Hello all. Here's the next chapter for you all. I'd just like to say a big thanks to everyone who has reviewed, read and favourited this story, it's really encouraged me to keep going.
Once again, a big thank you to my lovely beta Bellatrix Nellie Le-Lovett for checking over it for me and dicussing ideas. Much appreciated!
Just to warn you, my main computer with the next three chapters of this fic on has crashed and died. The computer man thinks he will be able to retrieve everything but there might be a delay on when I will next update. However there will be an update even if I have to re-write it so keep checking and don't lose faith!
Chapter 2 – The Man in the Parlour
Caroline giggled as her mother pulled her away from the doorway into the shop and back though into the short corridor that led to the kitchen. Covering her mouth to prevent herself laughing out loud, Caroline attempted feebly to bat her mother's hand away from her sleeve with her other hand, struggling against the small woman's strong grip. Hastily, she reached out and grabbed the doorframe as Nellie pulled her though into the kitchen causing her to lose her balance briefly.
"Mum get off!" She laughed as Nellie pulled her over to the table in the middle of the room, "Mum!"
"Caddie! Shush!" Nellie breathed, letting go of her daughter and walking round the other side of the table to the precariously stacked pile of clean plates. She looked up briefly to catch her daughter attempting to sneak back off in the direction of the shop. Nellie raised one eyebrow and cleared her throat, "And where are you going madam?"
Caroline stopped and turned back to her mum with a small smile on her face, "But they're so sweet, let me go out an' serve 'em or somethin'. Please?" She begged, slowly taking small steps backwards in the direction of the shop. Nellie raised both eyebrows and fixed Caroline with a look that told her all she needed to know. Still Caroline backed away from the kitchen slowly, eyes never leaving her mum's.
Realising Caroline wasn't going to stop, Nellie emerged from the table and dashed across the room lunging out to try and catch her daughter's sleeve again. She watched in dismay as her hand reached out and thrashed through the air, only managing to catch the gust of wind from her quickly retreating daughter. "Caddie!" Nellie growled quietly. Caroline simply turned her head and smiled back at her mum, knowing that if she emerged into the shop and started serving the couple, her mum wouldn't be able to come out and drag her away.
All Nellie could do was stifle a laugh as she watched Caroline walk straight into one of the crockery cabinets littering the corridor in her haste to get out into the shop whilst not looking where she was going. Seizing her opportunity, Nellie pounced, wrapping her arms round the girl's shoulders and pulling her back towards her. "Gotcha!" She whispered in her ear, pushing her slowly towards the doorway into the shop. The pair peered round quietly and frowned as their eyes landed on the only couple in the shop.
On one of the farthest away tables tucked in a corner of the shop were a young couple sat opposite each other. The pair were so engrossed in each other, they didn't notice the owner of the shop and her daughter peering round the corner or the corridor watching them intently. Caroline turned her shoulders awkwardly in her mother's grip and looked around at her, smiling slightly.
"See, look 'ow sweet they are." She whispered, turning back to the pair. Nellie raised her eyebrows.
"A bloody pain, that's wha' they are." She replied, loosening her grip around Caroline's shoulders but not removing her arms. Caroline chuckled and shook her head, "What?" Nellie questioned, frowning at her daughter's reaction.
"'Ow are they a pain?" She asked, peering her head fully round the doorframe to get a better look before being pulled back again by her mum.
"Because, they are preventin' me from closing up the shop fer the afternoon." She said, resting her chin on Caroline's shoulder. The girl turned her head to look at her mother again.
"But it ain't closin' time yet anyway." She stated with a frown, "We don't close fer another hour yet. So why are ya wantin' ter get rid o' these so ya can close?"
Nellie looked at her daughter with a slight smile, "Because I don't see no one else, so I'm assumin' this'll be the lot for today's lunch an' was 'opin' we could close up early fer an early lunch. That was until Romeo an' Juliet showed up anyway." She said with a huff as they young blonde in the shop let out an airy laugh at something her companion said.
