This episode starts our journey in the book "Cranford" by Elizabeth C. Gaskell. Chapter one introduces the town of Cranford, a small, peaceful community in Victorian England. The town is populated by mainly unmarried and widowed women, who are the backbone of the community. The women are independant and proud of their town, which they see as a refuge from the harsh realities of the outside world.
In Chapter 2 we meet Captain Brown, a new arrival in Cranford. Captain Brown is a widower with two daughters, and he is slowly welcomed into the community by the women of Cranford. His arrival also causes some consternation, as he is not afraid to break the rules of Cranford society.