I've certainly read it as an adult, and within the last ten years, I think. Same reaction.
That may be part of an inability to suspend disbelief in reading historical romances which try to go beyond Jane Austen's careful self-limitations, and have adventure-experiencing heroines who've had a conventional upbringing (as Prudence didn't; at least her father would have been a good tutor).
Women of that period can be smart and clever, though if they're well-educated they're a statistical outlier, but very young ones (not Prudence, she's mid-twenties and has done this before) tend to be very handicapped by their remorselessly limiting upbringing. I can never read one of those "young girl is forced into spying for the French" (for some damn fool reason) without thinking her ignorance and plain terror would betray her in jig time. It's not as if these spy-masters offer adequate training.
So it may be I can't enter into the fun because unpleasant realities keep intruding upon my imagination.
However, it may be that in the case of this novel I undervalue Prue's resourcefulness; she coped handily enough with the perils of drink and indeed of sword-fighting. My view of Tony is that he was protecting her in those situations as if he was aware of her sex and its physical limitations (even if only subliminally); I doubt if he would have protected a young man of Prue's evident mental sophistication (and indeed spiritual hardiness) to the same extent, even if he fancied him. That would hardly be polite. And though he goes all overbearing male after Prue confesses, he had strong tendencies that way before. Prue was previously able to use her role to reject his intererence, which she couldn't once she was confessed a woman.
As she could have, of course, but maybe she needed a rest after living with her father and brother all her life. Tony found her restful; I fancy she found him restful too, and if he'd passed her limits of tolerance she'd have pulled him up.
I fancy Tony never really cared for his FIL or BIL, but was accommodating because Prue loved them. They're both very irritating. True romantics, which neither Prue nor Tony is.
no subject
That may be part of an inability to suspend disbelief in reading historical romances which try to go beyond Jane Austen's careful self-limitations, and have adventure-experiencing heroines who've had a conventional upbringing (as Prudence didn't; at least her father would have been a good tutor).
Women of that period can be smart and clever, though if they're well-educated they're a statistical outlier, but very young ones (not Prudence, she's mid-twenties and has done this before) tend to be very handicapped by their remorselessly limiting upbringing. I can never read one of those "young girl is forced into spying for the French" (for some damn fool reason) without thinking her ignorance and plain terror would betray her in jig time. It's not as if these spy-masters offer adequate training.
So it may be I can't enter into the fun because unpleasant realities keep intruding upon my imagination.
However, it may be that in the case of this novel I undervalue Prue's resourcefulness; she coped handily enough with the perils of drink and indeed of sword-fighting. My view of Tony is that he was protecting her in those situations as if he was aware of her sex and its physical limitations (even if only subliminally); I doubt if he would have protected a young man of Prue's evident mental sophistication (and indeed spiritual hardiness) to the same extent, even if he fancied him. That would hardly be polite. And though he goes all overbearing male after Prue confesses, he had strong tendencies that way before. Prue was previously able to use her role to reject his intererence, which she couldn't once she was confessed a woman.
As she could have, of course, but maybe she needed a rest after living with her father and brother all her life. Tony found her restful; I fancy she found him restful too, and if he'd passed her limits of tolerance she'd have pulled him up.
I fancy Tony never really cared for his FIL or BIL, but was accommodating because Prue loved them. They're both very irritating. True romantics, which neither Prue nor Tony is.