A/N Hello there! This is my newest fic, and I hope you enjoy it. I have just recently discovered the wonderful world of Candleford, and I have decided to write about it. This will be a series of one-shots, with a prologue and an epilogue. Anyway, without further ado, here is the prologue. Oh, and I obviously don't own Candleford, etc.

Prologue:
Overture

"Sir, are you all right?" Timothy shook his head violently, trying to get out of the stupor he was in.

"I'm sorry, Phillip, I don't believe I heard you correctly. Did you say that the elder was knocked over in the storm?"

"Er, yes, sir," Timothy's gamekeeper responded, unsure of how to act.

Timothy knew he should not have been surprised, but for some reason, a romantic notion he supposed, he had always thought that the elder would live for at least as long as he did. To think otherwise had never occurred to him.

"Yes, thank you, Phillip," Timothy said, waving a hand at Phillip, indicating that he should leave. Phillip in turn bowed curtly and turned on his heel, leaving Timothy alone to ponder what this meant. There really was no reason to be upset; she had said no to him, it was as simple as that. He could not turn back and change anything. No, all he had left were the memories.

Timothy strode outside to observe the damage done to the magnificent tree. The limbs had been broken off in such a way that it pained him to see it. Then again, he could not imagine that the tree could have been broken in a way that would not pain him.

He laid his hand on the trunk which was still intact. He could almost feel the memories seep out of the tree into his mind. There was the first time he met her, the first time he kissed her. The time they carved their initials into the tree. "Oh Dorcas, you will never know what you did to me," Timothy whispered, closing his eyes.

"Darling, what's happened out here?" Timothy turned to find his wife strolling up to him. "Oh, did the tree fall? I'm sorry; it was so beautiful," Adelaide said, though her the sound of her voice was no comfort to him.

"It's all right, Adelaide," Timothy said, placing an arm around his wife. "It was a living thing; it was bound to die eventually."

A/N I know it was very short; the rest will be much longer, I assure you! Leave a review if you please!