live with our uncle in London. It turned out well for me; in London there were fewer French officers, since they could enforce the peace with the cannons of the warships anchored in the Thames. But even so, I longed to come back to Meryton. When the French no longer needed Longbourn and returned it to my father, Jane and I came back, and now I wish we had not.” Why had she told him all that? She could have answered his question with far fewer details.
The corners of his mouth turned up. “I have the opposite reaction to London. When I am there, I am constantly in company with the French – those unavoidable obligations. I can avoid them much better when I am in the country.”
Any desire to respond froze in her throat. Why did she keep forgetting that he cooperated with the French? Or not precisely forgetting, but more wishing for it not to be true. But it was true. “I can see why you would not enjoy that sort of obligation,” she said coolly.
His lips tightened, the warm look fading from his eyes. “I do what I must, just as you do.”
The brief intimacy was over, cut short by the reminder of his betrayal of England. How could she be so drawn to such a man?
***
“Lizzy? Did you hear a word I said?” Jane asked.
Startled, Elizabeth shook her head. “My apologies, Jane. My mind was wandering.”
A smile brought light to Jane’s eyes. “Did your body not wander far enough today? You and Mr. Darcy were gone a long time.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “We walked to Oakham Mount.”
“He seems to enjoy your company.”
“Not you as well! Mama keeps telling me he will be making an offer soon, and she will be sadly disappointed when it does not come to pass.”
“Is it so impossible that he might like you?”
“He likes me, yes, but to choose me out of the thousands of women who would be delighted to marry an Englishman with a large fortune, when both single Englishmen and large fortunes are in short supply? I think not.”
“You are out of sorts today, Lizzy. Now I begin to wonder if you might like him better than you wish to.”
Elizabeth did not dare to meet her sister’s gaze. Jane had come too close to the truth. “He is clever and pleasant company, but there is no point in thinking more of it. Even if he did make me an offer, I would have to refuse him. I will not marry a French sympathizer.”
Jane’s brows drew together. “It is odd. Both Mr. Bingley and Miss Darcy seem to think him an honorable man, and he shows concern for your well-being. Many good men have assisted the French simply to protect their families. If the French were to take Mr. Darcy’s land and money, how would he care for his sister?”
“It is rare for the French to take everything. They took Longbourn at first and most of father’s money, but they left enough for us to survive on and a cottage where we could live until they were done with Longbourn.” Elizabeth could not permit herself to accept excuses for Mr. Darcy.
“But Mr. Darcy might be treated more harshly because he has aristocratic connections. The Earl of Matlock, or perhaps I should say the former earl, was his uncle. The French hate the aristocracy.”
“Jane, you will always believe the best of everyone. I cannot do so.” Especially since then she might not be able to suppress certain feelings she could not afford to feel.
She had realized long ago she was unlikely ever to marry. There simply were not enough single men. So many men had been killed during the invasion, and a large portion of those who had survived it had been conscripted into Napoleon’s army. Perhaps someday a small number of them might return, but even that would make little difference. Marriageable gentlemen were few, and they could take their pick of well-dowered beauties. Even men with injuries from the war were quickly surrounded by eligible women. Some English women preferred a French husband to no husband at all, but Elizabeth would sooner cut off her own hand. But she also did not wish to spend her life longing for something she could not have. It was easier to accept that all she would ever have in terms of romance was occasional flirtations. There was no point in wishing for more.
Why did Mr. Darcy have to come to Meryton and meddle with her plans and dreams? She had spent more time in conversation with him than she had with any other man apart from her father and uncle. He listened to what she said, studying her with dark, intent eyes that raised those longings she had so carefully packed away. He had awoken feelings in her that were best left dormant, a yearning to step closer to him, to gaze into those dark eyes and to trace her fingertip along the edge of his lips. Would they feel as firm as they looked, or would they be soft and warm? Then she would caress the line of his jaw, so clearly defined and strong. How would he react? Would he look shocked or dismayed, or would he possibly be pleased?
She had to stop thinking this way. He had betrayed England by supporting the French. He was undeniably handsome, well-educated, witty, kind and protective – and he was a traitor.
Briskly she said, “I have been gone too long. I should return the tea tray before someone comes looking for me.”
She would stop allowing Darcy’s image to float before her at odd moments. She would not think about the way he tilted his head to the side when he was contemplating an idea. And she would not count the hours until she might see him again.
***
Go to Chapter 5
Next week the visit to Mr. Robinson provokes the inevitable argument between Elizabeth and Darcy. And then things really start to go wrong…
I’d love to hear your thoughts and your New Year’s wishes for what you’d like to see next. Comments are great inspiration!
I’ll be posting the next part of the story Tuesday, January 2.