Caroline laughed quietly at her mum's comment. "Don't be so 'arsh on 'em. She don't get ter see 'im much. E's a sailor an' is away most o' the time. Let 'em make the most o' the time they do 'ave tergether." She said, smiling as the boy reached across and covered the girl's hand with his own.
"I don't care if e's sailed every ocean known to man, they're still delayin' me lunch." She scoffed, releasing her daughter completely and steering her round back in the direction of the kitchen, "Now come on, starin' is rude." She said, pushing Caroline down towards the kitchen.
Caroline paused half way down the corridor and turned back to see why she couldn't hear her mother following. To her amusement, she saw Nellie peering round the doorframe watching the young couple like she had stopped her from doing only moments before. Caroline frowned and cleared her throat, causing her mum to whip around swiftly. "I thought starin' were rude?" She asked, a hint of amusement clear in her voice. Nellie frowned and left the doorway, sweeping down the corridor and straight past Caroline to the kitchen.
"I weren't starin', I were checking ter see whether the counter needed cleanin' before we closed." She said as she entered the kitchen, "If we ever get to close." She added under her breath. Caroline clasped her hand over her mouth to prevent herself laughing out loud as she followed her mum into the kitchen.
-x-
Sighing, Nellie placed her hands moodily on her hips as she stared at the two trays of unsold pies on the counter. They'd had a slow evening and the leftovers showed it. Rubbing on hand across her forehead she frowned, business was getting worse, evenings were getting slower and the pile on unsold pies each day was growing. Slowly she turned her head until her eyes came to rest on the figure of her daughter, furiously scrubbing at a stubborn stain on one of the tables. How could she tell her? The girl cared so much about business and the shop, she poured her heart into the running of it, how could she tell her they were struggling, both financially and in terms of keeping the customers coming? The simple answer was that she couldn't. Cursing their seemingly answerless problem, she turned back to the trays of pies, wondering if she could store them, keeping them reasonably fresh over their closed day tomorrow and then sell them on Monday. Picking one tray up in each hand and resting the edges against her hips, she slowly made her way down to the bake house to find a suitable shelf to house the left over pies on.
-x-
"Caddie!" Nellie called through her bedroom door into the parlour, "Caddie?" she repeated, dashing frantically round her bedroom in search of her lost hatpins. A shadow was cast over the room as Caroline wondered over and stood in the doorway. Nellie looked up briefly before continuing her search, "I'm going ter 'ave ter run down ter the market love. I've jus' checked the stock fer next week an' we're low on a few things." She said, now on her hands and knees peering under the bed.
Caroline frowned. "But traders will be packin' up any minute. It's late, 'alf past five." She said, glancing up at the clock on the mantle piece, "An' what are you doing on the floor?"
Nellie paused and looked up at her daughter, "I am tryin' ter find me 'atpins." She said frustratedly, "An' I know the traders will be leavin' soon so that is why I'm tryin' ter be quick."
Caroline could hear she was beginning to loose her temper so decided it would be safest for her to retreat to the parlour. Just as she turned, a small pearl caught her eye on her mother's dressing table, poking out slightly from underneath what looked like a stocking. Turning again, Caroline stepped through the mess that was her mother's bedroom and over to the dressing table where sure enough, she found four pearl topped hatpins under a stocking. Pulling them out she turned back to where her mum was still on the floor and cleared her throat. A head popped up from the other side of the bed, eyes immediately focusing on the hatpins in Caroline's hand.
"Hah!" Nellie exclaimed as she jumped up and rushed round the bed, taking the hatpins from her daughter's hand, placing a quick kiss on her cheek, snatching up the hat from the bed and dashing from the room, pinning on her hat as she went. Caroline smiled and shook her head, leaving her mother's bedroom and settling herself back down in the parlour with her book.
Almost an hour and a half had passed and Nellie had still not returned. Caroline looked up from the page she was reading and rubbed her eyes before stretching out along the couch, groaning as her feet came into contact with the armrest. Curling her legs up underneath her again, she dropped her gaze back down to her book, only to find the words blurry and meaningless. Sighing in frustration, she slammed the book down on the table and rolled over so she was facing the back of the couch. Curling up, she closed her eyes, shivering slightly against the cold of the darkening room. The flames in the fire were dying due to lack of attention and the one candle placed on the small table that had been helping her read had gone out when she had almost thrown the book on the table next to it.
