My joy was not easily suppressed as Lucy's fever rapidly decreased. She was able now to walk about the flat with a minimal amount of help, and at a slow pace. I do not know why exactly, but she was still ever so annoyed whenever I tried to help her walk. Lucy became earnest soon enough to leave the flat, wishing to see Mrs Lovett somewhere other than her bedside, and to at least feel more breeze than whatever came through an open window.
"Mrs Lovett will need help in the shop," she told me sincerely, a simple excuse to go downstairs.
"She does well enough without you, love."
"But I can not help but feel useless while simply sitting here, Mr Todd!" she cried out desperately.
"You don't just sit here."
"Walking around the room thrice at a time does not count as work, sir," she replied. "I wish to help keep the business up, and it wouldn't suit if I sat here while you shaved customers, would it?"
"I shan't have a customer here then until I believe you are well again."
"I am feeling perfectly well and you know it. You yourself said you were impressed at my recovery."
"Impressed, not assured."
She pouted, sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed and folding her arms across her breast. The sight was slightly humorous, but I was pained to see such annoyance and anger. I sat down beside her, but she turned her head to look away from me. Gently, I placed my arm around her, pulling my Lucy towards my breast. Lucy sighed slightly and relaxed, allowing me to hold her. I was joyous at this simple action, as until a few days ago she refused to allow me to touch her.
"You do tease me, sir," she said quietly. "I'm perfectly alright, I assure you. And I do miss Toby ever so much."
"Then why do you not ask for him?"
"I have!" she retorted. "Continuously, but either Mrs Lovett says he is busy or you say you will not have him in your flat!"
"I can not help a disliking for the boy," I said weakly.
"Yes, sir, you can, you simply refuse to."
"True, I can assure you. But I shan't change my mind about him."
"Not even if I enjoy his company?" she asked.
"However rude it sounds, no."
A small smile appeared on her lips, and my heart lifted at the very sight of it. It disappeared quickly enough as she dwelled again in the depression she forced upon herself by making a fuss over something as simple as leaving our flat. She never failed to render me guilty, but I had been forced to ignore such an emotion. I had long abandoned such ideas of guilt, and I disliked it coming back to me alongside others that I had long forgotten.
There was silence in which I assume we both pondered. I noticed the small light in Lucy's eyes which always shone as she thought with vivid thoughts, and I always took it as my chance to do so as well. Resting my cheek on the top of her head, lost in the scent slightly, and wondered slightly. I could not deny she seemed practically blooming again with health, and she had been much more content now about her name. I began to think that she had remembered me again, and would not let myself think anything different. With an obvious reluctance, I sighed and rose from the bed.
"If you so wish it, I will allow you to at least visit the shop," I said. "But only visit."
"But, sir-"
"Don't push your luck," I interrupted fondly, causing her to close her mouth quickly, a smile daring to betray her euphoria. I extended a hand which she took shyly.
"May I at least ask why you changed your mind?" she asked me curiously.
"I realised not only would I have you chattering away about the injustice of me making you rest, but Mrs Lovett herself isn't quiet about it."
"You say that with such a bored tone, Mr Todd. I could assume simply by that that you do not wish for Mrs Lovett to fuss over my well being?"
"She knows less of your well being than I do, I can assure you."
Lucy nodded, more allowing me to say so than agreeing as such, and allowed me to help her down the steps to Mrs Lovett's pie shop. I doubt she thought she would be able to walk down the stairs when she actually got to the top of them, and I could not help but feel lifted by the way she clung to my arm, frightened of falling. Our footsteps must have been heard, as Mrs Lovett rushed out to bottom of the staircase, a smile wide upon her face.
"Yeh're out of bed!" she cried out, clapping her hands. "I do 'ope yeh're feeling better, dear."
"Much," she replied weakly, still recovering from the shock of the outdoors. The moment her feet stepped flat ground, though, she returned the smile.
"Toby's been looking forward to seeing yeh up and about," Mrs Lovett continued, waving us both into the shop. "Never seen 'im more excited."
"I think Lucy's had much enough excitement without the boy," I intervened, wary.
"Nonsense, a little company'll do 'er some good."
I was reluctant to agree with her, but could not help but agree within my own mind. Poor Lucy had not spoken much over the past few days, and there was no doubt that a change of scenery would cause her to speak at last. I allowed her to be taken away to Mrs Lovett's parlour while I was left- or, in other words, forced to stay- in the shop. There was a distant murmur of their voices as Toby chattered on to Lucy, and I was slightly vexed that she was bombarded with such childish talk.
I sat and waited for what seemed like hours, simply waiting for her to emerge again from the room. I expected the dinner rush to appear at any moment, but I was tormented by the fact that they appeared late. Mrs Lovett herself was kept busy darting from the different rooms, her eyes lit with the excitement of the fact that Lucy was up and moving. I dared to think she cared almost as much as I did.
Still, even as the rush came along, Lucy did not leave the parlour, and either Toby or Mrs Lovett were always missing, presumably to keep her company. I did not understand why I myself was not allowed to go to her room- perhaps they believe I had kept her to myself for far too long. Of course I had! She was my wife, after all, and I see little reason why she was to be shared out among the household simply because they believed her to be lonely. I never could understand why they thought so, as I had done nothing but give my undivided attention to her.
The time went by slowly without much conversation on my part to anyone who asked. Although, the only person who did ask was Mrs Lovett, and I had never taken kindly to speaking to her since I returned. It was at these times, though, after which she complained so thoroughly of her 'weary old bones', that a peace could be found. For yet another night, I did not bother with the idea of customers. I did not dare risk it while I knew Lucy may wander anywhere she pleased without Mrs Lovett watching over her.
Around nine o'clock, the rush had dispersed, and only I and my landlady were left in the shop. She tiredly went about the room with a towel, wiping down the surfaces she had missed. I watched with the smallest of curiosities, noticing the blush in her cheeks rise as she noticed I was watching.
"She's getting used to yeh, Mr T," she said after a while's pause.
"I had assumed as much."
"No, yeh wished as much," she retorted. "I know yeh wanted it to be so. But did yeh ever ask 'er?"
"The topic had never been brought up," I snapped. Mrs Lovett smiled slightly.
"Of course. Well, at least yeh know now."
I saw little point in her small quote, but I did not entirely find myself disgusted with it either. Although I had nothing to fear in such manners, I could not help but be glad that I was assured in the fact my Lucy did not dislike my company to say the least. I had already persuaded myself it was so, but was glad enough that I did not need to persuade myself any more.
When Lucy emerged from the parlour, bright eyed and smiling gently, the past hours seemed to ebb away and were quickly forgotten. I did not notice when she cast her eyes down again at the floor when I came into her view, how she simply allowed me to place a hand on her shoulder to lead her back to our flat. Mrs Lovett gave her one last smile, slightly weaker than if had been before, and carried on with her dusting.
Even now I wish I could have heard the things they had discussed…