Chapter Four
A/N: Thanks to my reviewers, Noodlemantra, Guest, TheOnlyEv1D, dionne dance, HellieLovett,newestnightmare and AnotherDeadBlonde, you're all great!
Nellie woke from her slumber to see an unfamiliar ceiling. She rose from her bed and walked to the window, smiling to see the lapping waves of the Blackpool coast. She dressed in a light blue gown that she hadn't worn for many a year and made her way down to the little kitchen. She had brought some food with her from London, but only really ingredients. She searched through her cupboards and found some flour, salt, water and yeast, giving her a great idea.
Toby awoke to the smell of fresh baking, a smile lighting up his face. He pulled on a shirt and trousers and made his way to the dining room, where there was a fresh plaited loaf laying on the table, surrounded by small helpings of butter and strawberry jam. Looking through to the kitchen, he saw his mother wearing a simple apron, covered with flour, kneading more dough at the workbench.
"Wow, Mum, this is great!" exclaimed Toby, alerting Mrs. Lovett to his presence. She smiled while she removed her apron, coming over to kiss his cheek.
"Eat up, darling. That one is for your breakfast, and these..." She gestured to the mess on the counter. "These are for my market stall."
"You've got a market stall, Mum?" asked Toby, looking up at his mum from where he was chewing on a slice of bread.
"Well, you didn't think I were gonna let the grass grow under my feet, did you? I 'ave to start earning money for us straight away, Toby, love. Now, I start tomorrow, I 'ave to do me own baking and selling, though, so I'll need you to man the stall for a while each day, and when we start running out of things, you'll need to do it yourself for a little bit while I go and bake more. It should work if we work together."
"What you making for the stall, Mum?" asked Toby, suddenly seeming a little nervous. Mrs. Lovett noticed this and sat down beside him, pulling him onto her lap and kissing his cheek, holding him close to her.
"Don't worry, Toby. I am never making meat pies again, not after the Fleet Street emporium. I might make some fruit pies, apple, rhubarb, that sort of thing. Then I'll make some bread, cakes, maybe a few biscuits, a rum baba or two. It should be successful if I don't muck it up."
"You won't, Mum. You're the best baker in the world, this bread just proves it. It's beautiful." he smiled, holding up the slice that he was holding and nibbling off a little more, while Nellie laughed and kissed him on the cheek again.
"Thank you, love. Now, we better get started, I need some stock to sell tomorrow, don't I? D'you wanna help me?"
"Yeah!" Toby cried, jumping from her lap to the kitchen. By the time, Nellie got there, he was wearing an apron as well.
They baked all afternoon and as they sat eating a small cake each for their dinner, they smiled at their handywork. They were forced to eat their dinner on the settee together, as the table was covered with cakes and pastries, pies and rum babas as promised. The floor was littered with boxes as well, containing bread and biscuits, so much so that it was as if they had to weave through a maze each time they wanted to cross the room.
After they had finished, Nellie handed Toby the house keys, giving him strict instructions to lock the door once she left and not open it to anyone but her, before pulling a plate of cherry pies from the table and setting off from the seafront. Toby locked the door and watched as his dear mother entered the little guest house they had been staying in only a couple of nights before.
Linda Marshall looked up from her books to see Mrs. Lovett in the doorway, holding a plate of pies.
"Oh, Nellie! How are you, love?"
"Fine, thanks, Linda. I just wanted to pop round, you know, to give you these. I can never thank you enough for 'elping me and my boy, but I hope these can 'elp." She moved over to the other woman and placed the plate upon the counter.
"Oh, Nellie, they look delightful, but you didn't have to get me anything, love. It was a pleasure to see you, all grown up, with a lad of your own, as well. You've made me proud, Nellie, and I know you've made your old Mam and Dad proud too." she finished, smiling a teary smile at the young woman, who mirrored her expression, before directing her gaze downwards, avoiding the oncoming tears by distracting herself, reading the names in the book. The smile remained plastered on her face, though less dazzling than before, until she reached the last name. Her watery smile was replaced with a look of genuine shock, amazement, fear. Her mouth went dry, but she managed to summon three words from the depths of her bone-dry throat.
"It couldn't be."
Linda noticed this and moved to comfort the woman, but was distracted by a creak coming from the guests' staircase. Nellie turned to the source and her worst fears were confirmed at once by what she saw.
"Hello, Nellie."
A/N: Cliffhanger again! Sorry for the late update, but they'll have to be more scattered now that the holidays are over. I'll keep writing, of course, but I'll have less time to do it in, not to mention eighteen other running stories and counting, but I'll try. Please review!
