The light from the burning furnace revealed the face of the yellow haired dead woman and Mrs Lovett held her breath, she was frightened of the horrors that were sure to come next. Sweeney kelt over Lucy's dead body not moving, not saying a word.
The aubern haired baker took an uneasy step towards him, she thought maybe she should run or maybe she should attack him before he could attack her. That was nonsense of coarse. There was no way she could hurt Sweeney and she knew it, she cared far to much for him to even want to. The suspense was killing her now, she wished he would show her some kind of reaction even if it was one most undesirable.
"You told me she was dead" Sweeney whispered, a faint hint of hurt in his husky voice. Mrs Lovett knew she would regret thinking so fast
"it was for your own good my love" she tried to sound strong and convincing but her voice cracked and the words came out shakily.
Sweeney's hand moved from Lucy's arm and his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose
"you lied to me…" he muttered, his voice was deeper this time.
Nellie's eyes widened and she clutched her neck to keep herself balanced
"no, no not lied Mr Todd" she gasped "I said she poisoned herself, I never said she died", she didn't sound convincing at all instead it was just annoying noise to Sweeney so he ignored her desperate banter.
Sweeney slipped his hands under Lucy's neck again and lifted her head, he stared into her wide lifeless eyes and clenched his jaw
"Oh Lucy…" he whispered, he sounded sad and to Nellie this meant he was angry and more dangerous than ever. Nellie took a step towards him, his back turned was turned so she thought at least he couldn't see how weak she was.
"Mr Todd, don't you see its better that she's not in your life" Nellie started "she was weaker than I, she did not have the will to accompany you"
"What have I done!" he shouted, Nellie bit her lip and took another frantic step forward
"Mr Todd I would be twice the wife she was!" Nellie cried "because I love-"
She was cut of and suddenly Sweeney was on his feet and facing her.
"Oh mrs Lovett you're a bloody wonder" Sweeney growled, Nellie jumped back at once. His voice had lost all traces of hurt and was suddenly cold and harsh.
"You speak of love you stupid woman!" Sweeney shouted "you killed my wife".
Nellie gasped and began to tremble as he approached her, she had always felt safe with Sweeney, always trusted him but now she had never been more scared in her life
"I never killed her, she poisoned herself because she was insane" moisture started to roll around her eyelids "death would have been a releif for her".
Sweeney raised an eye brow and he stretched his arms out towards her as he walked, a sadistic smile painted on his blood splattered face
"as you've said repeatidly 'Nellie' there's little point in dwelling on the past" he chuckled, she backed away from him nervously and something inside him squeezed
"anything I did I swear it was only for the best" she stammered
"so come here my love" his voice had such an edge of insanity to it that all Nellie could do was shake her head
"nothing to fear my love!" he growled making her jump."please stop this!" she cried, wiping the tears from her cheeks "I love you!"
Sweeney stopped in his tracks at once and raised his caterpillar-like eyebrows, something inside him froze. Those three words hadn't been even registered in his mind for ten years, he couldn't even remember Lucy saying them. He stared at his female partner in crime knowing something he hadn't known before, he pinched the bridge of his nose hard. Sweeney was filled with hate for the world but those three words seemed so attractive that he almost wanted her to say it again, almost. It made him angry and he refused to see her in a different light, after all he was simply not that man and she should not expect that of made him even more angry.
Meanwhile Nellie was also frozen in place, with Todd and his razor only a few feet away from her and her having just admitted her love for him. She wondered why he was so silent, could it be that he was reconsidering her death. No of coarse not.
Suddenly the palm of Sweeney's hand struck Mrs Lovett's chest and her back hit the wall, she gasped at the sudden pain and spluttered as she tried to pick herself up, she didn't need to. Sweeny was already in front of her and holding her upright against the hard basement wall, she opened her eyes onto the man whose face was now inches from hers. She was being held by her hair so that she was his height and their eyes directly opposite, Sweeney's dull pupils were cold but somehow confused.
