-1Hooray for Chapter 7!!! OMG I just finished writing this and realized how cute this chapter is. I hoping you will all enjoy this chapter.
The next morning, Nellie woke with a gasp as she rolled over on her broken wrist causing excruciating pain to soar through her. She quickly sat up, fighting tears that stung her eyes as she held her wrist in pain. She studied her wrapped up wrist and began to remember the attack by Beadle. It was too horrible for her to contain her tears and she simply cried softly as all the memories of the attack flooded back into her mind. After regaining her emotions, Nellie got out of bed and examined all the rest of the damage bestowed upon her. Her right eye was still discolored due to the blow thrown at her. Her shoulder felt a lot better than it had and she still had numerous cuts and bruises throughout her body at various healing stages. She took a deep breath and changed into her blue, somewhat low cut dresses which complimented her porcelain skin and red hair. Then she found her father preparing for the days work and eating breakfast.
"Morning father." she said pleasantly.
"Morning pet, how'd you sleep?" Charlie asked.
"Alright, until I rolled over on my broken wrist." Nellie said grimacing.
"Nellie, please explain to me what happened." Charlie said.
"I was attacked in a rather ghastly way by the Beadle. I have no doubt that Judge Turpin sent him." Nellie said in a cold voice.
"Now Nellie, why would you say that? Why would Judge Turpin attack you, now honestly?" Charlie asked.
"Don't ask me, but it happened." Nellie said.
"Right Nell, I'm sure Benjamin Barker told you that to cover for himself." Charlie said.
"Why are you convinced that Mr Barker had anything to do with this?" Nellie asked.
"Because he sent word to me that you were spending the night at his place. Plus I've seen the way he looks at you Nell." Charlie said.
"Father, he's married." Nellie said.
"Oh that means nothing especially to young men like himself. He's one of those types of boys who never settle and target young innocent girls like my daughter." Charlie said.
"But didn't you hear what the doc said? I was lucky he was there. Why would have I been lucky if he's the one that caused all of this?" Nellie asked.
"He was probably just trying to look good." Charlie said.
"Honestly father, it wasn't Mr. Barker. He's the last person that would harm me." Nellie said.
"No-I am." Charlie said with a reassuring smile.
"I know that father." Nellie said kissing him on the cheek. "Eventually you will have to share me with another young man who will love me just as equally as you."
"Nonsense pet, no one could love you more than I do." Charlie said.
"I also know that, father." Nellie said.
"You had better believe it Nell." Charlie said.
"I do, now if you excuse me, I have to go and get some fruit, flour, and a couple other things before we open." Nellie said.
"Alright then and take care of that arm of yours." he said.
"I will." Nellie said throwing on a cloak and descending into the blustery cold outer world once again.
Across town, Benjamin Barker was also getting up and ready for the days work. He hummed to himself while fixing his black suit and fastening his shoes until Lucy came down the stairs interrupting him.
"Good morning Bennikins." Lucy said wearing a tacky pink robe and kissing him on the forehead.
"Good morning Luc, how'd you sleep?" Ben asked wincing at the nickname she had given him.
"Oh alright, I've been thinking a lot about you and me financially speaking. We're obviously not doing very well in regards to wealth, so I'm taking the liberty of talking to daddy and getting you a new job in banking or business. Barbering was a great job for you when you were twenty and unmarried, but now you're 25 and married to me. And I personally want a better life than this." Lucy said.
"But Luc, I love working at the shop. Shaving is something I am really good at and enjoy doing." Ben said unable to believe his ears.
"You can always do it on the side. But for right now, you need a career that brings more than just bread to the table." Lucy said.
"Lucy, I appreciate your input, but being a barber is..is my calling. This is seriously what I am meant to do. My customers are very important to me." Ben responded as calmly as he could.
"Ben, you must stop being so selfish, we need to think of what's best for the both of us. You know that I came form a privileged family and I expected from you and for all our children. Think of how ghastly it would sound telling your children that all you ever were was a barber." Lucy ranted.
"Yes, a rather good barber, customers come from all regions of London just to be shaved my me. Its more than just a job, Lucy, it's a special part of me. Look we are going to provide a beautiful life for our family when we have one and for ourselves. Maybe if I have sons, we can pass the shop onto them. Wouldn't that be a nice thing?" Ben said.
"Oh yeah, sure, we have a nice little family run barber shop." Lucy spat sarcastically.
"A lot of people do very well doing that." Ben said.
"Like your little pie making friend, hmm?" Lucy asked.
"Brilliant example, the Sunner's do marvelously well with their shop and live happily and provide nice life for their daughter." Ben argued.
"You would know, you talk to the little twit enough." Lucy spat.
"Yes, she is a friend of mine, but she has nothing to do with it." Ben said.