Deciding against letting the fire die out, she heaved herself off the couch and stumbled over to the fire place on stiff legs. Crouching down, she placed a couple of logs over the flames and watched as they eagerly devoured them, pleased at the chance of continued life. Banking it up so as not to have to get up again, Caroline stood up slowly and returned to the couch, wondering where her mother had gotten to. Giving a heavy sigh, she allowed herself to fall back onto the couch with a thud, grunting as her back hit the edge of the armrest. Wincing, she sat up, rubbing her lower back until the pain had ceased.
Just as she was swinging her legs around to get comfy again, she heard a loud knock at the front door. She frowned, she was sure her mum had not locked the door so should be able to get in herself. Cautiously, she stood up from the sofa again and made her way to the parlour door, opening it just wide enough to slip herself through without anymore noise than necessary. The short corridor leading into the shop was dark and so was the shop itself. Caroline had not realised just how dark it had got. Slowly, she edged down the corridor, trying to identify the shadow that was just visible outside the shop front door. Pausing at the end of the corridor, she heard the knocking again, only this time, it came louder and more urgent. Caroline swallowed, realising only as she stepped out into the shop that the dull thudding she could hear in her ears was not her own frightened heartbeat, but the hammering down of a heavy rainfall. Now not only worried about the mysterious figure at the door, but where her mum could be in this weather, Caroline took a deep breath before striding straight over to the front door, reaching out and grabbing the handle before she could change her mind. With a movement portraying more confidence than she felt, she turned the handle, stepping back as the biting wind and driving rain hit her front on. Squinting, she looked up only to see a tall dark figure looming in the door way. His hair was ebony with a shocking streak of white running straight down the middle like a bolt of lightning across a night sky. His skin was pale, and his eyes were dark and cold, baring straight into her. Instant fear welled up inside her just at the sight of the man. Swallowing, she spoke, her voice coming out husky and shaky, "W…we're closed. Sorry." She said, hating that she could be reduced to a quivering mess just by this man's presence. There was silence between them for a moment before either spoke.
"I'm not here for your pies." He said, his voice harsh, "I was hoping to find something, someone. But I can see I was mistaken." He said, turning as if to leave. Caroline frowned, confused by his words. She watched as he began to retreat from their front door.
"Mrs. Lovett will be back shortly." Caroline said, stopping the man in his tracks. He turned his head slowly and stared at her again. There was something familiar in the way his eyes focused on hers, it felt almost like she was looking at herself through this man's gaze. The feeling chilled her to the bone so she shook it off immediately and watched as the man strode back to the door again.
"Did you say Lovett?" he asked slowly. Caroline nodded.
"Yes, Mrs. Lovett, owner of this shop." The sarcastic addition of 'Yes, clue's in the big board over the shop door' was on her tongue but she held it back, deciding it would be in her best interest not to upset him.
She watched as he seemed to process this information and decide what his next move would be. Who was this man? Did he know her mother? The mention of her name had certainly stopped him in his tracks. But how did he know her, their shop was far from well known, and even further from recommended? His deep voice bought her back to the present.
"May I wait for her?" He asked, stepping forward to try and shelter himself from the elements. Caroline stepped back from him but this only gave him the impression she was allowing him to wait inside and he walked in, brushing her out the way as he went.
Caroline was stunned, what could she do now but let the man stay until her mother finally decided to put in an appearance again. Closing the door quickly, she turned her attention back to the man who was now glancing round the shop, trying to make out what he could in the darkness.
"Haven't you ever heard of a candle?" He asked coldly, no hint of teasing in his gruff voice. Caroline swallowed and simply stared up at him, wishing with all her being that her mother would come home soon. There was a few moments of silence before he spoke again. "Where is Mrs. Lovett?" He asked, whirling round to look at her. Caroline stepped back under the intensity of her gaze.
