The day after Mr Preston's departure, Miranda held an emergency afternoon tea with Stevie and Tilly, who were both humming with anticipation, aware they were about to bear witness to a major development.

Miranda was still glowing from yesterday's events, and she recounted every detail like an excited child, relishing in their giddy reactions.

"…and then when we were saying goodbye he tucked my hair behind my ear," she said, turning pink at the memory. "He stroked my face so gently, so lovingly..."

"Yes, and then what?!" Stevie demanded.

"Well…" she said coyly, "a lady doesn't kiss and tell…"

Tilly let out a sharp squeal and grabbed Stevie, who was about to fall off the couch. "Oh Miranda!"

"…but I'm not very good at being a lady, so let me tell you, it was perfect. I felt so alive! I couldn't have asked for a better goodbye."

"Oh, love is so beautiful," Tilly wept, before raising an eyebrow. "You know, they say being a good kisser is the sign of a good lover."

Miranda and Stevie shrieked in surprise.

"Tilly!"

"You're so naughty!"

"Who's they?"

"How do you know?"

Tilly smirked and said nothing, and they fell apart laughing.

Miranda had just caught her breath when the gravity of the situation hit home all of a sudden, and she immediately spun herself back into a panicked state.

"Oh my goodness, I'm going to be a wife! Stevie, am I ready?"

"Can I be your bridesmaid?"

"Yes of course you will be! But back to me please."

Stevie cocked her head and stared at her quite seriously. "Miranda, maturity has never been your strong point, but I suspect it isn't Mr Preston's either. You're perfect for each other."

Miranda pursed her lips. "Not the resounding confidence I was hoping for, but I accept your honesty." She sighed. "We are perfect, aren't we? We're going to be husband and wife! In our own house, with some dogs, and a few children. I think I shall be a permissible mother. Oh there's so much ahead," she said dreamily. Visions of domestic bliss floated before her, filling her with such joy she felt as if the vapours alone could nourish her indefinitely.

"Remember ladies," said Tilly, throwing her arms around them, "we must always remain friends through it all. No matter where we go or where we end up."

"Our children shall play together."

"Our husbands shall be the best of friends!"

"We'll grow old gracefully together!"

"Disgracefully!

The trio sighed happily.

"And now I have an outing with Mr Detorri to endure this week," Miranda lamented. "How ghastly!"

"He is a bit of a cad, from what I hear," said Tilly, sipping her tea. "But just think, this is the last time you'll have to put up with such suitors."


Tilly's words rung in her head as Mr Detorri's carriage pulled them through the village.

The outing had not got off to a good start. Mr Detorri had arrived late, and she had been ushered into the admittedly grand carriage with a sense of being sent to slaughter.

"Best behaviour Miranda!" Penny had shouted, chasing after her with a puff of rouge and a cloud of perfume.

Mr Detorri had sat far too close with a most unsettling smile plastered on his face, more of a teeth display than a grin. Stilted greetings were exchanged, and they were off.

"So what brings you to Surrey again Mr Detorri?" she asked.

"Oh these little villages are so quaint, are they not? And the ladies aren't bad either," he said, eyeing her up and down and slithering up next to her like an eel.

She shoved him back across his seat. "I wish I could say the same for the visiting gentlemen."

"Ooh, feisty!" he said with a snort. "I must say I usually get met with a warmer reception."

"Well I'd say it is most certainly undeserved!"

He seemed to recoil at this, and they sat in stony silence for a while. When Mr Detorri next spoke, it was in a far more subdued manner, asking after her mother and some questions about the local landmarks. She begrudgingly responded in kind, and by the time they reached the main street they were managing to have an almost cordial conversation.

Miranda was rattling off some facts about the buildings when they passed the Hamilton, which brightened her mood immediately. "…and that inn is owned by Mr Preston. He lives next door."

Startled, Mr Detorri leant over the side to look back at the building with a scowl on his lips. "Preston, you say?"

"Do you know him?" she asked, surprised.

He folded his arms and let out a huff. "Yes, unfortunately," he said. "From home."

Miranda frowned. They had both been at Penny's ball when Tilly first arrived, but she hadn't noticed any tension between them there. In fact, she wasn't sure they had met at all.

"Well he's not here," she declared. "Apparently he's returned home for a visit."

"Tending to his neglected fiancee I suppose," he muttered. "I see he's made good use of her fortune."

It took a moment for his words to register, for they were spoken so casually, they almost passed her by.

And then the full weight hit her like a bomb, sucking the air out of her lungs and obliterating everything she had known to be true.