A Lovely Nightmare.
"Mummy!"
The small bell like voice rang out over the sound of the normal afternoon bustle of Nellie's Meatpie Emporium as customers chatted with each other as they ate their pies and drank their drinks. Nellie paused in her walking turning carefully on her heel as not to drop the four plates she was carrying on her arms and smiled down at the small girl before her. The child could have been something out of a lovely painting with her pale ivory skin, wide brown eyes and a head of untamable dark red curls that hunt down well past the 4 year old's shoulders, the red velvet dress she wore made her look like a smaller version of her mother minus the plates she was balancing still.
"What is it darlin'?"
The girl's smile widened and she held out her hand reviling a small daisy picked from the bunch growing from the wooden window boxes of the shop. Nellie smiled her brown eyes soft as she looked over the flower.
"It's beautiful pet why don't you go show Daddy?"
The girl nodded and turned to look through the crowd to the stairs leading up to the barber shop where Sweeney was holding the door for an older gentleman that was leaving before he stood on the balcony scanning the crowd a smile gracing his face as he seen the small girl climbing the stairs. Nellie smiled more to herself than the pair of older women she was setting to of the plates in front of.
"She really is an adorable child Nellie such a happy one to."
Nellie looked from Toby, whom she was telling to refill one man's ale glass, back to the older woman.
"Thank you Mrs. Harris, how is your Abigail doing?"
"Oh much better now that she's married to Andrew, I thought for sure when you turned him down that boy would just fall apart."
She shook her head and Nellie gave a slight eye roll, Andrew had been one of the young men to court her before Albert had asked for her hand.
"I hear he's making a name for himself now though in the banking business so maybe it was for the better, now if you gals will excuse me."
She offered a final smile before walking to a different table setting the final two plates down.
"Toby flip the sign that's the lot for today."
Toby nodded and did as told before returning to wiping down the empty tables while Nellie walked her way around collecting the payment from each ones that were leaving. She glanced up at the balcony and smiled seeing Sweeney listening to the little girl sitting on the railing in front of him a soft smile locked on his lips.
4 years of it and she still couldn't get over the overwhelming joy she felt when ever she seen Sweeney acting so light hearted with her beautiful little Alisa, no their beautiful little Alisa. Over the past four years Sweeney had changed almost completely from a man hard set on his revenge to a loving father to little Alisa Eloise Todd. Her thoughts were interrupted by Toby calling to her from the door of the shop saying something about being out of a few things for tomorrow.
"I'll go to the market soon Toby why don't you run along and clean up before dinner."
He smiled and disappeared back inside as Nellie made her way up the wooden stairs and to Alisa's side leaning on her forearms looking at the child as she finished telling her father about some made up adventure she'd had while he smiled twisting the stem of the daisy in his finger tips seeming to be truly interested in her words. Alisa finished her story and realized her mother was beside her and giggled happily.
"Have you been up 'ere talking daddy's ear off Ali?"
The girl looked from her to her father blushing faintly her lower lip sticking out in a pouting matter as she moved closer to Sweeney making Nellie chuckle and straiten up to look down at Fleet Street bellow them. Under the amber sky the entire city looked like a silhouetted painting and just past the farthest houses the port filled with ships was like a pool of liquid amber.
"Mrs. Lovett..."
The voice sounded far away at first making her look around confused.
"Mrs. Lovett."
The voice grew louder as it echoed around her until finally the beautiful illusion was broken and fell away as Nellie opened her eyes to find herself in her bedroom looking at one of the walls that was dimly lit by the pale grey sky outside the window. She sat up rubbing her eyes feeling more than a little angry that she had been woken from her wonderful dream. She swing her legs around the side of the bed stretching wondering if her mind had just produced the voice calling her name to wake her until a harsh wrapping came on her door.
"Bloody women open the door!"
She jumped at first but then signed hearing the annoyed voice of Sweeney Todd. She got to her feet pulling on a well used dark purple dressing gown before she opened the door hiding a yawn behind her hand quickly.
"Good mornin' to you to Mr. T what all the fussin' about?"
Mr. Todd looked down at the baker his black eyes softening ever so slightly as they met with her's before he looked away to the doors of the pie shop.
"You have customers waiting..."
She fallowed his gaze and seen the small line of new regulars outside but her attention stayed mostly on the man before her. She had the feeling there was something more he wanted to say to her but she ignored it closing the door and quickly dressing herself and fixing her hair. She hadn't expected him to still be standing at her door when she opened it again but there he stood his eyes looking past her to her room before returning to her brown eyes.
"What were you doing in there?"
Nellie felt her cheeks warm as she brushed past him but allowed herself an internal smile as his foot steps fallowed.
"Sleepin' what makes you ask?"
She glanced at him over her shoulder as she removed the key to the shops door from the small table beside the couch. She smirked seeing him become slightly flustered avoiding her eyes.
"Sounded like you were talking to someone, thought you'd gone mad finally."
She giggled making him look at her in what she guessed was as close to confusion as they entered the kitchen of her shop and she unlocked the door.
"Not just yet my love I was only havein' a rather lovely nightmare."
She turned her attention to her costumers leaving the barber to leave to play his own trade in the parlor above. She sighed to herself moving to get the orders of the couple now sitting at the table closest to the door leading to the wooden stairs that led to the room above though she wasn't quite listening as her mind wondered to the man to was most likely pacing as he watched the people outside before she sighed again.
'Oh if only you knew you made my nightmare lovely Mr. T.'