"She went ter the market. Still 'asn't come back yet. Went over an hour an' a half ago though. Not sure where she's got to." She said, watching the stranger intensely. He simply grunted before turning to face the short corridor down to the parlour. Slowly he made his way over, as if each step was an effort. He stopped short of the entrance and turned back to Caroline.
"I think I will wait in the parlour." He said plainly before slowly making his way down the corridor and through the door, pausing and looking up the staircase as he went. Caroline took a deep breath and followed after him cautiously, wondering how he knew where the parlour was in their shop. Upon reaching the door, she peered in, spying the man stood next to the fireplace, watching almost entranced as the now roaring flames illuminated his pale face. He was stood rooted to the spot, his hard gaze fixed on a picture on the mantle piece. It was an old picture, one which Caroline had usually overlooked, knowing one of the two women in it was her mother and the other two people old tenants. She had never thought to ask anymore of the people in the picture, or why they were so special to warrant a picture being taken of them all and then being placed in plain view in the parlour.
She scratched her wrist nervously, a habit which usually got her in trouble when her mother was around. A feeling of helplessness came over her; she had no idea what to do with the man. His stare made her reluctant to break the trance which he seemed to be in due to the photo, and she had no wish to interrupt him and then face the task of entertaining him until her mother returned, which she hoped with all her being would be soon.
A frown crept across her brow as she continued watching the man, who neither moved nor spoke for a long while after entering the parlour. It was only when a large flame in the fire spat and the ember hit his trousers that he seemed to wake from his trance. He stepped back suddenly, flicking at his trouser leg until he was sure it would not set alight. After straightening up, his eyes came to rest on Caroline again, widening as he saw her stood in the doorway as if he'd forgotten about her presence. He turned away quickly and took two easy steps across to the couch where he sat, placing his bag down on the floor next to him. It was only then that Caroline realised the man was carrying luggage, only further fuelling her desire to find out who he was and what he wanted with her mother. Clearing her throat she spoke up.
"I'm going to wait for Mrs. Lovett in the shop." She said quietly, waiting for an answer. When neither an answer, nor any sign of one came, Caroline took her leave, grateful that she could finally leave the presence of the dark man.
The shop was dark, and not wanting to return to the parlour to get a candle, she settled for sitting in darkness while she waited for her mother to return. Carefully, she perched on the edge of one of the benches, feeling a wave of déjà vu wash over her. One corner of her lips twitched up momentarily as she remembered a time like this over ten years ago when she had sat waiting for her mother to return in the darkness in the shop, on this very bench if she remembered rightly.
She began dragging her nails slowly up and down her wrist resting in her lap as her eyes focused unseeingly forward into the darkness, a deep frown sitting across her brow making it ache. She barely noticed this however as her mind filled with thoughts about who the strange man could be. She daren't go back in and ask for a name or reason for coming; she was far too unnerved by him to do that. No, she would simply have to wait for her mother's return and hope that she recognised him.
She hated herself for the way he made her feel, too scared to even go back into her own parlour just because of his presence. Annoyed with herself, she felt her nails dig deeper into the already red skin of her wrist. Hissing, she looked down and could just make out the faint white scratch marks sitting prominent against the crimson skin. Licking her fingers, she wiped them over the marks, trying desperately to make them disappear before her mother returned. It proved pointless however as the gentle rubbing of her fingers just made them stand out more.
Sighing, she glanced across towards where the corridor to the parlour would be if she had a candle to see it. She wondered what the man was doing now, whether he would still be slumped on the couch that she had previously been stretched out across, or whether he was up and staring at the picture again. She tried to imagine the photograph in her head, scanning over it mentally for any indicator as to why he should be so fascinated by it. One niggling thought persisted no matter how much she dismissed it as being impossible. The two men, the one in the photograph and the one in the parlour, had almost identical eyes. The only difference she could determine was that the man in the parlour's were darker and harsher, as if he had seen things that had hardened him to the very soul. Every other aspect of them was very different however, encouraging her suspicion that this man was a relative of the man in the picture, come perhaps to inform her mother of some unfortunate event, or even the death of the man who had obviously known her well at some point. Her overactive imagination went into overdrive as she came up with explanation after explanation for the appearance of the strange man.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not notice the door had been opened and someone had let themselves in until she felt the chilling wind sweep over her. She turned her head sharply and could just about make out the petite figure of her mother stumble into the shop, wrestling with the door and her bags. Nellie sighed and dumped the bags on the floor after she'd successfully managed to get the door closed and locked, swinging off her soaked cloak and dropping that next to the bags as she turned, jumping and gasping as she noticed her daughter sitting silently on the bench.
