The men trampled about the shop, it was a miracle they didn't wake up poor little Johanna or my lilly. I clutched my shawl close to me feeling the chill in the air of something not right in the world.
"Where Is that child Mrs. Lovett? She belongs to me now that I have her mother."
I shook my head adamantly, "I'm sure I don' know wot you're talkin about love. The babes not 'ere. 'er mum sen' 'er to some sister's 'ouse before she go' off she did. I 'avn't seen li'l johanna Barker since"
The Judge grabbed my shoulders and gave me a slight shake. "Turpin, she is now Johanna Turpin and you will address her as such." He paused for a moment and fiddled with a lock of my unruly hair.
"Should I bore of Lucy and her little daughter though. You'd make a fine prize Eleanor Lovett. Wouldn't you."
He let me go and I shivered involuntarily.
I Grabbed at my shawl.
"Congratulations by the way, I heard about your new child. I hope She will grow to be as lovely as you my dear."
" You leave Lilyanna alone, and Hanna."
"Hanna? twins well, well my dear keep them close. I fear I might tire of Lucy and Johanna sooner than you would think."
He placed a light kiss on my temple that felt the fires of hell on my skin even after he left.
The girls began to cry,"Shush, hush darlin."
I picked the girls up Johanna in one arm and lilly on the other, I looked at them they looked eerily similar for unrelated girls. Both were pale with blue eyes. In fact the only difference in their appearances was their hair color. Johanna had honey blonde locks and lily's hair was russet red like mine.
"Hush, Nothin's gonna harm you, not while I'm around. No Nothin's gonna harm you darlin's not while I'm around." I rocked the girls on my hips until they both fell asleep. I put them in lilly's cradle together.
"Congratulations girls, meet your twin sister."
Fifteen years later a dark stranger with a pale visage and a white streak in this dark hair arrived in london. He meandered his way over to fleet street, there it was the cute little shop. And its scattered little owner. He watched the young woman from the doorway.
No, that couldn't be right, she looked so young, but it was her wasn't it?
The girl looked up and he knew it wasn't Eleanor Lovett. The girl's eyes were a bright electric blue, but she looked like Elinor so much.
"A customer?" She queried, "Wait what's your rush? What's your hurry?"
She stepped out from behind the counter, "You gave me such a fright I thought' you was a ghost 'alf a 't you sit, seat ya down. Sit!" She dusted her hands off, "All I meant is that it hasn't been this quiet here in weeks. Did you come here for a pie sir?"
She marched back behind the counter and didn't stop talking so fast that he couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"Do forgive me if me 'eads a little vague." A loud thump came from over head, "Wot was that, Hey did you hear about the plague. An there's that bloke we're avoidin." She took the knife in her hand and threw it suddenly,"No you don't" a pitiful meow was heard. She shook her head, " heaven knows we try sir. But there's barely any time to inhale." She popped a meat pie on a plate. "Right you are sir, would you like a drop of ale? Mind you, I can hardly blame them." She put the plate a jug of ale in front of me. "These are probably the best pies in london."
She waved her hand at me in an impatient gesture, " Go on love give it a go, Mum's recipe. She should be back from the market anytime now."
He lifted up the pie to his mouth but stopped at the smell. He knew that smell, he'd hoped he'd forget and never smell it again. The smell of cooked man. But what did this girl have to do with it, she looked so innocent, her blue eyes brimming with life.
"What is your name my dear?" He asked her, she looked taken aback.
"Lilly Sir, short for Lilianna. My twin sisters called Hanna, Mum says it's short for Johanna but I ask you what kind of a name is Johanna?"
The pie fell to the table and broke open.
"Sir!" Lilly asked pushing quickly back from the table.
At almost the same time a slightly older version of the girl in front of him with deep brown eyes entered the shop. At the sight of the man she dropped her basket and held her hands to her mouth.
A blonde girl entered from the side entrance at the moment of the commotion, wiping a barbers razor clean on her apron, which was stained pink. The girl's eyes were the same bright blue as Lillys but her hair was golden like wheat.
The man stood from the table looking at her as though she was a ghost
"What's all this ruckus about mum? Lilly?"
Lilly shook her head hands on hips but Elinor Lovett marched over to the man and with no warning threw her arms around him crying, " Benjamin Barker!"
The corners of his mouth curved up in what passed for his smile, He breathed in the smell of his best friend.
"Nelly" he said.
"Mum," Johanna said, " Who is he."
Eleanor Lovett turned seven shades paler than her normal sallow complexion."Oh, 'Anna dear...Um... This is Benjamin barker. He's your father."
Johanna's eyes turned cold, the warmth sucked into an unforgiving ice blue. "You are no father of mine. You are scum, Barker, scum." her voice broke with tears as she spoke then she turned on her heel and dashed upstairs.
"Aye, me," Elinore lamented, " Wot was I expectin'. After fifteen years an' all. Poor 'Anna, My Poor 'Anna. Well she never forgave, you did she Nelly no no no." Eleanor muttered picking up the fresh produce from the market-no meat he noticed- And sauntered off into the back of the shop.
Lilly let out a long low whistle, " Well lookie there only been here about five minutes an you've already made a right mess o' things I'd say." She shook her beautiful auburn mop out of her face. "Well come on then Mr.B, I'll get you all set up in our spare room." And she walked ahead of him whistling and swaying her hips down the hall.