*Edited*
Smoke filled the once chilling spring afternoon as the sun hid behind the thick clouds casting a dull, grey light over the town of Bellstone. People in ragged, torn, patched up clothes rushed around on that Wednesday afternoon, which just so happened to be the second Wednesday of the month; market day. The small town bustled with people rushing around and stall holders yelling over each other trying desperately to sell their goods to anyone in hope of earning a shilling to feed their families. The air filled thickly with the dust from the road and the smoke from the ever working cotton mill: that put this small town on the map. The seagulls screaming above as they flew in search of food themselves, finding it nowhere.
A figure clocked in a dull dark green cloak walked through the market at a steady pace. The woman had her hair tucked away and the hood pulled up her head and down over her eyes, hiding herself to the towns people's vision. She held a old worn out, hand made straw basket that had a poor excuse of a loaf of bread held within it. Her long green dress -much the same colour as her cloak- could be seen peaking through the front. She had a gold coloured tie around her waist handing loosely.
" My lord please, I beg you. I meant nought by it, honest." An old man called out to a taller well groomed man, who stood proudly above the cowering man at his feet.
" What you have done, has no excuses!" The well groomed man spat at the defenceless man covering at his feet.
" Please sir, I 'ave four children 'nd wife." The man begged as the well groomed Lord began to beat him with his cane. Hard enough to bruise him, but not hard enough to break the skin.
" What is the man's crime?" The woman asked a man that stood next to her, he was tall and had a large belly dressed in a dirty white shirt.
" He asked for the master ta spare a penny. " He chuckled at the sight of the Lord beating the lesser hungry man.
" That is all?" She asked annoyed he would give such a beating for such a little thing.
" Aye, everyone knows not to pester the master." He spoke in a very deep thick accent.
" He seems to be so full of himself." The woman growled angrily as the man gave the finishing blow to the poor man.
" Best not let 'im hear you say that. Ya might find yerself in his shoes next time." The man said as he turned and walked away. The woman sighed and walked over to the man laying on the floor in pain. She knelt down and helped him to his feet and looked at his face.
" Put some herbs on your wounds. You will be fine." She told him as he nodded and thanked her before shuffling off. The woman sighed and went back to walking through the market until she stopped at a stall which had slices of fresh meat upon the old worn wooden table. Flies buzzed around the meat, landing on it and flashing around on the pink with a brown tint, slimy flesh.
"How much?" Her gentle elegant voice floated through the thick air. The fat butcher huffed and he brought down his heavy thick knife onto the wood.
" To much for a poor girl such as yer self." He growled as the lady sighed and looked to the meat.
" What price for the meat." An well spoken voice called from the woman's right side. She turned her head within her cloak to see a very tall man with black curly hair the fell past his ears. It was the so called Lord that beat a man for asking him to spare a penny so he could feed his family.
" Three shillin's a pound, sir." The butcher told him as he nodded signalling the butcher to sell him a pound of meat. The woman sighed and turned around, making her way back through the market. She looked around the stalls before making sure to cover her measly loaf of bread; barely enough to fill the stomach of a child for the day.
YOU ARE READING
Red Haired Beauty (wattys2016)
Historical Fiction" You would refuse something that you cannot afford and was graciously bought for you?" The man asked clearly annoyed at her refusal of his kindness. " I may not have money to afford such delicacies but I am not a charity case, nor will I accept thi...
