Figuring numbers by the oil lamp was no less than grueling, but had come to pass as one of Mrs. Lovett's most treasured parts of her day, for it was time she and Mr. Todd spent huddled together at the kitchen table and oddly enough, the time when Mr. Todd seemed most at ease.
She rubbed her tired eyes and pushed the stack of papers toward him. "Your turn. It all looked right to me but you'd best check it over anyway."
The figures were right; she knew that. She'd always been good with numbers. But she loved to watch Todd work, his head bowed over the papers, eyes darting from figure to figure. With a sigh she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder, watching his strong hand move the pencil across the page. Subconsciously her gaze drifted to the gold band he still wore on his third finger. Lucy's matching one had been easy to swipe; she'd grown so thin in her state of delirium that the thin gold band all but fell right off her finger. For such a small piece it had fetched a good amount at the pawnbroker's down the block. She could have sold those razors, too, and certainly the thought had crossed her mind, but she never was able to bring herself to do it. Of course, that had turned out to be for the best. Mr. Todd prized those razors above anything.
"Well done, Mrs. Lovett," he proclaimed, pushing the paper and pencil away. "Our best day yet this month."
"What are you going to buy with our money, Mr. T?"
"I've not given it much thought. I suppose I should."
"You could buy something nice for me." Under the table she slid her bare foot up the side of his calf.
"Such as?"
"Well, this old robe's awfully worn…and of course I haven't had a new dress in ages…" She flicked her gaze up to him. He was staring off but had his arm about her, absently stroking her shoulder. "Or you could buy me a ring. I had to sell my wedding ring, you know, after Mr. Lovett passed."
Todd raised an eyebrow. "I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for you."
"So you'll buy a new one for me, then?"
"You can buy one for yourself. We agreed to split the money between us."
"But it isn't the same to buy it for myself…it doesn't mean anything unless it's from someone else." She chewed on her lower lip for a second, studying his expression. "And besides, isn't it about time we were married? This is hardly proper, Mr. Todd."
"Being proper should be the least of your concerns, pet."
Lovett sighed and gave him the slightest kick in the shin under the table. This certainly was not going the way she'd planned. "How much work is left downstairs?"
"Enough, but you're not helping until that hand is healed."
"Oh, it's fine, I'm sure." His concern over the whole knife and hand accident never ceased to surprise her. It had been almost a week, but the wound was slow to heal and still quite painful. His doting on her was a pleasant surprise, but she hated not being able to do her part in their daily work as it ultimately meant less time with him.
"Let's take a look at it, then." Without waiting for her to comply, he took her hand in his own and gingerly unwrapped the homemade bandage. Though it still made her a little dizzy, she forced herself to look at the wound. The surrounding skin was pinkish and puffy, and tender when Todd's thumb brushed it. "Does that hurt?" Lovett nodded. "It might be infected. I'll go down to the apothecary in the morning and get something for it."
She waited patiently while he reapplied the bandage. "Well, I guess it's off to bed with me, then, if I can't help downstairs. Would you mind taking these pins out of my hair, love? It's awfully hard with one hand." He obliged, and she smiled to herself. "You never answered me about the ring, Mr. T. Will you think about it? Buying one for me?"
"Yes. Yes, I'll think about it."