Although I think it's in the Gothic Novel rules that the heroine's noble father *should* be able to fight ;-), Frederic may be considerably the worse for wear from the wounds and other hardships he sustained during his fighting years. It's just as well that he and Manfred never got around to that single combat, isn't it? ;-) I also agree that he may have left when his daughter was a very small child, though I'm a bit surprised that neither of them exclaims "You're the spitting image of my dear departed wife", or "You remind me of my favourite Uncle Marmaduke"!