Sentence:  As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, <WSD>prepared</WSD> to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To make oneself ready; to get ready, make preparation.