"Is that why you left just to talk to her last night? I think you fancy the little witch and using me just for show. Is that it, huh?" Lucy asked.
"Of course not Lucy, I love you." Ben said desperately.
"If you love me, then give up shaving and the barber shop." Lucy said.
"Lucy, you know I cannot do that." Ben said.
"Fine, then leave this house. You can live at your precious barber shop for all I care." Lucy yelled.
"Lucy, please." Ben started.
"I will not love you until you give it up." Lucy said. "It's your choice."
"Fine, I'll have to think about it." Ben said getting up and leaving the house.
Meanwhile, Nellie hurried through the marketplace purchasing various fruits for her pies when she felt a dark shadow behind her.
"I hope you're buying more blueberries for my special pie." Turpin said breathing down her neck. She spun to face him with a look of fright in her brown eyes.
"Mi lord." she addressed quietly.
"Good, I will be expecting another blueberry pie later today." he said.
"Very well." Nellie said starting to leave, but he caught her by her uninjured wrist and pulled her to him.
"Miss Sunner, I did not ask you to leave now did I?" Turpin asked.
"But I have to get back." Nellie said.
"Not so soon, I didn't follow you here just to be blown off." Turpin said.
"You followed me?" Nellie asked.
"Of course, I have always been. I have to make sure my future wife stays out of trouble." Turpin said.
"Oh no…oh hell no." Nellie said backing up, twisting out of his grasp, and ran as fast as she could from him.
"Catch her you fool." Turpin said to Beadle who started to run after her, but was far too slow and stupid to keep up.
She quickly raced out of the marketplace looking somewhere safe to hide. The bookstore? Yes, with all the shelves and aisles, it was the perfect place to hide. That is until she collided with someone and fell backward.
"Watch it will-Nell, wait." Benjamin Barker called after her as she attempted to run off again. She stopped dead in her trails and looked around fast.
"Take me to your shop, please." Nellie said throwing her arms around him tightly, then hurried with him to his barber shop. Luckily Beadle and Turpin were nowhere to be seen and Ben quickly flipped over the closed sign. Nellie sat in one of the chairs hesitating and then holding her head and muttering to herself.
"Are you okay?" Ben asked.
"Oh god, this couldn't possibly be any worse." Nellie sighed.
"Yes I feel similar to you, as well." Ben said sitting next to her.
"Two minutes ago, I found out that Judge Turpin has been following me for quite some time and he..he…called me his future wife. He intends on marrying me, which in my right mind I would never ever do. But since he's one of the most respected men in all of London, I know he'll force it upon me. Its just so horrible." Nellie said in a shaky, almost terrified voice.
"Shh..hush love, that won't happen. I will never let that happen to you. Don't worry the tables will turn for him someday, you'll see." Ben said rubbing her back gently.
"So that's how my horrible morning went, how bout yours?" Nellie asked.
"Well Lucy kicked me out of her flat. She wants me to give up shaving and this barber shop." Ben said.
"You had better not, shaving is your calling. You're like a celebrity, people come from all of Europe just to be shaved by you." Nellie said.
"I know and I tried telling her that, but she just won't understand." Ben said.
"Well least you got this place." Nellie said.
"That's for sure. Brings back memories of the past." Ben added.
"Well, I'm sorry about you getting kicked out and everything. I know you loved her." Nellie said.
"Yes, well, we mustn't dwell of the morbid things, come Nellie, at least we have each other. You and I have had quite the history together." Ben said.
"Yes, since the age of nine." Nellie said giggling softly.
"Right you are, and just think, you can feel free to come here whenever your scared or sad or just need to talk. At least until I decide to give up shaving, which will probably never happen." Ben said.
"But won't you miss Lucy? She is your wife after all." Nellie asked.
"What kind of wife wants me to give up my passion? Eventually she'll come around. Till then I'll have my charming pie maker. You were always a bloody wonder Nellie Sunner and now more than ever you are." Ben said.
"I'm really hoping that's a good thing." Nellie asked.
"It is, my dear, it surely is." Ben said wanting to kiss her ruby red lips, but held back a little. Not because he didn't want to. But he feared that it may jeopardize their relationship. And as of now, the relationship they had was perfect.
Oh man, that last part gets me. Like I said previously, it's all like a movie playing in my head. Don't worry about me trailing off from the REAL Sweeney Todd storyline, it will loop back around eventually. I just really don't like Lucy and not much was said about Ben/Lucy marriage. It could have been bad, you never know. Trust me, it'll loop back around. Coming up in the next chapters: Ben/Nellie's relationship really begins to heat up. But what will happen when Charlie Sunner or Lucy…or worse..Turpin find out? Will it break up the perfect relationship or only make it stronger? Stay tuned