Thou Shall Not Fall

Prologue

Prologue:

Church Hulme, 1912

I had just gotten off work, and I was on my way to Mrs.Cromwell’s house. She was a lovely older woman in her late seventies who always comes into the bakery I work at for some bread. Her two sons Henry and Edward both died in the past year from consumption, we’ve had an outbreak of it in our small town recently. Almost thirty people have died of it in the past year, including my father.

But basically, Ms.Cromwell doesn’t have any help bringing bread home, and I always felt to guilty having her walk all that way from the bakery to her small cabin. So a couple months ago I started bringing her some bread and sneaking out some pastries for her on Sundays after I got off work. Her and I bonded over it and she had become a great friend of mine.

Times have been extremely rough for me and my family. After my father died my Mum had to find work, and that isn’t exactly easy for a woman of her age. We’ve always been middle class and have been able to afford a comfortable living, but after my father died we were getting zero income. So me and my Mother were forced to find work, and my sister, Gemma, has been trying her best to find herself a suitable husband. My mother doesn’t get much money cleaning houses so it is pretty much my job to bring in the pay roll. And I’m fine with that, I love taking care of my family. 

But even my job doesn’t make enough. I haven’t been able to pay our maids in almost two months. They have all deserted us except for Charlotte. Charlotte is the daughter of mine and Gemma’s nanny that died last year. She grew up with us and I don’t think she would ever desert us. I give her a small purse whenever I can but I know it isn’t enough for her. I’m just happy she understands our situation, and I am forever indebted to her.

But I have a feeling that our misfortune will all change soon. And I think that Michael is the one that is going to change it all for us. Michael is a gentlemen that has been courting my sister. He is extremely wealthy! Not exactly royalty, but pretty close. He has already helped us a bit, he is actually the man that got me the job at the bakery, he owns it. Every now and then he gives me and my Mum some spending money, it’s very little, but considering he has only known my sister for a small amount of time it is very generous.

He is very smitten with her. He buys her all these lavish gifts, jewels, and dresses and other pretty things. Since I’m now the man in the house I have already had “The Talk” with the two of them. Call me old fashioned, but they are a bit to touchy for my taste. I was brought up in a very religious family and I believe in abstinence until marriage, even for men. It’s just respect, respect for your future spouse and for yourself.

I was almost out the bakery door when I decided to bring some short breads with me. I know Ms.Cromwell likes them so I got a few and went to the register and put in a few pence. After I did that, I grabbed a few loafs of fresh bread from the scullery and was out the front door. I was always excited to see Ms.Cromwell. My visits always seemed to make her day, and to be honest they made mine too. I didn’t have a lot of friends, and she was kind of the closest thing I had to that. Plus she knew how to make a good cuppa.

I walked outside and to the alley where I had left my bike. I put the bread and pastries in the basket and then hopped on. We had lost to much money to afford our own cart, so I took up cycling whereas my mother and sister took the horse-drawn tram whenever they came to the village. I liked cycling better than being in a tram though, I had more control over what I was doing and I could enjoy my surroundings better. It was a nice way to clear my head. 

After I got to Ms.Cromwell’s small cabin, I hopped off my bike and grabbed my basket. I walked to her door and tapped gently three times. It took a moment but soon enough the older woman opened the door with a familiar warm smile.