Miranda approached Mr Preston gingerly and they began walking side by side. She had longed to be alone with him, but now the circumstance had presented itself, she was overcome by shyness. They walked without speaking, the silence only broken by the sound of their boots rustling through the grass.
"How unusual this is," Mr Preston murmured.
"What is?"
"Meeting you in ordinary circumstances," he said, with a hint of playfulness. "It seems we are destined to cross paths in less than ideal settings."
"And what would be an ideal setting?" she asked, her heart quickening.
He thought for a moment and let out a sigh. "One where I could start over," he said, mostly to himself.
Miranda wrinkled her brow. How cryptic. "I'm sorry I pretended not to know you yesterday," she said.
"The fault lies with me. Had I perceived the situation better, you would not have found yourself in such a predicament. I hope I did not cause much conflict between you and your mother "
"Oh, it was awful," she said with a grin. "I don't know if I shall ever recover from the scolding she gave me."
He chuckled at this. "You hide your suffering well."
"How is your head?" she asked.
"A little bruised. No permanent damage."
They continued trading gentle barbs while moving at a leisurely pace. Up ahead, Tilly and Charlie were now engaged in an animated conversation on the fauna of South England.
Miranda and Mr Preston's gazes flickered at each other every so often, and she soon found herself studying his every feature, sneaking glances at every opportune moment. They were almost the same height, with him being just taller, an uncommon occurrence for her. He had a slight tan from the fine summer weather, and his features were well-defined, but not too sharp, with pleasingly gentle edges. She envied his dark lashes and kind eyes that were so expressive, with unknown depths. They were always tender beneath what she had initially perceived as sterness, but there was a mournful quality to them too, one which she had noticed on their first meeting. His curly mop of hair was slightly unruly, which gave him a boyish air.
"Why did you move to Surrey, of all places?" she asked, breaking herself out of her reverie. "It must not have only been because of the inn. A sleepy town like this would have bored most gentlemen."
He clasped his hands behind his back. "I must admit it was simply circumstances that brought me here at first. But on acquainting myself, I'd say it has its charms," he said, their eyes meeting for a moment. "And I wanted a fresh start, somewhere no one knew me."
"Why? So you could hide your sordid criminal past?" She teased. "Good word, sordid..."
"Something like that," he said. His face, which was already pleasing to gaze upon, radiated an earnest warmth when he smiled. "But any deeds, good or malicious, would have attracted little notice back home," he continued. Everyone only knows of my elder brothers in Norfolk,"
"Ah, so you're a gent off to make a name for himself," she postulated. "Well if your brothers are more noteworthy than you, they must be extraordinary gentlemen."
"I would not go that far. The order of one's birth grants some percuniary advantages."
"What a pity. We shall have to settle for you."
"You wound me Miss Hartford. I assure you I am the superior one."
"But assurances are not adequate to convince me," she said half-seriously, thinking of all the empty words she had heard before. "A man can only stand by his actions."
He did not reply, and when she glanced at him, his eyes were bright with a hint of a smile on his lips.
"You are an intriguing lady, Miss Hartford."
Before she could respond, they were startled by a honking noise from behind them. She turned to find a solitary goose, perturbed by some action it had deemed most offensive. Mr Preston's jaw tightened and he hurriedly excused himself before walking off at a great pace, almost overtaking Charlie and Tilly, which only enraged the goose even more.
"Mr Preston, wait!" Miranda called, breaking into a run. "It is only a goose, I assure you its bark is worse than its bite!"
"They bite?!" came his panicked reply.
The goose was now in a proper flap. Tilly was delighted by the sudden appearance of a new avian friend and began chasing after the goose herself. "Anser cygnoides! Isn't she darling?"
"Certainly not!"
"You must turn around and make eye contact with the bird!" Charlie shouted. "Assert your dominance! Running shall only provoke it more!"
And that was how three of them ended up in pursuit of a goose, with poor Mr Preston leading the pack.
Incredibly, Tilly managed to tame the goose in the end. As a few feathers were lost in the commotion, she insisted on bringing it back to the pond at Woolford to recuperate, after assuring Mr Preston that he would never have to lay eyes upon it again.
"What did you say about ordinary circumstances again?" Miranda asked, while Tilly cooed at the goose, which was now happily tucked under her arm.
"I must have tempted fate," he said. He flinched as Tilly brushed past and the goose hissed at him one last time.
Miranda began laughing at the absurdity of it all, and he couldn't help but join in. The whole ordeal had dissolved much of the tension between them. She found herself remarkably relaxed, and by the time they reached the entrance of Woolford, she felt more lighthearted and carefree than she had been in many months. Outside the front entrance was Penny, who was waiting to greet them.