The stare lasted no longer than a few second but to Nellie it felt like ten minutes , then a sadistic smile spread across his defined cheek bones which made her want to throw up. Everytime he wore that smile, someone was going to die. Then he did something unexpected, he leaned in so his mouth was close to her ear and his fingers stroked a strand of her curly red hair.
"You love me Mrs Lovett?", Sweeney's voice was soft and almost gentle, and for a few seconds Nellie relaxed. Suddenly Sweeney ripped out the strand of hair he was stroking and his hands pushed her shoulders harder against the wall, she screamed and struggled under Sweeney's grip.
"That's ridiculous you stupid woman!" he growled "I'm ruthless, I'm a killer theres no way you can love me!", Nellie whimpered but not from the pain in her back, it was the pain in her heart that tortured her soul.
"I do Mr Todd!" she choked "to me you arent any of those things, you're a man a true man!", Sweeney stared at her in awe. She just wasn't giving up. Could she not see how wrong it was, how stupid it was to love such an awful person it would only get her hurt. Sweeney knew that he was Incapable of feeling love again, he didn't even feel it when he looked at Lucy but what was this squeezing feeling inside him.
"Oh Mrs Lovett" he hissed "you do indeed like to shock", Mrs Lovett gasped and suddenly her arms were pinned above her head by one of his strong hands
"what is it you want from me Mrs Lovett?" he asked calmly but his eyebrows were narrowed and they reminded her of deceitful snakes. Nellie was about to reply that she just wanted him to accept her love but before she could he tore a split down the side of her dress and the smile she had come to fear was back
"is this what you want?" he hissed as his hands struck through the folds of her dress and grabbed her leg, roughly pulling it around his waist. Nellie was so surprised she couldn't even stop him, suddenly he slammed his body hard against hers but didn't loosen the grip on her leg.
"Ahh" he mumbled "stockings hm?", all Nellie could do was cringe when Sweeney ran the blade of his razor gently down her leg cutting her lace stockings and making her whimper.
"Your enjoying this?" he chuckled, she shook her head fiercely and tried to control her heavy breathing, and in reply he licked her collar bone running his tongue up her neck. As his tongue caught her ear lobe, he lost control over his razor letting it slip and scratching Nellie's leg. The sharp pain seemed to give her strength and she caught his hand in her slender fingers before it cut anymore
"stop it!" she cried "I don't want this, that's not love!", Sweeney's eyes darted down her where her hand held his gloved wrist and he noticed for a few breif seconds how warm her hand was. His eyes then moved directly onto her eyes and something inside made him pull her away from the wall and release her, for what reason he did not know. 'My mind is playing tricks on me' he thought and then he remembered Mrs Lovett was to blame for Lucy's death and his mind was suddenly very clear and filled with rage.
Nellie was so confused at this point that she even smiled as he took and hand and danced her across the room
"the history of the world my love" Sweeney chuckled, Nellie's heart warmed as he addressed her as his 'love' and she suddenly forgot what he had been doing to her less that a minute ago.
"Oh Mr Todd leave it to me" she smiled, his had rested on her waist and they danced faster now, and the glow from the furnace illuminated them making their shadows look elegant.
"We'll learn to forgive and try to forget, life is for the elite my dear so lets keep living it!" he grinned, suddenly his hand tore from hers and swiped the razor from his left pocket
"Really living it" he hissed, Nellie froze in her place as he raised the slick barber's knife above his head. This would be the end, this would be where foolishness would lead Mrs Lovett to her own death. Suddenly something inside Sweeney snapped and a sudden pain rushed through him, he raised his razor higher to slash Mrs Lovett's neck but the pain struck him again and he crippled slightly. Mrs Lovett, realizing he hadn't struck her yet for whatever reason, screamed and struggled out of his grip falling to the floor in the process. Her legs flayed as she desperately tried to shuffled back from him in fear after just being made to believe he had forgiven her
"No!" she cried "no more, please stop this is cruel I don't want this anymore I'm scared!". Ignoring her Sweeney clutched his chest, fell to his knees and tried to figure out what the hell was going on with him, why couldn't he kill her. He could kill everyone, he was even capable of killing that niave little boy that Mrs Lovett was so fond of but why couldn't he kill her. He punched the ground hard and ignored the blood that began to trickle down his knuckles,
"Why can't I kill you!" Sweeney roared. He grabbed Mrs Lovett's shoulder and yanked her forward so they were eye to eye,
"what makes you different!" he growled whilst shaking her Nellie was wide eyed with fear.
