The Enigma of Albert Morris by Leo 1

 Chapter One:

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Another day in the the town of Dover. Folks of the town gathered in the tavern last night for the big news that the great Lord Albert Morris would make a visit to the poor of the town. The old men folks have been drinking so they were still lying however the women were working. The children were playing in the streets. As the people of Dover were unable to provide their children with education. It would've been a blessing if they even had enough to eat education was a different  matter. A very dull day it was. The dead of winter had already managed to eat up the supplies of crops. As spring came people started harvesting in a great amount. 

In the House of Lords it was decided that each month a great amount of wheat would be supplied to the poor Towns in England. Each month a Lord would be elected. This time it was Sir Albert Morris. 

"What good they do eh?" A women said to Margaret. "At least they ought to see the folks of poor." Margaret replied. "I will go n see what the lazy Catherine is up to." She said to the woman and moved to her house with the wood she gathered.

"This place isn't clean you moron." Margaret shouted at Catherine. " This ain't your wealthy home aye.?" Margaret grabbed Catherine's ear. "After finishing get the eggs ready. I'll go wake me daughter up." Margaret went upstairs the wooden ladder.  

Margaret a woman in late fifty's was skinny. Her face was full of freckles. She was poor but her appearance made her look even more destitute than she was.

Catherine Ayling was a sweet girl aged 18. She was born to rich parents Amelia Ayling and Robert Ayling. They were wealthy and happy. Catherine attended school. That's why she knew how to speak well. It was a time when England was at war with Northumberland that her father died in war. The assets of her family were looted. Her mother died of sickness as the roads were blocked from York to London. 

She ended up being an orphan and at mercy of her step maternal uncle John and his wife Margaret. She had no other relative but she really wished she didn't have them so she could go to an orphanage. But destiny had its own way and her fate was tied to this family and their poverty.

Catherine Ayling was very beautiful. She was tall had very fine features , big eyes and a fine nose. There were times when Margaret wouldn't give her food. Won't let her bath. That didn't affected her beauty it only would made her a little pale. Her ash blonde hair were the crown of her beauty that gave her the perfect look but due to poverty her beauty was affected.

The entire farming and house chorus were done by Catherine. Her hands which were as gentle as fur were always blistered due to the hard work.

Margaret and John owned a rusty cottage and a two hundred square lot on which they farmed and made a living. It was Robert who would look after them when he used to be alive. Margaret and John were always jealous of Robert and his family. Robert was the legitimate son of Duke Gareth Ayling and his mother was linked to the Tudors. However John's mother was a farmer. The concubine of Gareth and that was the main factor of jealousy between them.

It was Catherine whom they tortured and fed their jealousy towards the Ayling family.

Margaret and John had a daughter Anastasia. She was short and very fat. With chubby face and red dots on her face and mostly all over her skin. There were some even harsh times when Anastasia would beat Catherine. The reason was always her beauty.

"Wake me child its midday already." Margaret woke up her daughter. "Today Lord is comin I want you to be pretty today what if the Lord fancy you?" Margaret was up to mischief.  "This true." Anastasia grabbed Margaret's hand to get up. "Whole town is talking bout it." 

She looked around to check if someone's eavesdropping.

''Ma, this house is so little for any fella to overhear us even if we whisper some will hear about it.'' Anastasia said in her heavy voice.

''You know, this girl is best in every ting, whatever it may be , you must do something that she stays behind. Understand.'' she said smiling venomously.

''Like what?'' she snorted.

''Go clean, bathe, wear nice clothing and then me does something that ell be enough for ye.''

John arrived and dropped all the hay on the kitchen floor and began smoking weed in one corner. 

That was also a torture for Catherine, although he could have wrapped the hay and left in the silo before coming here but he didn't wrap it on purpose to make more troublesome work for the poor orphan Catherine.

''Mother, what wrong I did to see these days? You and father were the most loving to me and I lived in heaven, what hell is brought upon me when I am innocent. I wish I lived in an orphanage rather than this hell.'' she said in her heart and began cooking the stew. Then left it on low flame and gathered the hay then she went to the silo to store it in it. 

Her companion was only the two sheep's with whom she slept at night in the broken cottage near the silo. The moon and the barks of willow with which she would talk about her sorrows.

The one who used to sleep in silks and quilts of satin all her covering in the cold was a torn woolen bag and the bark of willow her pillow and the hay was her mattress.

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