Hallo everyone, wow chapter six already! Before you know it, we'll be at the last chapter. Hopefully it won't be too soon. Thank you all for all the supportive reviews..you all rock! Sorry again for being politically incorrect in regards to time period, dialogue, mannerisms…etc. I honestly have no idea how people acted or talked back then. I'm planning on taking a British Lit class next semester so that I can understand the context and correct vocab. But for now just accept the fact that I'm alittle off in regards to the time period, dialogue, and just enjoy the story itself. Plus all of this is like a movie in my head and I'm ALWAYS thinking about it. Okay so, onto chapter six. I'm just going to pick up where I left off. Sorry that theres not too much action in this chapter, but this part is actually pretty vital...so enjoy:)
"Don't even try it or I'll finish what Beadle started. And this time I'll be sure Benjamin Barker can't save you." Turpin threatened.
"Fine." she said pushing out of his grasp. "What can I get you?"
"Blueberry pie." Turpin said with an evil glint in his eye.
"As you wish." Nellie said with a fake smile and turned away from them. An evil smirk took over her face as she went behind the counter and prepared a blueberry pie. Only this time with a special ingredient
Nellie returned from the bakehouse holding a very special pie made especially for Judge Turpin. She set it down on the table, trying not to smirk as she did so. Turpin looked at her closely.
"Is this really a blueberry pie?" He asked.
"Oh yes Judge Turpin, I made it especially for you." She said sweetly.
"Its smells like blueberry sir." Beadle said.
"Very well, you're learning fast Ms Sunner." Turpin said and took a bite of the blueberry pie.
"Enjoy your pie, sir." She said turning away quickly and trying not to laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Charlie Sunner asked as his daughter went around the corner and burst out laughing.
"Oh nothing, father." Nellie said.
"If you're not going to tell me, then at least control yourself." Charlie said.
"Okay." Nellie said taking a deep breath and stopped laughing. Only until her eyes shifted to Turpin eating more and more of the pie. This caused her to laugh even harder than before.
"Nellie, for heaven sakes, have you gone mad?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah that's it father, I've gone completely mad." Nellie said still giggling.
"Control yourself, people are starting to stare." Charlie said.
"I'm really sorry, father. Its just too funny." Nellie said.
"What is? Tell me Nellie." Charlie said.
"I uh you're not going to think it's funny." Nellie said.
"Try me." Charlie said.
"Well, I made Judge Turpin a very special pie." Nellie whisphered.
"Oh Nellie, you didn't." Charlie sighed.
"See I told you, I best be off serving that customer right there." Nellie said guestering to an older couple that just walked in. She quickly approached the couple and took their orders.
Later that day, after closing the pie shop, Nellie walked to the hospital with her father. Charlie was still concerned about what had happened with his daughter.
"Nellie, what really happened?" Charlie asked.
"Okay, Okay, I put a couple spiders into Judge Turpin's pie." Nellie said.
"Spiders? Nellie, you're eighteen, would you mind telling me why you did that?" Charlie asked.
"Because he deserved it. He actually deserves far worse, but that was the best I could do." Nellie said with pure hatred.
"Judge Turpin is one of the most respected men in all of London." Charlie said.
"To you maybe." Nellie mumbled.
"I won't tell your mother, but promise me you won't do anything like that again." Charlie said.
"Alright fine, I promise." Nellie said.
"Now lets hope your mother is doing better." Charlie said as they approached the hospital in which Margaret Sunner currently stayed at.
The hospital was extremely small with several beds lined up in a row and a couple nurses attending the patients. As Charlie and Nellie entered, they were approached by the doctor whom was tall, had a receeding hairline, and wore large, almost funny looking, specticles.
"Mr and Miss Sunner." The doc greeted.
"Good evening Dr Munak." Charlie greeted shaking the doc's hand. "How is my wife?"
"Her condition seems to be worsening, however she's fighting it. Your wife is a very strong woman. I have no doubt that she'll pull through." The doc said.
"Well that's good news, I guess." Charlie said.
"Nellie, how's that wrist of yours doing?" the doc asked. "Good thing that Barker kid called me when he did."
"Yes, good thing indeed." Nellie said.
"So you know what happened to her?" Charlie asked.
"She hasn't told you?" the doc asked.
"No, unfortunatly she hasn't." Charlie said looking at his daughter closely.
"Come on father, lets go see mum." Nellie said quickly.
"Right then." Charlie said following his daughter to Margaret's bed which was the second to last one in the row. Margaret opened her grey eyes and looked around alittle, then sighed softly. Her once beautiful brunette hair was tangled in a mass of knots which scattered across her pilliow. Her wane face looked paler than snow drawing attention to her now darkened eyes. Those eyes fell upon her husband first and looked upon him with sadness. She managed to smile weakly and touched his face with her thin bandaged hand.
"Charlie." she said softly as she studied his every facial feature.
"Yes, I'm here my love." Charlie said kneeling beside the bed.
"How did business go?" Margaret asked.
"Not bad, very good, in fact." Charlie said.
"Hi mum." Nellie said.
"Nellie, I heard you weren't there to help your father. I am very disappointed to hear that." Margaret said then sighed somewhat loudly. "When are you going to learn to take responsibility. Its about time that you start running the shop on your own. Charlie and I are getting far to old to be running around with pies all day. This is your job now you lazy little.."
"Of course you would say that mother." Nellie said feeling each of her mother's word sting her heart.
"When are you going to make some use of yourself?" Margaret asked.
"I don't know mother." Nellie said unable to take the abusive words from her mother and started away. "I'll wait for you on the steps, father."
"But Margaret, she did come and helped me quite alot with the lunch and dinner rush. I wasn't working alone for too long. Plus she got hurt and she refuses to tell me what happened." Charlie said.
