The first customer
An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.
Edward reached the bakery while the street lamps were still burning. At the doorway he paused, one hand fixed to the latch, although Master Bell had already called him inside. The shop seemed full of warnings: the oven hissed, trays clattered, and the little bell above the door gave a sharp cry whenever it moved. Edward checked the knot of his apron, then checked it again. He kept close to the wall, afraid that even his elbows might cause some expensive disaster.
The first customer was a tired-looking woman who asked for two brown loaves. Master Bell pointed to the shelf, but Edward had already found them. He wrapped the bread, counted the coins once, and placed them neatly in the drawer. “Quite right,” said Master Bell. When the bell sounded again, Edward did not jump. He stepped towards the door before the baker could turn.
Analyse the writer’s use of language and structure in presenting Edward’s growing confidence during his first morning at the bakery.
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Support your answer with references to the passage.