Chapter 26
Sweeney wandered aimlessly through the streets of London until the city and its inhabitants wakened from the night. Around eight o'clock, more and more people appeared on the streets, heading for their work or a shop to buy something to eat. Some of the customers were looking for a barber too and those were the men Mr. Todd was interested in. In exchange for his services, he hoped to make some money, for except for his razors and clothes, he had absolutely nothing with him and he didn't really know how he could get himself a much needed barber shop. However, his top priority was to find something to eat now. Running back to Mrs. Lovett wasn't an option anymore.
It was bizarre for him to realize, but he really regretted that he had hit his landlady, especially because she hadn't deserved it. Yes, he had tempted him to betray his wife, but he was the one who had approved; he had even encouraged her sometimes, subconsciously longing for comfort and kindness. He hadn't had the right to slap her, she couldn't help it after all that he felt a certain attraction towards her, just like Lucy couldn't help that the Judge had fancied her.
Only a few hours ago the barber had been sure that he would never return to the pie shop (or rather, to Mrs. Lovett), but now he started to doubt it. Surviving with hardly any food or a bed to sleep wasn't the worst part – he had been through that before – but the idea that he wouldn't have only to miss his Lucy and Johanna, but his landlady's kindness too…
But if he would find a shop near Fleet Street or near the market, he would at least have the change to see her every once and a while. Looking at her wasn't a crime after all and it was not that he wanted to do more than that…
Sweeney shook his head in disbelief, angry with himself because the desire to do more than just looking was still in his body. Telling himself one more time that it was wrong because he was married and Mrs. Lovett didn't belong to him, he walked towards the market, where merchants were preparing themselves for a long day of trade and negotiation.
Quite soon, Sweeney spotted a rather rich-looking man who was placing his goods in his stand and who clearly was in need of a shave.
Five minutes later, the barber was eating a piece of bread that he had bought with the money the merchant had given him in return for the shave. The rest of the money was saved securely in a pocket of his jacket and Sweeney realized he could make enough money with this business to buy his own place after a while. All he needed was a stand of his own on the market to start his work..
But while he walked over the market, it became clear to him that this could become a problem since every inch of it that was supposed to contain stands, was already taken.
He couldn't simply start his own outdoor shop – Sweeney realized he had to conquer one.
His eyes fell on one of the other barbers, clearly one that wasn't popular and thus wouldn't be missed. Sweeney smiled, knowing he had found the solution for his problem already.
"Good day sir," he spoke as he approached the other barber, feigning a smile. "I'm sorry to bother you so suddenly, but I heard you are the best barber in town."
The other barber, a bald man in his late forties, nodded like he heard this everyday, his arrogant eyes scrutinizing the stranger in front of him.
"My master sent me to you to ask you to visit him at his home this morning. He is ill, so he is incapable of coming here himself, but he speaks very highly of you. He wishes to be shaven 'properly', as he put it. That's why he requires your services at his own home."
"And why should I come to that master of yours?" the other man snarled. "You didn't even tell me who he is and besides, there is a lot of money to make here today. If you come back tomorrow and ask again, I might consider it."
"I beg you pardon," Sweeney interrupted. "Although my master is very rich, he doesn't like to show off his wealth. However, if you do him the honor of coming to his house this morning, you'll be generously rewarded"
Mr. Todd opened his pocket lightly, allowing the other barber to see the money that Sweeney had made earlier that day, as if it was part of the payment for the other man.
Luckily, the sight of the coins was enough to persuade the barber. Without asking for any more information, he ordered one of his apprentices to take care of the first customers of that day in his absence.
The barber followed Mr. Todd from the market. Sweeney headed towards a dark alley that even at this time of the day was abandoned and would remain so until the darkest hours of the night, when murderers and thieves gathered there.
The other barber kept following Sweeney, driven by the promise of fame and a lot of money. Only when they were almost halfway the alley, the other man became uncomfortable.
"It seems you are lost, good sir," he spoke. "I highly doubt your master lives here."
"Indeed, he does not," Sweeney replied smoothly. "I know this is a horrible place, but my master can be very impatient and this is the shortest way to his manor."
"If you say so…" the bald man answered.
They continued walking, their speed slow because of all the garbage that was 'stored' on the cobblestones and while doing so, Sweeney reached for one of his friends, that was in the holster at his belt.
When he and the other man tried to find their way through the darkest part of the alley, Sweeney turned around quickly and cut the throat of the other barber, who was still walking behind him, with one fluid movement and immediately after that, he jumped backwards, to make sure the blood of the man wouldn't stain his clothes.
Mrs. Lovett wasn't there to clean them anymore, after all.
At the sudden memory of the baker, a strange sensation went through Sweeney's system and for a few seconds, he totally forgot about the murder he had just committed now that he felt in a way he hadn't done for fifteen years.
The adrenaline that rushed through his body and his rapidly beating heart seemed to be caused more by Mrs. Lovett than the actual murder.
But while Sweeney pushed the corpse aside, he forced the thoughts of his former landlady out of his head too.
Mr. Todd stole the purse from the man who was now lying dead on the ground and he stepped over the body to return to the market as if nothing had happened.
Sweeney headed back towards the stand that the murdered barber had owned. The three apprentices who had worked for that man, looked expectantly at Sweeney when he summoned them around him.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this boys, but your master won't work here anymore; he's the personal barber now of a lord outside town. He has ordered me to take care of his business here while he is away."
Two of the three young people in front of him eyed their new master with raised eyebrows; it was impossible to say if they doubted the barber's words or that they were looking for a way to profit from the new situation. The third boy however, who was clearly younger than the other two, looked at the barber timidly; he obviously didn't know how to react to the sudden change.
Sweeney took some of the money he had stolen from the previous owner and handed a few pennies to each of the three boys.
"You can go now if you want to, but you can decide to stay here too. If you do so and work for me, you will be paid this much every day."
The two older boys looked at each other, grinning excitedly, and they nodded to show they approved. The other boy copied their reply and together with the two others he waited for new orders.
"Well, go on," Sweeney said, "go tell all those people the best barber in London is here today!"
Neither of the boys needed any more encouragement and while Mr. Todd made himself familiar with the stand, which was much like the one that Pirelli had owned, the boys, who where now more this advertisers than his apprentices, spread over the market to inform all the people there loudly about the arrival of the finest barber in London.
While the first customer made his way to the newly conquered stand, the barber allowed himself a small smile.
This far, everything was going well.