I like your hypothesis. Both André and Natalie might have had titles to start with. André has relocated to the New World and maybe has adopted French Revolutionary principles and could even have renounced his title. But Natalie seems rooted in the age of the monarchy and sees no reason to change her politics. I'm sure she expects the rest of the universe to adapt to her. 

Yeah, even just a flashback would have been good. Surely DC could have sprung for a couple of palm fronds fluttering outside the window of Angelique's tiny bedroom in Martinique. Sheesh.

One of Ben's (many) fine and unsuspected qualities is that Angelique may have enslaved his body, but she will never, ever enslave his spirit.

And I do love the costumes in this story line!

Forgot to express my admiration of Jeremiah's resplendent apricot silk dressing gown with deep collar and cuffs of brown velvet. And I love love love Millicent's blue top hat!

But to answer your original question, dom, the U.S. wasn't in another official war between the Revolution and 1795, unless you count the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania in 1791. I'm assuming that Ben was no longer in the Continental army at that point.

I think this episode might feature LP's first voiceover.

Welcome, Ben Stokes! Thayer David gives a near-perfect performance throughout this story line, even though he is forced to cut logs with an implausibly small hatchet.

Vicki continues to blunder her way through the eighteenth century, this time telling Joshua that Millicent "never married."

An action-packed episode!

As Barnabas continues to choke, Josette continues to scream in terror until Jeremiah and Vicki hurry in. (In fact, Josette is so terrified that she is wearing a completely different dress from the one she wore in the previous episode, even though this episode continues directly from the last one.)

Somewhere, the writers jumped the tracks with Vicki. The young girl who got off the train at Collinsport was able to “stand on her own two feet,” as she put it, holding her own with a rich and very persuasive suitor, not to mention a house full of Collinses.

Vicki foolishly tells Jeremiah that she's surprised at his concern for Barnabas. Jeremiah is outraged and insulted but explains that although he is Barnabas's uncle, they are age mates and as close as brothers. (Presumably he was the baby, born long after Abigail and Joshua, just as Sarah was born long after Barnabas. What's going on here?)

We get our first nudity on the show as the top two buttons on Barnabas's shirt are undone. Angelique secretly enjoys Josette's distress and Barnabas's suffering. When she is alone with Barn, she allows him to speak, but instead of telling her he loves her, he pleads, Help me. I can’t, she replies coldly. Even the doctor is at a loss. She adds ironically, Besides, I’m only a servant, not worthy of you. I feel I’m on the point of death, he gasps. In tears, Angelique rises from his bedside. She is truly frightened now: If he dies, she thinks to herself, I’ll have no one. I won’t lose him! [This exchange raises the interesting question of whether Barnabas knew Angelique was a witch before she came to Collinsport. He doesn’t seem surprised that she caused his attack.]

Angelique is flattered that a doctor was called and takes it as a compliment to her powers, but she is beginning to see that her spell--her first one?--is working all too well.

Realizing that she would have had nothing if Barnabas had died, Angelique finally gets the hanky off the little Continental's neck, but she has learned nothing. She still thinks that cruelty will drive Barnabas into her arms.