"Caddie." She breathed breathlessly, placing her hand over her heaving chest and walking slowly towards her daughter, wringing wet skirts leaving a trail behind them on the wooden floor, "You gave me a fright love, sat there in the dark. I thought you'd be in the parlour in the warm my dear." She said, walking up to her and placing a hand fondly on the back of her head. Her deceptive gaze immediately sensed something was wrong and a frown crossed her brow, "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly. Caroline simply looked towards the corridor that led to the parlour. Nellie's eyes followed hers before coming to rest again on the girl's face. "Caroline?"
The use of her full name bought her eyes back to her mother's. "There's a man." She almost whispered, "'E came while you were out. 'E practically let 'imself in and is now settled very comfortably on the couch. I'm sorry ma." She said quietly.
The use of 'ma', the name Caroline used to call her mother when she was little showed Nellie that the girl was genuinely frightened. Taking her hands in hers, she pulled her up off the bench, noticing the scratch marks on her wrist but deciding not to mention it now. She quickly pulled the girl into her arms and held her tightly, her wet hair dripping over the girl's shoulder.
"Did 'e say what 'is name was?" She asked, stroking Caroline's back comfortingly. She felt her daughter shake her head slowly.
"I didn't ask. I didn't want ter upset 'im, 'e was so focussed on the picture an' I was scared ter interrupt." She relied quietly. Nellie pulled back from Caroline to look into her eyes.
"What did you just say about a picture?" she asked, her head cocked to one side slightly. Caroline looked at her, slightly confused at the relevance of the picture on the mantle piece.
"The old one on the mantle piece in the wooden frame. The one with you an' the man an' the woman in. Your tenants I think yer said they were." Caroline said, watching her mother's eyes widen.
"'An this man were lookin' at it?" She asked slowly, eye brows raised. Caroline frowned and nodded.
"Couldn't take 'is eyes off it."
Nellie released her daughter and straightened herself up. "Wait out 'ere." She said, before taking a deep breath and striding quickly across the shop floor over to the parlour.
She walked quietly up to the door, heart hammering in her chest as she pushed the door open slowly, peering into the dimly lit room until her eyes came to rest on the man in question. He was stood with his back to the door, leaning one hand on the mantle piece while his other hand cradled the picture in the wooden frame. His eyes were fixed intensely on the picture, as if trying to take in every tiny detail.
Her eyes raked over him; if he was who she thought he was, he had changed completely, almost unrecognisable from the beautiful barber who haunted her dreams still. The flames from the fire lit up what she could see of his features, his straight nose, strong jaw line, and thin lips.
Clearing her throat, the man whipped round, her breath hitching in her throat as his eyes locked with hers. For a moment she was young again, carefree, married, childless and madly in love with the man who lived above her shop. She found herself struggling to breathe as his gaze continued to bore deep into her, like he was seeing into her very soul.
After what seemed like a lifetime, but in reality was only a few seconds, he stepped forward, the picture still in his hand and his eyes still trained on hers. "Mrs. Lovett." He breathed, barely loud enough to hear.
She swallowed, finding her throat dry. "You came back." She mouthed, unable to actually make the sounds that matched the movement of her lips. Another few moments of silence lapsed, neither knowing what to do next, until, feeling the need to voice it, Nellie breathed his name like a life-giving breath coming from her very soul, loud enough for only them to hear. "Benjamin Barker."
Those two words, the same words she has spoken, prayed, shouted, cried and whispered for the past fifteen years sound different, foreign, on her tongue now the man himself was stood there in front of her. She watched him to see his reaction, anything to confirm it was him, no matter how different he looked, how differently he was acting, it was still him in the dark figure looming in front of her.
