Again, it was those eyes. Those eyes which she knew with an overwhelming familiarity. Every emotion and every color, which color was associated with which emotion. She knew when the pupils widened and the normally deep brown lightened ever so slightly, that he was remembering. Remembering blonde hair, pale skin, and pink rosebud lips. When his eyes transformed in that fashion he was remembering Lucy. This look alone, desolate of any words, was able to cut Nellie Lovett to the core with white hot jealousy. She was also clever enough to know that when those eyes began to darken into an unnatural shade of brown, nearly black, and the pupils shrank that he was fantasizing about bloodshed. Judge Turpin's bloodshed and how he would paint the walls of his tiny barber's "shop"( a small dimly lit room with a single chair) crimson. This had always been a cue for Nellie Lovett to turn on her heel and exit the room. More often than not, she neglected to heed this cue and continued rambling, much to Mr. Todd's annoyance, so to speak. This usually resulted in a deeply resounding "Leave me" or a more forceful "GET OUT" as he habitually caressed his razor. Those razors which always seemed to laugh at her with their unforgiving silver gleam.
No doubt, Mrs. Lovett knew Mr. Sweeney Todd's eyes. If he had afforded her the opportunity she could have easily spent hours, days, and weeks staring into them, analyzing them. There was one emotion that showed through Todd's eyes on a constant basis. His eyes would flash, flash and darken to an unnatural midnight ebony. At times it even seemed as if his pupils had disappeared from sight, taking with them his soul. Or what he had left of a soul from the fifteen years spent on Devil's Island. This emotion was that of vengeance, hate, and murder lust. It showed its condemning head every time before a customer, or victim rather, entered his shop. At these times, Mr. Todd's eyes held the look of an animal predator, anticipating a fresh kill. Mrs. Lovett knew that look the best, she knew it by heart. It had flashed most furiously earlier that night when Todd knew that Turpin would soon be arriving at the shop in search of Johanna.
That same flash was present now. The flash of hate and murder lust lived vibrantly in Mr. Todd's eyes that at very moment. Mrs. Lovett identified it clearly, and acknowledged it as he embraced her in a waltz. Hiseyes flashed hate, as he declared his loyalty and promise for a life together, and they wereheaded straight for her trusty oven. Fortunately for Mrs. Lovett, she was well acquainted with Mr. Todd's moods andtendencies, and she was certain this is what saved her life.
"Not a thing to fear my love, what's dead is dead" Mr. Todd attempted to reassure her
Lies Lies Lies, Mrs. Lovett thought and that realization sunk deep within her, piercing her
heart.
Her heart seemed to shatter into a million shards in her chest. The realization that the man whom she had spent so much time catering to, listening to, whom she had willingly becoming an accomplice to murder for, the man whom she had loved and adored ever since she has laid eyes on him so many years before, the man whom she would gladly sacrifice her entire life and soul for, he intended to kill her in the slowest most sadistic fashion possible. He was more than willing to throw her life away, like a dirty, used up rag.
The thought of it penetrated her soul, but Mrs. Lovett began to regain her mental composure through all the pain. Shefelt something begin to grow and rise. He had broken her heart yes, but this a different emotion was boiling up inside of her . Rage, betrayal, combined with heartbreak. She had always had a fiery spirit. A spirit that no one had been able to kill through all of her trials, and Nellie Lovett was fighting mad.
"And life is for the alive my dear, so let's keep living it just keep living it …" Todd rambled on, his dark eyes flashing and a thin smirk playing across his lips.
Todd was trying his damndest to trick her into believing his intentions were pure, so the crafty baker let him believe that he had indeed deceived her.
The pair continued to waltz. They were quickly nearing the blazing heat of the oven, Mrs. Lovett had to think fast.She could feel his hands tightening on her arms like claws and the muscles in his arms tensing, fully prepared to toss her in.
Oh no you don't Mr. T, I'm not about to make this easy on you, not like the rest of your victims did, Mrs. Lovett thought.
As soon as they were no more than five feet away from the ghastly oven, she felt his attempt to shove her coming.