51 comments
Skip to comment form
I am sorry that Elizabeth believes Darcy to be a traitor and it spoils their meetings. I really hope they soon resolve this and begin to work together against the French (and I really hope she soon gets to feel whether his lips are firm or soft and warm 😊 👄 😊) Thanks for sharing this Abigail.
Well this is mandatory, no pain, no gain. P&P without a “Hunsford” is bland. The French just add to the spice. It is not the reaction of the Ton that is feared, but the exposure of the truth (both are active rebels). If the French find out, it would be deadly for them and there family, so they keep dancing around and droping hints.
Duckie
Author
No pain, no gain, indeed! I’m leaving most of the Ton out of this book, in part because it’s chaotic itself after the loss of aristocrats and the rise of tradesmen, but also because Darcy is too busy between the French and his, umm, other activities to attend any Ton events. As for their secrets, you have that right – when a secret is the difference between life and death for yourself and your family, it isn’t something you should be mentioning just because you meet a girl you like. 😉
I’m wondering if it should be spread about that Uncle Gardiner is a tradesman, and a figure of safety for the Bennets.
Author
They will work things out, though in their own inimitable way! Thanks for commenting!
Maria yesterday and you today – we’re spoiled for riches in great reading material! Thoughts – this story just keeps getting more intriguing! Oh so many things I want to see – How did Darcy end up in his position of keeping his lands but working secretly against the French? Looking forward to Darcy and Lizzy arguing as let’s face it those are some of the best parts of the original story. Lizzy finding out if Darcy’s lips are firm or soft and warm. Jane and Bingley working out despite the nefarious Captain Renard. Georgiana making a ‘miraculous’ recovery from her dumb state after Darcy and Lizzy combine forces to rid England of its invaders. Can’t wait for next week’s installment!
Author
Thanks for commenting! As you say, there’s a lot going on, and I promise Georgiana will make a miraculous recovery from her current state. 🙂 As for Darcy’s lips – well, you’ll have to wait and see!
Still so many questions!
It’s a double sword seeing the bond/attraction grow between Darcy and Elizabeth .
It’s sweet and feels so right but then you know it will tumble down like. A House of cards .
Really enjoying your twist to history!
Author
Thanks, Carol! Poor Elizabeth is in a terrible dilemma with her instincts at war with the clear ‘reality’ Darcy doesn’t even deny. And this house of cards is about to be hit by a hurricane!
I won’t wish for anything as I find authors have so much more of a creative imagination than I do. Loving this story but expecting someone, somehow, to betray the Bennets hiding of Jane and also the story of what happened to put Georgiana into a state of shock (PTSD)and just what Darcy is hiding about his estate and the French? You have hinted that he is not a spy for the English government and also that his father might have had a major role in getting the Princess out of the country. So…bring it on.
Thanks for this chapter…I do love the angst and the draw that Darcy is exerting on Elizabeth’s emotions…even if undesired at this point.
Author
There are betrayals, both past and future, so your worries are not baseless! And soon you’ll know the truth about Darcy…
Darcy or D’Arcy? That is the question! I love the “do I dare to trust him” angst going on!
Author
Poor Elizabeth is having such a battle with her instincts and her emotions!
It wouldn’t be a P&P without angst between Lizzie and Darcy. I look forward to next week to what happens with Robinson and Darcy’s solution to the problem – Lizzie probly wont’ like it!!!!
Author
Darcy will solve a number of problems in Meryton – but not the way he or anyone else expects!
Today I especially liked the photo of the muff pistol – and the steps to load it! It sounds like a dangerous undertaking to use such a weapon. Fill with black powder and a ball, then screw back on the barrel – powder in the barrel threads? Yes, that sounds dangerous just loading it! How long would that take? Obviously not a grab and shoot weapon. It would require pre-planning… Now add bouncing around in a racing coach, priming the flash pan, then… A companion gift could be a stiletto for a desperate moment. Will Elizabeth get into a situation where she must fire the pistol??
Another very well done book section!!
Author
Thanks, Dave! I was rather astonished by the loading of the muff pistol. It was a precursor of the Derringer in the US, and apparently people did carry them loaded. I’m with you, though – it seems like quite a risk! Pistols seem to get pointed at people an awful lot in this book (and usually women threatening men!), but they don’t seem to be fired very often!
That were exactly my thoughts, too, when I read that part… How fast could she load it, if she met a French unexpectedly? Would she have to carry it with her in the pocket of her pelisse? Loaded? How likely is it to misfire inside her pocket? Oh my, the danger of preparing against danger…
I like the image of her carrying the pistol in her reticule. Here comes Captain Renard – she opens the reticule and rummages for the pistol… out comes handkerchiefs, bottles of something, a pencil, paper, address book, extra shot and powder. Oh drat! Where IS that pistol??
Maybe instead of carrying a reticule, she should start a new trend and carry a back pack… 😉
Another great chapter, Abigail! Looking forward to the upcoming angst!
