After catching up with his wicked uncle, the Marquis St. Evrémonde, Charles Darnay returns to England. On the face of it, this seems like quite an odd decision. For one thing, Charles came within an ace of being executed on a trumped-up charge of high treason. If it hadn't been for his quick-thinking lawyer and a fortuitous resemblance to Sydney Carton, he would've been toast.
But ever the romantic Frenchman, Charles has decided to remain in England primarily for reasons of the heart. He's fallen head over heels in love with Lucie Manette, another French expat, who lives in London with her father, a former prisoner of the Bastille. Charles may have had a close shave with the English criminal justice system, but at least he was acquitted, which would never happen to this young aristocrat under the tribunals of Revolutionary France. In choosing to make a life for himself in England, then, Charles isn't just listening to his heart; he's also using his head, a head that would be lost on the guillotine were he to remain in France.
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