Nellie held the baby girl close to her as she peered out the window and onto the grimy, London street. She could see her friend's golden head disappear behind a building, trailing behind the large man who had come to fetch her. "Silly little nit..." Nellie grumbled to herself, shifting the child to her other side. Glancing at the infant, she muttered, "Your mother is a bit foolish, ain't she? Obvious somethin' is going on there with that Beetle and Judge...but will she listen to Nellie? No, no she has to be so trusting. She best be home before tomorrow, or I'll lock her out I will!" The child merely stared up at her, blue eyes wide in childish wonder.
As she spoke, the make shift baby sitter wandered away from the glass and strolled around the room bouncing the girl lightly. Chortling, the infant waved her arms before sticking her fist in her mouth and sucking on it loudly. Giving her ward a firm stare, Nellie said, "You better not be like your mother; running off to God knows where late at night with a man you barely know." She paused, "O' course you do have half of your father's genes....so I suppose you could turn out alright." A light blush formed on her cheeks. "Your father....he was a good man. A beautiful man. I barely spoke to him, but I could see him glistening from far off. He was a rare treasure....and he's far away now...." Her face scrunched up in anger and she kicked a nearby chair, "All because of that damned judge!!" Suddenly covering her mouth, she looked at the baby. "You promise not to tell your mother of my language, right Johanna? ....best leave out the first bit about your father out too."
Sighing, her emotions ebbing away, Nellie walked around the room a few more times before placing little Johanna into the cradle. The infant yawned, and rubbed her large eyes with a chubby fist. Nellie chuckled, pulling a blanket up over the sleepy child. "Now you go to sleep, little one. Your mother will be back soon, a few tears on her cheeks, but she'll be back." She smiled softly at the child, gently kissing her on the forehead.
Nellie was awoken by hysterical sobs. At first she thought it was Johanna, but as she became more aware, she realized they were coming from outside the door. Stumbling up, she glanced out the window; the sun was barely peeking it's head up over the horizon. Unlatching the door she opened it slowly, squinting out into the dark. A huddled heap sat at the top of the stairs.
"....Hello?" Leaning her head out, she could make out the form of a person crouching. "Hello, is someone there?" As the last words left her lips, the person paused in their loud cries, and turned to look at her with large blue eyes.
"Oh God, Lucy!"
Flinging the door open, Nellie rushed to the other woman's side. "What happened, love? What are you doing out here?" But the only response she received was a trembling wail. "Shh shh, now, love. Let's get you inside..." Gently as she could, Nellie ushered Lucy into the loft shutting the door behind her. As they entered the small flat, it became apparent that the blonde beauty had come back with more than tears on her face. The dim lamp light revealed a purple bruise on her cheek, several more on her arms, and that her clothes were torn beyond repair. Now that she was back in her own home, Lucy began to babble between sobs and gulps of air; Nellie only held her friend close, doing her best to understand what she was saying.
Beetle had brought her to the Judges home where a large masquerade party was being held, making her feel like a street urchin by comparison. When she had turned to ask her guide where the Judge was, he had disappeared into the crowd, poor thing. As she searched, she hoped that by having a drink in her hand she'd fit in better, and maybe everyone would stop staring at her so; oh she hated how they looked at her like she was a pig being led to the slaughter. But by the third glass, the alcohol only made her head fuzzy.
"He must...have been waiting for that..." she muttered, her cries having died down. The bruised young woman looked her friend, her only friend, with watery eyes. "And...and they laughed at me, Nellie. Can you...can you believe it? Laughing. They...they all must have been..." Lucy found herself being choked up again at the memory, so Nellie finished for her in a hushed voice, "Mad. They must have been barkin mad." Gently, she reached out and brushed a golden strand from Lucy's face, understanding why it was she flinched. "Well...there's nothing to be done tonight, or this morning I should say. But don't you worry, love. Nellie will take care of ya." She smiled warmly, the other woman barely able to return the smile. Leaning forward, Misses Lovett helped Mrs. Barker up. "You poor thing..."