She watched in horror as the man shook his head slowly. "No. It's Sweeney Todd now." He said tersely. Nellie frowned, utterly confused. She had been sure it was Benjamin Barker that was stood in front of her. How could she possibly forget what the man she'd loved for over fifteen years looked like? And then his voice brought her back again. "That man died." He said. For a moment, Nellie could not work out what he meant, until, as if sensing her state of confusion, he added, "Benjamin Barker." The way he said these words, with such disgust, made Nellie shiver slightly.
However she finally understood. Her barber, her Benjamin, had died in prison. And now, returning to London was this man, Sweeney Todd, in the body of her beautiful barber was this empty, broken man.
Sensing he had nothing more to add, Nellie stepped forward and motioned for him to sit down on the couch. Slowly, he obeyed, placing the picture back on the mantle piece as he did so. Seating herself in her chair by the fire, Nellie fidgeted irritably, struggling to get comfortable.
"Where is my wife?"
The suddenness of his voice shocked her, stopping her abruptly in her attempt to get comfortable. She looked up at him. His gaze was steely and looking right at her. She swallowed and took a deep breath before even attempting to break the news to the already broken man on her couch.
"Lucy is not 'ere, Mr. Todd." She all but whispered, "Arsenic, poisoned 'erself. I tried ter… she just wouldn't listen ter me, she wouldn't… no one could o' stopped 'er." She watched as his eyes darkened and every muscle in his body tensed.
"Joanna?"
Nellie looked down at her hands in her lap, avoiding his steely eyes as she answered, "'E's got 'er. Judge Turpin. Took 'er. We tried ter keep 'er, Albert an' me, but 'e was 'avin' none of it." She chanced a glance up at him only to see his expression was one which could kill with a single look.
"What did Turpin do to Lucy?" He asked, his voice all but a growl. Nellie looked away from him again, definitely not wanting to have this conversation with him.
"I don't know what yer mean Mr…"
"Don't lie to me woman!" he shouted, making Nellie jump. She looked quickly at the door, hoping Caroline didn't take this moment to burst in. "I know something must have happened to make her take her life." He said, his voice quieter now but no less threatening.
"'E had her Mr. Todd. Tricked 'er 'e did. At a ball. She thought she were goin' there ter get an apology. Turned out she got somethin' different instead." She said crudely after his outburst.
She watched as his eyes glazed over, worried that she might have overstepped the mark. However his body just seemed to go limp as he slumped back against the back of the couch. His whole being seemed to be drained of all life and energy. Nellie didn't know what she should do, what she should say. She'd just told the man his wife had been raped and then committed suicide and his daughter had been taken by the same man who had abused her mother. What were you supposed to say after that? The remark of 'At least things can't get worse' flew into her mind and then flew back out just as quickly as she watched the man she had loved all her life seem to give up all hope in front of her eyes.
She was about to get up and offer him a drink when he himself flew off of the couch and stormed over to the window, making Nellie almost shriek in surprise. One arm braced on each side of the window frame, he drew in a deep breath before whipping round again to face an alarmed looking Nellie. "I will get my revenge Mrs. Lovett, I swear it if it's the last thing I do! That man will not live!"
Eyes wide and looking like a startled cat, Nellie stood up slowly and walked over to the dresser behind her where she poured two large glasses of gin. "I'm sure you will dear. But before yer go rampagin' round London looking ter kill one o' the most respected judges around, drink this." She said, handing him the glass before taking a large mouthful from her own.
The pair stood in silence for a while, neither looking at each other, simply thinking about the past few minutes and all that had changed so suddenly. "'Ave yer got somewhere ter stay love?" Mrs. Lovett asked, watching as the barber almost jumped at the sound of a voice. He shook his head slowly before downing the last of his gin. "Well come with me then dear, an' we'll see if we can't set yer up again upstairs."
Sweeney looked at her and frowned. "You haven't rented it out?" he asked, his voice a mixture of confusion and hope.
"No one'll 'ave it. They say it's 'aunted." Nothing more was needed to be said; both knew exactly why the rumour had started.
