1877

The heavy door of 24 Corn Street closed by the hand of Mr Beer for the last time. He looked up at the familiar frontage of the house fondly; his first married home, the birth of his children and the many happy years they had spent there.

***

The cobbled street in Comfortable Place trembled under the hooves and iron rimmed wheels of the busy traffic of an ordinary morning. A cart laden with crates and furniture rocked slightly outside the doorway of number 9. Men in brown shirts, dark heavy trousers and tall shiny hats transferred the contents into the house through the large black front door. Street children stroked and patted the nose-bagged horse as he waited patiently at the front of the cart, occasionally adjusting his footing on the uneven cobbles.

The air was laden with fumes of coal fires and smoke. In all directions the terracotta, stone and iron pipes poured an endless stream of expanding gases into the overloaded sky.  There it hung above the rooftops, a grey and amber patchwork quilt. From across the river the whistle of the 10.52am Express from Bath Spa Station to Bristol Temple Meads pierced the rattle and bustle of the Square. The two-tone shrill announcing the addition of more smoke and steam to the ever-thickening smog.

Mr Beer ushered his family into their new home at No.9. Mrs Beer strode gracefully from her carriage and through the black brass knocked door. The brass gleamed majestically as it swung open. A maid, accompanied by two young children, quickly followed. 
Inside the Regency building the gas lamps hissed hypnotically. The high ceilings adorned with fine mouldings of plaster fruit and flowers, leaves and vines. The Grandfather clock ticked rhythmically and the crystal sparkled from the chandelier.
The children could hardly contain their excitement, sniggering and giggling constantly.
Standing to attention in the entrance hall, the household staff awaited their first formal address.
Mr Beer entered the house and was greeted by Sturge the Butler.
“Welcome Sir, Madame; Master Edward and Mistress Emma.”

Emma scanned the room; it was all so wonderful, not noticing her name being mentioned, she clutched Poppy, her precious porcelain doll in one hand, and a soft velvet bear-cub toy in the other.

As she looked around Emma could see the colours in the chandelier, illuminated by the gas lamps and; a small coloured window above the front door. As she gazed at the window she noticed a warm rather strange tingle in her hands. Her toys felt different as if they were holding her hands.

The Grandfather clock struck 12 times. Sturge looked at the clock to see it was only 11.00am.
“I will have the clock looked at sir, perhaps it needs regulating?” he proposed.

Emma felt strange, the room looked different and all the crystals in the chandelier tinkled gently. The gaslights whispered in a strange language and the clock ticked in time with them. The bear cub moved; or did it?
“Emma”, whispered Poppy
“Emma you’re squeezing too hard”
“Sorry Poppy. Is that better?” Emma replied while loosening her grip on the doll.
The bear cub wriggled again.
“Is that you wriggling?” Emma continued while looking down at the bear cub.
The cub sniffed and wriggled again.

Emma looked up and everyone was looking at her.

“Children upstairs please”, declared the Maid “No running “.

In the new nursery Edward sat at the end of his bed staring out of the window while Emma laid out her dolls neatly in a line on her bedside table.
“It’s nice here”, Emma told herself, “Yes very nice I think”.
Through the window and across the river the trains shunted up and down the sidings so many trucks in lines that seemed to go on for miles.
”Gosh, look at all those trucks Emma”, exclaimed Edward but Emma wasn’t listening.