"REALLY LIVING IT!!" Todd screamed at the top of his lungs, his once beautiful facial features contorted by the thought of vengeance and close victory.
Mrs. Lovett stared into his dark eyes once more and met the evil that vengeance had spawned lurking there.It was at that point that she brought the heel of her foot down on his with all her might. Todd yelped in surprise andpain, loosened his death grip but didn't let go. At that point, their struggle ensued.
Todd gripped Mrs. Lovett's forearms with an iron force and began to drag her closer to the oven.
" You lied to me, you knew she lived, because of YOU my Lucy lies dead at my feet. Now go back to where you came from, to burn in hell, you unholy bitch," Todd hissed with flashing eyes as he gnashed his teeth. He made yet another attempt to fling her into the fiery gaping mouth of the oven, but Mrs. Lovett held fast to his arms.
"After all I've done for you, all I've sacrificed, you plan to see me fry. I'm sorry Mr. T, but I would only go to hell to watch YOU burn!" Mrs Lovett screamed and with that she brought her knee up with a great force to land on his groin.
Mr. Todd spit out a choked gasp, let go of her, and fell to his knees. His razor dropped from its holster to the ground. Stunned for a second, Mrs. Lovett wasn't able to move. Her breaths were coming in short ragged gasps. She turned to make her way through the door and up the stairs, but she hadn't moved quickly enough. From his position on the ground Todd lunged forward and grabbed Mrs. Lovett's ankle. His grip caused her to fall flat on her stomach, knocking the wind right out of her lungs. Todd managed to regain a bit of his composure and turned the frightened Mrs. Lovett onto her back with a groan. He positioned himself over her and grabbed his razor.
"Stupid, stupid woman. To fancy a life with me by the sea. To ever think you could take Lucy's place You could never be like Lucy was to me," Todd spat as he brought the razor to her neck. He wanted his last words to cut her heart as deeply as his razor would soon cut her neck.
" You're right Mr. T. I will never be like Lucy. Because I loved you more than that insane woman ever could and did. Silly nit that she was, she couldn't even hold herself together long enough to take care of her own child…tryin' ta take the easy way out and turnin' herself stark ravin mad in the process, turnin to beggin and whorin herself around town. You most certainly are correct Mr T. I will NEVER be like Lucy," Mrs. Lovett retorted as she grasped Todd's wrists in an attempt to push his hideous razor away from her neck .
Todd made a strangled outburst of rage and pushed back.
"You will never speak about Lucy in that manner again, sullying her name even now, you deserve to die!"
Their struggle continued for what seemed like hours. Mrs. Lovett felt herself rapidly losing strength. How could she ever expect to win a physical struggle with this man? Her hope and energy were rapidly depleting. Mentally she prepared herself to die. She thought back on her life and of all the images that flashed through her mind, her memories of Mr. T were most dominant. She remembered the friendship they had created in the years before he had been shipped off to prison. She also recalled the happiness and rapid beating of her heart when he had returned to her after those long fifteen years. How he had changed from the gentle hearted and polite Benjamin Barker to the still beautiful but deviously dark and brooding Mr. Todd.
Look at me she thought to herself I must be sick in the head, I still love the man who is about to take my life any minute now.
She closed her eyes and waited on death to arrive and take her away to some place finally quiet. But it didn't. Instead, what she heard was a dull thud and the sound of Todd's grunts. Then silence. She opened her eyes, looked up and saw a angel with wet clothes and a dirt stained face. Toby stood there, breathing heavily brick in hand, tears streaming down his face.
"I'm sorry mum, I simply couldn't allow him to do this to you. I saw the brick lying on the ground and figured all I could do is knock him in the head. You're all I've got in this world and I don't want to lose you." His voice slowly faded and he broke into faint sobs.
Mrs. Lovett was too shocked to move, the idea that she had just escaped death was beginning to slowly sink in. Then she looked to the ground directly in front of her. Mr. Todd was lying , face down and sprawled across the floor. The back of his head was oozing a slight amount of blood, but he was still breathing.