Nellie placed her glass down on the dresser and headed over towards the door. Once she heard the barber's heavy footfalls behind her, she opened the door and led him out into the corridor and down to the shop. Caroline was perched on the bench she had been on when Nellie came home. As the two pairs of footsteps entered the shop, the girl looked up, her expression blank as she looked from her mother to Sweeney and back again. Nellie walked over to her swiftly and Caroline stood up as she did so. Gently, Nellie took her daughter's hands in her own.
"I'm sorry love, about earlier. Let me jus' take Mr. Todd upstairs and when I come down I'll explain everythin' alrigh'?" she said, smiling as the girl nodded her head and made her way past her and into the parlour to wait for her mother's return.
Nellie turned back towards Sweeney and saw him stood with a frown on his face. "Come on then." She said, walking to the door and opening it out into the night. The rain had stopped but the wind was still blowing fiercely, cutting straight through Nellie's still wet clothes and making her shiver. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped out into the cold and made her way up the stairs as quickly as she could, listening for Sweeney's footsteps all the way to reassure herself he was still there, he hadn't left her again.
Once she reached the landing, she placed her hand slowly on the handle and pushed the door open, turning to see Sweeney frozen to the spot, eyes fixed on her hand on the door handle. Stepping over the threshold, she turned and beckoned for the barber to follow. He was staring blankly into the room, his eyes unseeing. She cleared her throat to try and get his attention.
"Mr. Todd?" She spoke gently. He turned his head slowly towards her, "Come on in." He hesitated, before following her in to the room, his eyes scanning the walls and the bare furnishings. "I tried ter keep things clean." Mrs. Lovett said quietly, almost to herself, "Just in case you ever…" She turned to face him, suddenly remembering something.
Quickly she stroke towards the window before stopping and tapping the tip of her toe on several of the floorboards. The light was dim through the window, meaning Nellie couldn't see the floorboard she was looking for. Finally, the tapping from one of the panels sounded hollow. Nellie looked up at Sweeney and smiled slightly only to see him frowning at her. "'Ere we go." She said, lowering herself to her knees and prising the floorboard up. As it came free, Nellie was hit by a puff of dusk. Clearing her throat, she placed the board aside before reaching into the hole and pulling out what looked like a box.
Slowly, she stood up, stepping over the hole and walking towards Sweeney, before stretching out her arms to him. In her hands was a beautifully carved wooden box, a thin covering of dust masking its shine. Hesitantly, as it afraid it may disappear, Sweeney reached out and took the box from her, wiping the dust from the top with his spare hand. Slowly, he flipped the lip up, and Mrs. Lovett watched as his eyes lit up at what he saw inside. Letting the lid fall, Sweeney reached in and took one of the razors from the red velvet lined box.
"They're silver aren't they?" Mrs. Lovett asked, fascinated at they way the razor shone even in the dark. Sweeney nodded.
"Yes. Silver." He said, turning and walking towards the vanity where he placed the box down carefully. A blanket of silence fell over the room, Sweeney stood with his back to Nellie, his head down and eyes fixed of the razor held carefully in his hand. Nellie cleared her throat. Sweeney didn't move.
"I didn't know whether they'd rust so I kept them clean." She said, still not gaining a reaction. Slowly, she stepped forward towards him, "I 'id them when Turpin and 'is lot came 'ere. A nice lad told me ter 'ide anythin' o' value 'cause they'd take it." She added, stepping next to him. Still he seemed lost in his own world, "I could'a sold 'em but I didn't. I always knew you'd be back one day." She said, carefully placing her hand on his shoulder, "Hoped you'd be back." She added in a whisper.
The contact of her hand on his shoulder made him look across at her, his face frowning. His eyes looked deep into hers, making her freeze on the spot. "I didn't think you'd still be here." He said slowly, "I thought you'd have gone, especially with your husband I'm assuming dead."
Nellie swallowed, "Yes, comin' up 11 years ago. I probably would'a moved if… If it weren't fer Caroline." She said, watching as the frown creased deeper into Sweeney's brow.