"Figures, she probably did it herself. You know how she loves the attention." Margaret said.
"Thats rather harsh, Margaret." Charlie whisphered.
"Well Im very disappointed to hear that she's been running off again. She's getting far too old for that. Most girls her age are married and raising a family." Margaret said.
"Hush darling, she has plenty of time for that." Charlie said.
"Whatever, I just wish she'd stop living in that fantasy world of hers and take on responsibility." Margaret said and sighed softly.
Meanwhile, Nellie walked out of the hospital, only to be stopped by Dr. Munak.
"Miss Sunner, I am puzzled to hear that you hadn't told your father about what happened last night." Dr Munak said to her quietly.
"To be perfectly honest, Dr Munak, I'm not even entirely sure what had happened. It's all a blur." Nellie answered.
"Oh." Dr Munak said.
"Benjamin Barker told me that I was attacked by the Beadle, was that true?" Nellie asked.
"I'm not the one you should be asking. Fear not, your memory may come back in the morning." Dr Munak said.
"All I know is that it involved Judge Turpin." Nellie said.
"Judge Turpin? Be he's-" Dr. Munak started.
"I know, one of the most respectable men in all of London. But I'm not entirely sure that I believe that." Nellie said. "Well thank you Dr. Munak for everything."
"You're very welcome Miss Sunner. Take care of yourself. That wrist will take at least 2 weeks to repair, so try not to use it." Dr Munak advised.
"I will and thank you." Nellie said smiling slightly then walking out of the hospital.
She left the hospital and sat on the large steps following it. She couldn't bear another moment in the hospital, with people who were suffering, some covered in blood. She was never the kind of person that liked blood or suffering and seemed to especally hate hospitals. As she sat on the cold metal steps, her mind began to drift off and recount these new, rather puzzling events that have been taking place this passed week. The combination of them seemed abstact, absurd, almost dreamlike to her. Was this merely a dream in which she refused to wake from? Before she could continue, she felt the presence of another being and looked up fast. To her surprise, it was Benjamin Barker! He was sitting beside her and smiling over at her.
"Hello Nell, funny seeing you here." Ben said to her gently.
"Yeah it's quite the coincidence. What brings you here, Mr Barker?" Nellie asked.
"I was actually just passing by on my way from the bank and I saw you sitting here all alone. You know, pet, that's not very wise for a young woman who had been recently attacked. You never know who could be lurking in one of those dark alleyways." Ben said.
"I can imagine, though I did pay them back." Nellie said with a smirk.
"What'd you do?" Ben asked.
"Oh I made Judge Turpin a VERY special pie. It was blueberry with a very special ingredent...five large black spiders. I had to grind them up alittle, so he wouldn't notice. But it sure felt rather nice seeing him take a bite of it." Nellie said. To her surprise, Ben started laughing too.
"Wow, as disguisting as that is, it's remarkably funny! That git deserves every bit of it. Never thought you were the one for revenge." Ben said laughing hard. "Your not as innocent as you look."
"You will find, Mr Barker, that looks can very well be decieving." Nellie said in a low voice.
"Let me see, vixen red hair, smokey hypontic brown eyes, a sweet innocent smile, petite yet generous figure. I'd actually have to disagree, in your case, looks only compliment your persona." Ben said.
"Let me see for you, slicked back hair, a pale face in which coal black eyes contrast remarkably, a charming smile..yes I'd have to agree with you Mr Barker." Nellie said.
"Oh so you like the fact that I'm pale?" Ben asked.
"Yes why?" Nellie asked.
"Lucy insists that I go out in the sun and at least try to get some color to my skin. She says I sometimes look like I'm dead or a ghost or something." Ben said.
"She isn't particulary bronze either." Nellie said.
"She thinks she is." Ben added making Nellie chuckle.
"I'm sorry Ben, I had better go and check on my father." Nellie said.
"You're father has grown ill?" Ben asked.
"No, he's fine, it's my mother thats ill and she doesn't have any nice words to say to me, so I dont see my point in being there." Nellie said coldly.
"Thats alittle harsh, Nell." Ben commented.
"I've tried Ben, I really have, I give and I give and I give and I feel like it's going nowhere. You should see they way she looks at me sometimes. It's like I'm the scum of the earth. She'd never believe me, if I told her about what really happened last night. She assumed that I did it myself for attention." Nellie said with pain in her voice.
"Wow, I'm really sorry Nell. I didn't know you had it that bad." Ben said.
"How could you?" Nellie asked looking into his coal black eyes.
"Well, I'm here if you need to talk. You know that right?" Ben asked.
"Yes, I do." Nellie said with a smile. "You're very good to me, Ben."
"You'd do the same for me." Ben added.
"Indeed I would. I'll probably be seeing you sometime within the week." Nellie said.
"Come by my shop Nell or I'll come by yours..either way, I'll see you soon." Ben said.
"See you soon." Nellie said watching him walk off and walked back inside the hospital. She couldn't help the pleasant smile that took over her face as she joined her father at her mother's bedside. Perhaps, things will be looking up.
There you have it folks, chapter six. Wow, this story sure is coming along. Oh yeah and I'm sorry it took alittle longer for me to post. Gotta love balancing school, work, writing fan fics, seeing friends, working on getting one of my own novels published, and family stuff. It gets alittle chaotic sometimes:) Hopefully, chapter seven will be posted either tomorrow or Monday depending on how bored I am at work tomorrow. Depending on what happens, I may post Chapters 7 and 8 together. Preview for next chapter: Nellie and Ben do get together during that week and things start to heat up...I mean look up ;) We will encounter Lucy once again..and how does Albert Lovett get involved in all of this? Will Margaret Sunner pull through her illness? Stay tuned for chapter 7.