Chapter 9

For the first in weeks, the process of pie baking and cleaning wasn't as horrible as it used to be for Mrs. Lovett. The work was still as disgusting as always, but she almost enjoyed the baking itself like she once used to. Sweeney's shirt fitted her wonderfully; with every movement the fabric that had been so close to the barber brushed her skin; and her lungs were easily filled with air every time she inhaled.

And most of all, the thing that really made her happy, was the way Sweeney Todd had looked at her. It was impossible to say exactly what she had seen in his eyes, but at least there had been something that wasn't hatred or sadness. No, in that short moment he looked almost hopeful, like the good man who he once had been wasn't gone entirely. So maybe, those daydreams of hers hadn't been complete fantasy after all.

She sang cheerfully while she continued the work that seemed to her even less repulsive than it usually was.

When the pies were in the oven, she cleaned Sweeney's shirts extra carefully, not worrying about the additional time this took. She didn't really feel the pain in her back anymore; it still was there, but her slight euphoria was stronger than all other things.

A few hours later, she placed all the pies she had baked that night on trays and brought them to the entrance of the bakehouse, where she put them on the large table that she and Toby had put there yesterday: from there the young boy could carry all those trays upstairs, like he had so nicely offered to do for her.

She returned once more to the basement and picked up the pile of laundry. She would bring the clothes upstairs herself; Toby would certainly not understand why she had to wash so many of Sweeney's shirts every day, and she didn't feel like lying to him too much.

Slowly she climbed the stairs, making sure she wouldn't trip now she couldn't see where she was heading because of all the laundry she was carrying.

Suddenly, just after she had taken the last step, there was something in her path that shouldn't be there, and especially wasn't supposed to grab her fist, causing her to drop all the clothes on the floor.

"Where have you been all this time?" Sweeney asked. His voice was unsteady, and she smelled alcohol in his breath. She could tell he had been drinking, and not only a little. In all those years she had known him, he had never been drunk. Never.

"I was just baking pies, and cleaning your clothes and those sheets," she said carefully.

"But why did it take you so long?" he snarled while holding her fist in an iron grip.

"Nothing," she whimpered, fearing the barber now that he was even more unpredictable than usual. "I was just…"

"What did you do there?" he shouted. "You've been down there almost an hour longer than usual. I should've been in my shop more than a quarter of an hour ago, but I had to wait until you had finished washing the shirts; I ran out of them, I have only one more clean shirt left. What if the Judge is in my shop right now?"

"I'm sure the Judge won't come so early in the…"

"But what if the Judge is here," he shouted wildly. "You are completely useless, you damned woman! All you do is prevent me from taking revenge! You, you…"

The madness in his yes was undeniable. She didn't understand it. He had seemed to be changed slightly, there had been some hope. And look at him now… a monster, that was what he was. The alcohol made him worse than a demon. She criticized herself for not hiding the gin better. Toby couldn't see the bottles on the highest shelf in the kitchen, but Sweeney certainly could.

"If I have missed the Judge because of this, I'll make sure you regret it!"

He looked at her with bloodshot eyes, before he picked up a few shirts and sheets and hastily staggered out of the room, almost hitting the wall when he did so.

She wanted to shout after, tell him that he couldn't work like this, that he'd might hurt himself accidentally, that he just could've come downstairs to ask for the things he needed. But she didn't. She couldn't bring herself to do so anymore.

She shook her head in disbelief and sighed deeply, not believing that this had really happened. Her optimism and energy were gone before the day had even begun. All because of Sweeney Todd. Sometimes she wished she could stop loving, stop caring, to prevent herself from being hurt and disappointed, but it was just impossible for her. No matter what he said or did, she loved him, and that would probably never change. All she wanted was him to love her back, if only for the shortest time…

"Mum, mum!" Toby interrupted her depressing thoughts. "We ran out of pies! Do you have new ones?"

It took her a few seconds before she realized what he was talking about. But yes, of course, the shop.

"Yes love," she said, feigning a smile once more. "They're on the table next to the door to the bakehouse. You can get them there."

The boy nodded and hurried downstairs to get the pies. Mrs. Lovett entered her shop, and when she did so, she was welcomed by the familiar interior and the customers, noisy as always. Yesterday it had been exactly the same, just like the day before that, and the week before, and the month before. This realization made her feel even sadder when she hurried from table to table to serve ale and gin. Every day attending to those men and women who ate those pies, which had taken her so many hours to bake, too greedily. She did the best she could, and yet she was always being told to work faster.

And besides, she had always hated routine; but the richer she seemed to get, the more predictable her life became. And all she wished, all she had ever wanted, was so simple. No money, no luxury, she couldn't care less, as long as the man she longed for so intensely would just…

"Mrs.! Mrs.!" Only when the man who had addressed her shook her shoulder lightly, she returned to reality. "Do you know that barber from upstairs?"

She nodded, but before she had done so, the man already continued talking.

"When I came in for a shave, he passed out. I don't know what's wrong with him, but you'd better take a look. It's obvious he's very unwell."

Before Mrs. Lovett could react, the stranger disappeared into the crowd.

Without bothering to tell Toby, who had just returned with the pies, that he would have to manage things alone for a while once more, she ran upstairs to Sweeney Todd's barber shop.