Mr Charles Hartford was a man of few words and even fewer displays of emotion. On the surface his temperament was mild and even, and an air of indifference appeared to be his permanent state. There was no question of his affection for his wife and daughter, however, and those close to him could vouch for his doting on Miranda, which bordered on overindulgence, some would say.
His aloofness belied a surprising awareness of all that occurred around him, however, and lately he had sensed a growing attachment between Miranda and one Mr Preston, their neighbour and the new landlord of The Hamilton. At first he had doubted himself, brushing it off as a trick of his imagination, but upon closer observation it became laughably clear. They were hopelessly in love, their feelings palpable.
His suspicions had begun at evenings with the other local gents, where Mr Preston often joined in with their drinks and card games. Mr Preston almost never brought up Miranda of his own accord, but the mere mention of her name never failed to capture his attention fully, and more often than not he had a kind word to say about her, praising her character and wit.
Miranda had been less discreet, taking a sudden and amusingly intense interest in his outings, interrogating him and eagerly hanging onto every detail. Once he grew aware of this he sometimes entertained himself by repeating a compliment from Mr Preston, watching her blush and smile to herself.
Then there were the increasingly frequent letters addressed to Miranda, who now immediately flounced up the stairs and shut herself in her room after the arrival of the postman. Once averse to exercise, she now joined Tilly on her morning walks without complaint, and her mood was always brightened on their return. She even became so bold as to suggest that they allow her to take some walks on her own, which nearly raised his eyebrows off his head. "I don't think that's a good idea darling," he'd said. This was met with an exasperated sigh and an eye roll.
Penny felt her revitalised demeanour must be attributed due to the fresh air and the presence of Tilly as a companion, but he suspected there were other reasons.
Like any good father, he had wrung his hands over the thought of marrying his daughter off to the wrong man. Mr Preston was a likeable enough gentleman, hardworking, good at cards, and an exceptional purveyor of cake, and he had thusly braced himself for the courtship announcement and prepared some questions on how he intended to provide for Miranda. However, time marched on, and the pair of them remained strangely silent on the matter.
It was curious that Penny remained entirely oblivious to this (perhaps willfully so), especially given her so called matchmaking abilities. While she rambled on about another potential new suitor from Norfolk, he only made one remark on the matter. "Perhaps Miranda would be more partial to someone closer to home, darling."