Nellie made her way up the stairs to his room. She always wondered why they had put him in that room, the secret 'shaft' having been built just beneath his floor, surely if she stood up there when Todd hit the floor, the sound would carry below his room before falling down to the bake house. Toby was curled up in his bed and in his hands, a blood red muffler.
"Wake up dearie, 'nother day's work ahead of us." She said, sitting down on the bed and putting a hand on his shoulder. His eyes opened, startled and clinging to the red scarf.
"Oh it's you; mum…I thought it was him."
"Come on now, love." She said, standing, but not before Toby caught her skirts and pulled her back towards the bed. She made a muffled sound as she lost her balance and fell back. Toby moved so quickly she barely grazed his legs as she fell. Toby kneeled over her, staring into her brown eyes and her red hair tousled over the blankets.
"I 'ad a dream last night, just before I smelled the smoke coming up," He continued, "about him."
"Come on now love, why would you be scared of Mr. Todd? He ain't done nothing to harm you has he?" She paused. "I told him to treat you kindly." Nellie moved to sit up on the bed, rearranging her ruffled skirts. She looked at Toby's face; everything about him seemed to radiate simplicity; clear and simple minded with boyish eyes that stared danger in the face with white eyes.
"He was in the bake house calling for ya, you came up and never came back down! I was yelling for you and you wouldn't come!" Toby cried, latching onto her arm. Nellie flinched at first, trying to pull her arm away from the boy but found it useless. Nellie put her hand on his head, stroking his hair just as she had done the night before.
"Don't you worry, nothing's gonna harm you dear." Nellie took his face in her hands. Toby's face turned red, smiling. "I'm here to protect you aren't I?" She said. Just as she had dropped her hands, Toby caught view of her neck, just as she turned slightly to stand. There was another strange mark, just below her ear.
"What's that?" Toby cried, catching her face in his hands, one hand caught in her hair. Nellie pulled his hands away instinctively.
"What now, love?" She said angrily, there was only so much speculation she could bear. Nellie stood and turned towards Toby, finding more power if she held her head higher than his. He stared at her. Nellie had to look a second time, his eyes were bubbling with tears. Toby followed her, standing close enough he could grasp her shoulders.
"Just tell me you're alright, that…that he's treating you like he should." His voice trembled. Nellie pushed his hands off her shoulders and held them out in front of her.
"I'm fine dear." She said solemnly. "I can take care of meself, boy. And if it's anyone who can take care of Mr. Todd, it's me. You make like I ought to be afraid of him."
"I don't trust him!" He cried out. Nellie pushed him back onto the bed and covered his mouth, his voice being loud enough to reach the shop below. She stood firm over him and kept her hands over his mouth.
"Now you listen here, dear." Nellie paused. "Stop making such a fuss over whether or not you ought to trust Mr. Todd, he's brought you here and you're safe now and that's no way to pay 'im back for his gratitude!" She snarled. Nellie stopped herself for a moment, knowing she had never taken such an angry tone with Toby before.
"You must know I don't want to have to talk to you like this…" She paused, sitting down beside him and holding his head to her breast. She coddled his head in her hands while his arms wrapped around her waist. "Now promise me you'll stop all this foolish chatter."
Toby sat still, absorbed in her arms, thinking that he would never desire to be anywhere else. Nellie sat still and leaned in her head.
"Now, come on dear. We've got work to do."