Author
Thanks, Pam! I’ll do my best to deliver. 😉
The inevitable argument … Oh no! Well, at least I hope some good will come out of it. Still so many unspoken words. Waiting. Jen Red
Author
One way or another, the big argument has to happen! I hope you like how it plays out.
I nearly forgot! The pistol was so perfect, practical yet intimate. Nice job, Darcy.
Author
Perfect, practical, intimate – and illegal. What more could Elizabeth want? 😉
Veey, very intriguing. Giving Lizzy a pistol to protect herself. He is very much enamored of her and she is becoming so of him. It sounds like there are more misunderstandings to come and possible lies or inuendoes from the French and that sparks will fly between ODC
Author
There are still misunderstandings to come and new layers to be revealed, but one of the pleasures of writing this particular scenario is that it doesn’t always have to be misunderstandings – not when the French are there to throw their monkey wrenches into the works!
Yes, I can see the ‘powder’ hitting the proverbial fan! Explosion indeed being set up! Elizabeth is fighting her attraction and Darcy is playing a dangerous game that we are not aware of! Will the hurricane be Wickham and/or Renard! Love the muff pistol but like Mr McKee says, so many steps to load and dangerous if pre-loaded! Darcy is so correct about Mr. Bennet and though Elizabeth knows her father, she doesn’t equate it to the same type of situation Darcy is in! Thank you for another wonderful chapter!
Author
Darcy is not just playing a dangerous game – he’s juggling them! But he does have better insight into Mr. Bennet’s choices that Elizabeth does. Sadly, I suspect Mr. Bennet’s indolence and dislike of conflict actually could lead to a situation like this.
A wonderful chapter, Abigail! Elizabeth’s feelings for Darcy are certainly growing, as are his for her. I hope that their misunderstanding–or rather, her misunderstanding of his being a “traitor”–can be cleared up soon, but as we’re only in the fourth chapter, I’m sure that many more misunderstandings and conflicts will arise before the air is cleared between them.
The pistol is a lovely and very expensive gift…besides being dangerous and illegal! But it is also a thoughtful, wise, and loving gift of protection. And it shows Darcy’s trust in her ability and willingness to use it if no other options are available to defend herself and her loved ones. I have a feeling that Elizabeth will be forced to use the pistol in her own or in Jane’s defense (or perhaps in Darcy’s defense–that would be quite the twist!), and then trouble for Elizabeth will really start, especially if she is incarcerated and perhaps sentenced to death…. (Sorry, my imagination is running away with me, LOL!)
Thank you for sharing the first portion of this oh-so-different variation with us; it’s truly a privilege to have a first glimpse of your next book, Abigail!!
Wishing you a joyous Third Day of Christmastide,
Susanne 🙂
Author
Thanks for commenting, Susanne! There’s quite a lot of secrets yet to be revealed, and soon enough one misunderstanding will lead to another, and then there’s the French complicating everything! One challenge for Elizabeth is that she isn’t as careful about hiding her views as Darcy is, and that is asking for trouble…
As everyone has said, a wonderful chapter. I was so sorry when I came to the end. Is Lady Catherine the reason for Darcy’s predicament?
Author
Not Lady Catherine, but that’s a good guess! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Wonderful reading! Elizabeth and Darcy sure have to work out this dilemma. Thinking he’s a traitor doesn’t help his situation at all. An illegal gun – small but mighty! But it would take time to load this little gem. Elizabeth better start packing for Scotland. I see problems with Captain Renard on the horizon. A knife would be silent at least, but she would have to be too close. Feel like there’s going to be an “angst storm” soon. This I such a great book. Can’t wait for publication of this story. Great job!
Author
Thanks! Elizabeth really ought to be coming up with better escape plans for Scotland – this “I’ll go with nothing more than the clothes on my back” is a pretty impractical plan. Definitely some angst coming soon!
I’m engrossed in the story, eagerly awaiting the next chapter. I’m intrigued, I can’t picture yet a “happy ever after” that leaves the French occupation intact. However I can’t guess how Darcy and Lizzy defeat the French. Can’t wait to find out.
Author
Well, Darcy and Lizzy don’t have to defeat the French by themselves, do they? 😉 They had their little piece of the grand work of rebelling.
Love this story!
Let the angst fest and mind games begin!
Author
Thanks! And they will begin – quite soon!
Loving the story. After reading the others comments, Darcy references having many such weapons. Yet Elizabeth did not pick up on that in her wish to gaze upon Darcy.
Why have so many weapons? I see much angst in the future along with rebellion and gunfire!
Yep Elizabeth is definitely in trouble. It is unfortunate that she cannot see or ask him about the “cover” story.
