A Soldier’s Tale – Colonel Fitzwilliam takes centre stage

If you were to ask a gathering of Jane Austen fans and Pride and Prejudice lovers who their favourite side character is, I suspect Colonel Fitzwilliam would receive quite a large share of the votes.

He has very little page-time, and Austen uses him as little more than a plot device, both to act as a foil to his cousin and to rile up Elizabeth’s anger at Darcy, but there is something undeniably appealing about this not-quite-handsome, but most gentlemanlike and charming officer, who has the potential to sweet Miss Elizabeth Bennet off her feet. He cannot end up with this particular young woman, but he certainly needs a happily-ever-after of his own.

JAFF authors over the years have matched the good colonel with a selection of eligible ladies, from Jane Bennet to Charlotte Collins, and even to characters from Austen’s other novels. I’ve certainly enjoyed a great many of these tales, and love seeing what fates our community has in mind for our favourite soldier.

I’ve now added my pen to the collection, with this new novel that’s been slowly percolating in my head for far too long. I first started writing A Soldier’s Tale in 2019, but the plot bunny was hopping long before that, and I’m delighted that this novel is finally ready to greet the world.

Unlike many versions of Colonel F’s story, I have reached beyond Austen’s universe for many of the characters who cross Richard’s path. And yes, I have named him Richard. Jane Austen might not have liked the name, but I have no reason to swim against the tide, and happily concede to Fanon here.

Don’t worry, though. Our favourites from Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice are all here as well, and the events of P&P unfold as in canon, but now in the background, while Colonel F’s story takes centre stage.

I am delighted to use my spot at Always Austen to present to you the cover for my upcoming release. Thanks so much to my new cover artist, Dash at Caliope Covers, for her lovely artwork.

Here is the blurb:

A Soldier’s Tale: A Pride and Prejudice Companion

Major Richard Fitzwilliam appears to have everything he could desire. The son of an influential earl, respected for his military service, and favoured by the season’s loveliest debutante, his future seems secure. Yet heartbreak—and his father’s relentless interference—drive Richard to flee England for Bermuda, where the Royal Navy is constructing a vast new military base.

Bermuda is idyllic, and Richard soon forms a quiet friendship with Emily, the sensible, intelligent daughter of the local colonel. Emily is firmly resolved never to marry, a stance that suits a man determined to protect a wounded heart. But beneath the archipelago’s sunlit coves and turquoise waters lie jealousy and malice. What begin as harmless pranks turn into dangerous incidents, revealing a hidden enemy with a personal vendetta—one that follows Richard back to London and threatens everything he holds dear.

Set alongside the unfolding events of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, A Soldier’s Tale carries Richard Fitzwilliam from glittering ballrooms to shadowed alleyways, from Bermuda’s fortifications to the manicured lawns of Rosings Park. As danger closes in and loyalties are tested, Richard must discover the true measure of courage—and risk his heart once more for a love worth fighting for.

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And please enjoy this excerpt from A Soldier’s Tale, which is now available for pre-order at Amazon. It will also be available to read on Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback.

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He was here, further from England than ever he had been before, finally out of his father’s reach. He had his colonel to answer to, of course, but now, at this moment, he was entirely independent, going wherever he wished to direct his steps, needing to heed nobody. It was a fine thing indeed, and he was pleased to allow his mind to wander as freely as his feet.

As he walked, bright sparkles of sunlight drew his attention from the water, snatches of which he could spy through the surrounding foliage, casting the day in a sort of mystical aura. He laughed at himself; for a moment, he could even believe that Prospero himself, Shakespeare’s sorcerer of the magical isle, were commanding the elements, such was the startling effect. In his mind’s eye, he pictured lovely Miranda floating before him through the bushes, waiting to command some spirit to do her bidding.

He could almost see her, slim but with a woman’s form, not too tall, neither too short, her hair hidden beneath a flower-trimmed bonnet, her frock pale and light and suitable for the clime as she traced the path far ahead of him. What a fancy! Once more, he chuckled to himself as another glint of bright reflected sunlight flashed into his eyes.

Then the image stumbled on a fallen branch and exclaimed something Richard could not fully hear. It seemed, however, that the image had a good salty vocabulary. Such was the peril of living on a military base.

“Miss Barrow!” Richard greeted her across the separating gap. She spun about to discover who was calling.

Miss Barrow was the daughter of the commanding colonel at the Dockyard. Richard had been introduced to her and her mother shortly after his arrival, but he had, thus far, no cause to engage in any sort of conversation beyond, ‘How do you do?’ and ‘Very well, thank you.’ The lady was not particularly young—perhaps two or three years younger than himself—and seemed, by her residence at the fort, to have resigned herself to a life of spinsterhood.

If she had aspirations of marriage, surely, she would have found an aunt or cousin with whom to live in England, where she might meet some eligible gentleman in want of a wife. Here, in Bermuda, and despite the wealth of officers, such that were seeking a spouse were few.

Miss Barrow looked back at him, her expression unreadable. This was their first encounter out of doors, and she looked different in the sunshine. In the dappled light under the trees, Richard saw the sun pick out hair of medium brown, and when he got closer, he could see her eyes were a bright, green-flecked hazel. She was not beautiful, not in that heart-stopping manner, but neither was she plain. Her features were regular and not unappealing, and her lashes thick and dark. But he could no longer look at a woman’s face without the unwitting comparison with that of Honoria Ingalls, callous though she might be, and every other such face paled in contrast. Miss Barrow held no candle to that cruel beauty.

Perhaps Richard’s expression showed some hint of disdain. Perhaps Miss Barrow, like her father, was not the object of widespread approval. But at his approach, her face clouded over, and she stepped backwards. Could she be afraid of him? It hardly seemed likely! He was a newcomer to the island and an officer as well, everything respectable. Still, her voice was hard with suspicion as she returned his greeting with a rebuke.

“I did not expect to be followed, sir. Have you been dogging my steps since I left the fort?”

“What?” He had not expected such a reproach. What had made her so combative? “I, follow you? No, not at all. I was walking to Somerset to learn my way about the town and saw you ahead of me. I did not mean to interrupt your walk. I shall turn back if it pleases you.”

His walk and his sun hat would have to wait for another day, it seemed. He could not hold back a huff of disappointment.

Her face retained its wary expression, but she relaxed her stiff carriage.

“Forgive my presumption. I have learned to be cautious. My father is not always a favourite amongst his subordinates.” She did not elaborate on her comment, but there was little doubt as to what she meant. If the men disliked her father, might they not also take out their antagonism on his daughter in so many little ways?

“I shall return to the Dockyard and leave you to your walk.” Despite the rumblings he had heard from some of the men, he liked the colonel and had no desire to bring unhappiness to Miss Barrow. “It is a fine day. I wish you well.” He bowed deeply with the elegance trained into him by a succession of tutors and turned around to return to the fort.

He had gone no more than a dozen paces when he heard a thundering behind him. If he did not know better, he could believe it was a horse approaching at great speed. Yet this path was far too narrow for such rashness. Was it not?

His momentary speculation was split by a scream from somewhere behind him, and as he turned in his place to see what had happened, the horse raced past at a tremendous pace, far too fast to notice who might be riding it with such recklessness. But this was not the time to pursue the rushing steed. He must see to Miss Barrow, whose cry had arrested his steps. His feet were moving almost before his brain absorbed the import of the sound, and in a moment, he was back in that place where he had left her. There was no one in sight, but that cry—

She could not be far.

You can find A Soldier’s Tale at Amazon, where it is be available for preorder. It will be released on March 10, 2026.