Opening her eyes, Mrs. Lovett right away wished that she hadn't. Her body was aching. Her head was throbbing. She had barely been able to pull herself out of bed. She could tell she had a fever by the way she was shivering while sweat dripped down her body. With a bit more effort she was able to stand up, and walk over to the window. Pulling the curtain aside, she glanced outside. There were very few people left on the street, and Mrs. Lovett couldn't figure out why. Still slightly disoriented from just waking up, she took a minute to look around. It was getting dark out.
'Wait,' she thought, wrinkling her eyebrows , 'It gets lighter in the morning, not darker.'
It finally occurred to her that it wasn't morning. It was the evening. Being sick and needing sleep, she had slept through the whole day. Certainly something she hadn't planned on. And certainly something Albert wouldn't approve of. She glanced at the clock and she knew he would be home soon, wanting his dinner. She moved as quickly as she could to the kitchen, to start preparing his meal. But it was too late.
The squealing of the worn door opening. It was Albert.
"Why is there no food out?" he asked her angrily. He had walked into the house to find a bare table.He was completely unaware of his wife's current health condition
"I was just abou' to start it," she replied, taking this and that out of cabinets and drawers.
"Dinner is to be ready when I get home," he said sternly.
"I know that, bu' I 'aven't been feelin' good. An' I only jus' woke up," she began.
"Don't feel good, you say? I don't see you going out to work every day. No one comes into this shop anymore. I have to provide all the money. All you have to do is prepare a meal. And you can't even do that."
"I'm sorry love," she said, not knowing what else to say.
"Sorry isn't going to put food on the table, is it now?" he asked her.
"Well if you would give me a min-" she began, but was cut off as his hand came into contact with her face, at such a force it sent her already weak body crumblingto the ground. She yelped in pain, quickly holding her face, where a handprint had already started to form.
Not knowing what else to do, Nellie remained on the floor, defeated, holding her cheek in her hand as tears streamed down her face.
"Things are going to be different here, from now on," he began, pacing around the room, ignoring his weeping wife, "That barber of yours is gone. Your only friend. So who will save you now?"
It was a trick question, she knew. He didn't really want her to answer. Which was really a good thing, since she didn't have one.
"You're alone now Nellie. Whatever kind of friendship you and that barber had is gone. All you have in this world is me. So it would be in your best interest to do whatever I say, when I say it. Understood?" he asked. He had walked back over to where she was on the ground, and he was looking at her. Waiting for her answer. This time he was expecting one. And she knew what she had to say.
"Yes," she replied, not able to bring herself to look at him.
"Yes, what?" he asked, slightly angered.
"Yes, sir," she said through clenched teeth. Still cowering on the ground, she saw a small spider walking across the flour covered floorboards. She became mesmerized by the way it moved so delicately. She could vaguely hear Albert saying something else to her, but she wasn't paying much attention. She was trying to block him out, and just concentrate on the spider.
"Mrs. Lovett." It was getting louder.
"Mrs. Lovett." More firm this time. He was getting angry. She could feel him shaking her. She had done it now. She knew better than to upset him. She knew what was coming next.
"Please stop. I promise I'll do what you say," she said crying.
"Mum, it's only a dream." It was a child's voice. Toby. It was Toby's voice.
Slowly her eyes opened. She awoke to find Sweeney Todd sitting on her bed, holding her shoulders. Toby was slightly behind him, standing next to the bed.
"Are you alright?" asked Mr. Todd.
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, pulling herself out of the barber's grip.
"You were cryin' mum," said Toby.
"Toby," Mr. Todd began, "Why don't you go back to sleep. I'm going to have a talk with Mrs. Lovett. Alright?"
Toby didn't say anything, only looked to Mrs. Lovett for approval.
"Go on darling," she said nodding. Toby retreated to his room in the back, leaving the barber alone with the baker.
"So what happened?" he asked her.
"What makes you think anything happened?" she asked him.
"I heard you scream. A minute later, the boy's upstairs knocking. Going on about how he was scared and didn't know what to do."
"Just a dream, Mr. Todd," she said, not only to reassure him, but also to convince herself, "Just a dream."
A few moments of silence passed.
"You've been acting strange," he stated.
"So have you," she retorted. She looked up to meet his eyes. They were different for the first time since his return. They held emotion. They weren't the blank orbs she had become so used to seeing. She continued, "It's just a difficult time o' year is all."
"Well, if it is anything else you can let me know," he said to her, standing. She was sure her heart skipped a beat. Even at a time like this Mr. Todd could still make her feel like she was going to melt.
"Thank you, Mr. T," she said, "Goodnight."
He left the room, and headed back upstairs. She could hear the sounds of his footprints pacing around the room. Slowly, over time they grew softer, and eventually faded into silence.
It was late now, she knew. She was tired, but afraid to go to sleep. Afraid of the visions that would plague her. They had been going on for weeks, and she didn't know how to make them stop. Toby had woke her up other times, when he heard her thrashing about. But he had never gone up the stairs to get Mr. Todd.
They were getting worse, she knew. And she knew eventually she would have to come clean about her past to Mr. Todd. She had always told herself there was little point in dwelling on the past. She truly believed this. Why then were her dreams all revolving around hers? She knew that these dreams must hold some deeper meaning.
But for right now, she would let them be dreams. She needed to sleep. She had nothing to fear. Her barber was back. And he would save her. She knew it.