Then he looked into her face, no he 'noticed' her face. Her eyes were sparkling with terror and a pure green colour and her hair glistened in the light like a thousand red rubies. Her blossom pink lips, perfectly shaped, were parted slightly as though she felt like screaming. This woman was stupid, but incredibly beautiful.
The pain and hurt in her eyes made him hate himself and he felt sick with himself, it was like he had never seen her before. Ever so slowly he released her.
The razor slipped out of his hand and made a clashing noise as it hit the floor. Did he love her? But that had to be impossible didn't it? He didn't love anyone did he? What was this feeling inside him, it was like a sudden feeling of protection over her and hate against himself. Glisening tears began to stream down her perfect cheek bones and suddenly Sweeney felt her pain, it wasn't intentual but his body immediately reacted in pulling her into his arms and holding her to him.
Mrs Lovett was still for a few seconds before she realized he was probably still playing with her,
"please stop it" she whimpered, her voice sounded so small and weak as she trembled in his arms. Sweeney's eyebrows nitted together and he stared at the woman in his arms and all the anger slipped away, he couldn't reply to her so he just held her to his chest as she cried it was all he could do. Sweeney used this time to think very hard, Mrs Lovett had been his partner they had worked together for several months and he always took a fancy to her but he wasn't sure he had ever loved her. But he must do now, she lied to him and told him his wife was dead and yet he still cared for her and couldn't bring himself to hurt her anymore. How else could he do that unless he loved her.
A minute went by and Nellie realized he was holding her, she squeezed her eyes shut
"Mr Todd please stop this game" she choked "I don't want to play it anymore". Sweeney's eyes widened as he looked at the tortured woman in his arms, she was terrified of him and he could sense the pain he had caused her, it made him want to slit his own throat.
"Please" Nellie whispered, wishing he would just kill her already "I can't-", she was cut off and in a rush of emotion Sweeney's lips crushed hers.
Sweeney couldn't help himself, after seeing how much pain she was in he knew he needed to comfort her but he couldn't resist. Nellie didn't dare move, was he kissing her? She pulled away nervously and looked into Sweeney's eyes trying to work out what he was thinking.
"Beautiful, with red hair" he mumbled "I knew it all along", Nellie gasped and sat up a little. Was he really saying this to her? She had always dreamed of him gesturing her like that but thought it no more than a mere fantasy.
"Mr Todd?" she asked nervously, as she sat up she placed a hand on his arm cautiously and questioningly
"Mrs Lovett I think I'm in love with you" he chuckled almost darkly "and I'm sorry I played with you like this". Nellie's eyes widened, he was telling the truth but she couldn't believe it. It seemed very strange to Sweeney, he was a murderer and he despised the human race but this one woman could make him feel the exact opposite to hate.
"Do you mean it?" she gasped, clutching his hands in hers
"my dear I have saled around the world for ten years, I've murdered thousands but I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life" he smirked, her heart melted in her chest and she threw herself at Sweeney.
"Ohh Mr. T!" she cried and burried her head in his shoulder, despite his blood soaked clothing. Sweeney took one last loving look towards his dead wife and wrapped his arm around her.
"Sleep now love, we have a lot of work to do in the morning" he gestured towards the pile of bodies under the chute as he stroked her hair, and that's exactly what they were to him. A pile of Bodies.
Mrs Lovett wasn't sure what turn their life would take now, maybe they'd leave London and live by the sea. Sweeney was sure he wouldn't be killing anymore, he had forgiven the world now for giving him the most perfect woman he could ever have.