It was very sunny. Very peculiar weather for London, but Ella didn't question it. She was walking through the park when she noticed that Mrs. Lovett, Mr. Todd, and Toby disappeared. She looks for them, but stumbles upon another familiar face.
"Hello, Ella," Blake says with an amiable smile.
"Hello." Ella feels so confident for once, but there's something also that makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Blake takes her hand and they walk. After a while, somebody grabs her from behind. She opens her mouth but cannot utter a sound.
She finds herself in a large house with elaborate furnishing. Her mother is standing by another girl whom she knows to be Johanna. Johanna is sewing and her birds sing ceaselessly. Ella seems much shorter and so does Johanna. Clara turns around, looking bright, instead of the pale woman she was when Ella last saw her. "Hello, darling!" She runs past Ella and into Judge Turpin's arms. "Did you have fun with your father?" she asks Ella.
"No!"
Ella sits bolt upright in bed, panting and sweating and screaming. Mrs. Lovett and Mr. Todd rush in. Mrs. Lovett, looking flustered and worried and Mr. Todd leers around, razor in hand.
"What happened? What's wrong? Oh, love, are you hurt? Why did you scream? What happened? I got so worried and Mr. T, too. If anything happened to you-"
"Mrs. Lovett, I'm fine...I think."
"What happened, Ella?" Mr. Todd asks.
"Nothing. It was nothing. I just had a terrible nightmare. That's all."
"It sounded dreadful!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed, placing her hand on Ella's forehead.
"It was..."
"Would you want to talk about it?"
With a wary glance at Mr. Todd, Ella decides to respond with, "No. I'm fine."
"After your birthday, you would think you would have pleasant dreams."
Again, Ella looks at Mr. Todd who had finally let down his guard after making sure no one was in the room that he needed to kill. "It started out pleasant."
"It was only a dream." Mr. Todd appears grave as he says this, as if he, too, was haunted by dreams of the past. But the dream couldn't have been Ella's past. Ella never knew who her father was. Turpin was her mother's friend, but he couldn't be her father...could he?
"Well, let's all just get dressed. It's nearly that time anyway. Unless you wish to get more sleep, Ella?" Mrs. Lovett inquires.
"No. I'll get up."
"Alright. Suit yourself. Get dressed, darling."
Ella couldn't help but wonder as the two adults left the room. She went through her daily chores in a stoic manner, the unanswered but forbidden questions dancing in her head, following her like a shadow.
She sits on the chest by the window, observing, but not really understanding as each customer comes in and gets sent down the chute.
She plays with a ruffle on her silky green dress that she had gotten for her birthday when the bell rings again. She looks up dazed, then her vision suddenly focuses and her body gets hot.
"Hello, Ella. We meet again," Blake says, giving her the same smile from her dream.
"H-Hello...Blake..."
"Just a shave, Mr. Todd," he instructs the barber. He sits down, his eyes never leaving Ella. "You look beautiful. The green matches your eyes."
"Thank you." Ella racks her mind for something intelligent to say, anything! All she comes up with is, "Nice weather today."
He laughs as Mr. Todd lathers his face. Sweeney, looks at Ella, telling her silently that there will be no bloodshed. "Yeah I guess. Same as every other day in London, I suppose," Blake says in his smooth voice. Ella mentally slaps herself for saying something so stupid. "You know, I was wondering if I could ask you something."
"Yes?"
"Well, I guess Mr. Todd would have to approve as well, but I was wondering if you wanted to go to a party this coming weekend?"
Ella's emerald eyes widen and she gazes pleadingly at Mr. Todd. His leering eyes travel over the boy as he runs his blade up Blake's neck. "It seems Ella fancies that suggestion..."
She sent another mental slap to herself and the barber. "I would like to attend, if that is alright with you, Mr. Todd?"
"I'm not sure I trust her out and about with a stranger..." he drawls.
"We've known each other for a long time, Mr. Todd," Ella begs, trying not to sound as desperate as she felt. "I trust him. He's my best friend's brother."
"I assure you, Mr. Todd, that I will keep her safe and return her home at an appropriate time."
The barber hands him a towel to wipe any excess lather off of his face. He looks from the boy, to Elle and back again, assessing the risks. "I...will let her go. However, you must abide by my rules, boy."
"Yes, sir. Of course, sir," he replies, unable to hide the growing grin that lights up his whole face. They shake hands and Sweeney states his bargain. Ella hardly pays attention out of lack of control of her own overflowing joy at his acceptance. "Well, I best be off then. Thank you very much, Mr. Todd. Ella?"
"Yes?" she replies a little too quickly.
"I will see you this weekend." He stares deep into her eyes before kissing her hand, sending fire through her veins.
"I can't wait," they whisper in unison. He smiles while she blushes and bites her lip. He doesn't tear his eyes away from her until the last possible moment, causing him to almost bump into the next customer.
"I'm sorry! Judge Turpin, I'm sorry."
Sure enough, the Judge stands like a vulture in front of the respectful boy. His dark eyes dart to Ella possessively before he masks his face into one of kindness. "That's quite alright. It was my fault."
"I'll be going now. Farewell, Mr. Todd, Ella!" Blake strides out of the shoppe, taking the warmth with him. As the barber and his apprentice lay eyes on the Judge, the room turns to ice. Sweeney Todd looks at the Judge with such a lust that was in every way inhuman, while the Judge looks at Ella with a lust that was entirely unsettling.
"You look absolutely exquisite in that dress. Precisely the same shade of your dazzling eyes." He places a hand under her chin and lifts it so they can see eye to eye. The contact makes Ella want to retch.
"What can I do for you today, sir?" Sweeney demands, tearing his attention away from the barber's apprentice. The Judge scrutinizes him for a moment before turning away from Ella.
"Just a shave, barber." He begins to sit down and untie his scarf, but stops short. "Oh, and barber?"
"Yes, sir?" Todd says, strenuously.
"Don't mess this up."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
While he shaves the pious brute, they both shoot glances at Ella, who remains unresponsive. She stares straight ahead. When Mr. Todd raises his arm for the killing strike, Ella suddenly turns her head to him, realizing what is happening. No. She wanted to end his life. For her mother, for her childhood, for Mr. Todd. Unfortunately, her movement alerts the victim. Luckily, Mr. Todd was even faster. He pretended to clean off the razor and look at it, shining in the light.
"Barber, I must go. I will soon be late for a hearing in twenty minutes."
"But, sir-"
The Judge ignores him, grabs a towel and wipes his face. He reaches in his pocket and sets it on the vanity. He pulls on his coat and strolls to Ella. "My dear, I will see you soon." He kisses her hand and the look in his eyes was the most horrific thing Ella had ever seen. She struggled to maintain an emotionless facade as he left. The longing and aggressiveness she had just seen in the Judge's dark eyes was enough to rattle her whole being. When the Judge left the shoppe, the fear didn't depart with him.