Author
She has given him opportunities to tell his side, but as it happens, even if she asked directly, he wouldn’t tell her the truth. Some secrets are too big to be shared. 😉
Oh, this story is so intriguing, I already love it 😀
And thanks for the little paragraph about Mary and Mrs. Bennet – the civil code as a means to get rid of the entail – that’s genious and so much in character for Mrs. Bennet to favor the French if they safe her from the hedgerows…btw. would that make Jane the heiress? Ome more Reason for Renard to pursue her…
But what would Lizzy do in Scotland? Does she have family there? Or where would she go?
And does the downfall of the aristrocracy and the rise of the tradesmen mean, that Mr. Gardiner’s business is thriving now? And Bingley’s also? Will they be as important in society as Darcy was before? …what an irony, if Lizzy could snub Lady Catherine now, for her connections (what she would of course never do, it wouldn’t be Lizzy’s style…at least if she hasn’t been made too furious)
And, well, who else is missing Richard Fitzwilliam so far? A war, an enemy and a (former?) Colonel in his majesty’s army..I do hope, they haven’t done him harm…
So many questions….I’m looking forward to next tuesday, thank you Abigail!
MMmmm…., “the missing” Col. Fitzwilliam, his father&mother, his older brother, Lady Cat and Anne, I think that Darcy is hiding them in the wilds of Derbyshire and maybe has set up an escape line to freedom for people that are wanted by the French.
Author
An ‘underground railway’ for English refugees? I’ll say this much: Darcy isn’t doing that, but someone else you haven’t met yet is. 😉
Author
You’ll hear more about Scotland later. There’s a group of English exiles there. But the truth is that Lizzy hasn’t thought out the ramifications of a woman going to Scotland alone.
Tradesmen are more powerful in society now simply because the aristocrats have been taken out of the equation. There’s nothing stopping Bingley’s sisters from going to the most fashionable balls now.
As for Richard Fitzwilliam, he is alive and you’ll be seeing him later in the book. I won’t say the French haven’t done him any harm, because a soldier who is the son of an aristocrat is going to be a target, but it isn’t stopping him from doing what he wants. 😉
Hasn’t Darcy mentioned a lot of what has happened in his life? I am getting very irritated with Lizzy still yammering over her fake traitor excuse. Stop it! (Much needed slap on the cheek to restore rationality.) I know it is good to have some misunderstandings between them; however, this is not really working well.
I agree on the traitor bit. If Lizzy truly thought he was in league with the French, she would not have let D or B become aware of Jane’s situation. Maybe she is using the traitor idea to keep a rein on her inner feelings – because of the occupation, not expecting anything to ever develop between them. Is she thinking that he trying to trick her for some nefarious reason? Trust would be hard to come by when he will not admit what deal he had to make to keep his land.
Author
As I mentioned in my response to Julia, it’s not as simple as being him in league with the French or not. She doesn’t think Darcy was delighted by the French invasion, just that he took the easy way out to protect his situation. She knows he isn’t spying for the French or trying to root out rebels, but he is following the orders of the generals in London in terms of how he manages his estate and how he sets an example for cooperation with the regime. Those orders don’t apply to helping common French officers find and abuse helpless women, but Darcy did think he made a mistake in standing up to Captain Renard at the dance. If Darcy got word from London that he was to visit the neighbors and convince them to go along with French conditions, he would do it, and Elizabeth doesn’t like that one bit. He has told her he hobnobs with French officers in London. She’s too black and white to go along with that – at least until she has a bigger stake in the matter. 😉
Author
I’m sorry you don’t think it works. Here’s my reasoning. Pretty much everyone who became a ‘traitor’ during the occupations didn’t actually want the French there, and I imagine many of them did what they could to protect people when it didn’t endanger themselves. There’s nothing inconsistent between Darcy being a traitor and keeping Jane’s secret. However, the main reason for selling out was to maintain personal wealth and property. You and I know Darcy well enough to know he wouldn’t do it for that reason. Elizabeth doesn’t know him as well as we do, and to me it’s reasonable for her to assume keeping his fortune and Pemberley played into his decision, even if it wasn’t all of it.
I love it, Abigail! I don’t think it’s “not working” at all, I completely understand your reasoning. And I can’t wait to see the big confrontation next week. 🙂
I do have one note – when Darcy is showing Elizabeth how to load the pistol, he says, “A touch more black powder here and you are ready to go.” I think the phrasing “ready to go” sounds too modern, like it doesn’t fit the times. I know that all of those words have retained their meanings since the Regency era, so it’s entirely possible that someone in that time period may have said exactly that…it’s just something about the expression and how quick and simplistic and cavalier it is. Maybe if he said something like, “A touch more black powder here and you may fire at will.” Obviously it’s your call!
Author
Thanks, Lena.That’s a good point about the phrasing. Sometimes I miss those things, no matter how often I go over it!