"Caroline?" He repeated. Nellie shivered slightly at hearing the word come from his lips for the first time in years.
"My daughter." Nellie said simply, wondering if he remembered the day when he first met her, when he first held her tiny form in his arms and cuddled her so gently. She wondered if he remembered being tenderer and more caring, more of a father to her than Albert had, even though he wasn't aware he was in fact her father. But most of all, she wondered if he remembered sitting with her for hours after the birth and caring for her while little Caroline slept and Albert spent the night out drinking. She wondered if he remembered sitting out in the parlour the whole time she was in labour through a long and difficult birth.
"Your daughter?" He said, his eyes never leaving hers. She nodded, hoping for some show of recognition, even the smallest sign that he remembered anything. "How old is she?" He asked.
"Fifteen." She replied, only just realising her hand was still on his shoulder. Slowly, she removed it, folding her hands together nervously as she watched his expression change from one of curiosity to one of pain.
"Fifteen." He whispered, "The same age as my Joanna."
Nellie looked away, attempting to blink away the rapidly forming tears before he saw them. "Yes. Although Joanna was a little bit older. About a month and a half older." She said, her voice quavering slightly. Slowly she looked back at him. His eyes were fixed on the box of razors on the vanity, but she could see he wasn't really looking at them. She longed to say something to him, to ask him if he remembered, but somehow she couldn't seem to find the words. All the questions she'd practiced in case he came back had vanished from her mind. At the most important time, she'd forgotten them.
Unable to think of anything to say, silence fell in the room. Nellie shifted uncomfortably, her boots scuffling on the floor slightly. The noise made Sweeney's head snap up to look at her, as if he'd forgotten she was there. His eyes came to rest on hers for the briefest of moments before he turned away again. "Leave." He said simply.
Nellie wanted to object to being thrown out of her own shop, she wanted to think of something to say and talk to him, ask him about the past. But the combination of her blank mind and his menacing voice made her rush from the room and down the stairs without so much as a backward glance.
-x-
As Nellie entered the parlour, she realised just how cold she was. Inside, Caroline had built up the fire again and had several candles lit around the room, giving it a warm and homely glow that was unusual for the shop. Nellie immediately spotted her daughter curled up and sleeping on the couch in front of the fire. Quietly, she crept round and crouched down in front of her.
Her face was still and peaceful, so different to the scared little girl she'd been earlier. Gently, Nellie reached out and brushed a loose curl away from her face. She smiled, sitting back and just watching her beautiful daughter, thinking about what she'd said to Mr. Todd just moments before.
She wondered what she would have done after she'd lost everything if she didn't have Caroline. Her mind wandered back to that time, the worst time in her life, when she truly believed she'd lost it all. Except Caroline. Throughout all the pain and loss, she'd always had her lovely daughter there by her side to get her through everything. Her lovely daughter who was so much like him that she often saw him when she looked at her.
After a few minutes just sat thinking, Caroline began to stir. Slowly, Nellie reached up and covered Caroline's hand with her own, softly running her thumb again the back of her hand. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and came to rest on her mum, a sleepy smile spreading across her face.
"It's late love. Go ter bed." Nellie said quietly. Caroline sat up slowly and opened her mouth to protest but before she had chance Nellie shushed her and stood up. "I'll explain everythin' in the mornin' I promise. But now, you're tired. Go ter bed, an' we'll talk in the mornin' when we've both 'ad a nights sleep."
Still half asleep, Caroline nodded before slowly getting up, kissing Nellie on the cheek and walking slowly to her room. As the door closed, Nellie let out a deep sigh before running a slightly shaky hand across her forehead. Unsure what to do with herself, she began pacing around the room, before she realised she was going to get nothing done in the state she was in and would probably be more use in her bed than anywhere else. With that thought in mind, she blew out the candles dotted round the room bar one which she carefully picked up and carried to her room. Closing the door behind her, she undressed quickly and slipped into her nightgown before peeling back the bed sheets and sliding inside. Once comfortable, she blew out the candle and settled herself down to a sleepless night.
Hope you enjoyed...