I had alot of trouble thinking of things to put in this chapter, i promise you it will get better soon... just bare with me.
Sweeney paced back and forth.
Thoughts flooded his mind. Two and half years had gone by since that dreadful night, and yet he found himself asking is what he did was right.
"Of course I had, she lied to me… she ruined the family I could have had" he said reassuringly to himself as he continued to pace the length of his shop.
Sweeney had found a nice quiet place just outside of London.
He opened a little barber shop on the end of a small street, Sweeney had given up with the killings, they no longer bring the satisfaction that they used to.
The town's folk rarely see Sweeney, mainly because he tends to keep to himself. They find him no threat just the neighborly barber.
He heard the bell on the shop door ring, interrupting his cluttered thoughts. He turned to see a young man standing in the door way.
"Are you Mr. Todd?" the young boy asked politely
"Yes I am" He answered, "And who might you be young lad?"
"James Christopher Johnson, at your service" he replied
"Well James, what might be your business here?" he asked slightly confused
"Clearly you have not come for a shave you are far too young for that"
"I'm looking for employment actually" James said rather shyly.
"Oh…" Sweeney replied
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" James started but Sweeney cut him off
"No, no its fine… I just never thought of having someone to help around the shop"
"I know its just a madam down the street told me you were working by yourself and maybe you would need some help" James explained.
"Well that very thoughtful of her" he replied
Sweeney never needed any help in the shop, but now that he thought about it, it did look rather run down… A little help cleaning would be no burden.
"All right James" Sweeney said
"You can help me, I will pay you 2 £ to keep up the cleaning in the shop"
"Oh thank you Mr. Todd!" James exclaimed
"Now I need you to clean the front of the shop, make it look more presentable" Sweeney told him
"Yes sir!" James said
As James ran out the door to go to work, Sweeney slumped down into the barber's chair sitting in the middle of the room.
He sighed loudly.
What am I to do? He thought to himself.
He always felt horrible when his thoughts drifted away from Lucy, but he always seem to be thinking of Mrs. Lovett.
I can't be missing her, I hate her. He thought, clearly he wasn't convincing himself.
He stood up abruptly and started pacing again.
How can this be, why are all my thoughts going to her? I should be thinking about Lucy NOT Mrs. Lovett I love my wife, and only my wife.
"Umm… Mr. Todd?" James asked quietly.
Sweeney looked up to see the boy watching him from the door frame.
"Are you all right?" he asked nervously
"I dunno" Sweeney replied.
--
"Mum?" Toby asked as Mrs. Lovett was rolling out some doe
"Yes dear?" she replied
"Do you think we could go down to the shops tomorrow?" he asked
"Of course luv" she said and smiled sweetly at the boy and went back to rolling the doe
Toby was pleased with the answer; he was trying his best to keep his mum's mind off of the wretched barber who broke her heart. He often finds her sitting by the window, crying silently to herself. He doesn't bother asking what's wrong anymore she never tells him but he kind of figures she misses the barber.
She's not as lively as she used to be, the rosy tint in her cheeks has faded. She doesn't whistle when she bakes anymore either. She just does what the day requires then goes back to sitting by the window, watching the sea.
"Great!" Toby exclaimed
She smiled at him.
"Any particular things you need from the shops luv?" she asked
"No I just felt like we needed a little trip is all" he replied
"Alright well we will close the shop early tomorrow and go down to the shops" she said
She finished rolling the doe and turned the knife sitting beside her, she started to cut the doe into the shapes for the cookies.
Mrs. Lovett opened a little bake shop, down by the sea were she always fantasized of living. Even though she has the house she always wanted it never feels the same without her beloved barber.
Although she knew he didn't love her, that still hasn't stopped her feelings for him.
Deep in thought she forgot about the knife in her hand, she let it slip onto the floor.
"Oops! Clumsy me" she said bending down the pick up the knife.
"Ill just go and clean this off then" she turned towards the sink.
"Mum?" Toby said "Why don't you let me finish off the shop for the night, customers are slow around this time and I think you need some rest".
"No its all right luv" she said " Don't you worry about me"
"Really, its no burden" he insisted
"All right, are you sure you'll be fine?" she said yawning slightly
"Ill be just fine mum, get some rest" Toby said, walking her to her room.
Once she got to her bed she sat down on the edge rubbing her neck, maybe she really was as tired as she thought.
But no matter how tired she was, she still couldn't keep the barber out of her thoughts.
I guess sleep was the best thing to cure that.
--
"I finished the front of the shop" James said proudly
"Did you now? That was rather fast" he said
James looked at him with confused eyes.
"Sir, its nine'o clock" James said, still watching Sweeney
He turned to look at the window, the boy was right it was dark out. Had he really been lost in his thoughts that long?
"Oh… Sorry I'm feeling a bit off today I guess" He replied
"S'all right sir" James replied
"Well thank you for you help lad, here is the 2 £ as promised" he said handing the boy the money out of his pocket.
"Do you need any more assistance sir?" James asked
"No that will be all for today, thank you" he replied "Come back at noon tomorrow"
"Yes sir" James said nodding once then walking out of the shop.
Sweeney was left alone again. He looked out of the window again, he couldn't believe what time it was. Had he really spent all day thinking… thinking about her?
How could I have? Do I really hate the woman I thought I did for these years… Yet I find her the one flooding my thoughts. Not Lucy, not the woman I loved. But her, maybe I don't loathe.
Sweeney walked down the stairs of his shop, the familiar bell rang as he opened the door, reminding him of all the time Mrs. Lovett brought him dinner when he refused to eat with them. She treated him so well, how could he have not returned the favor. He thought of the day he gave her the necklace for her birthday, the way her face lit up with joy. It was the happiest he had ever seen her.
She loved him so much, could it be he loved her to?
All that time he was obsessing with his wife, he never had the time to think about Mrs. Lovett. But even though Lucy was dead now, and somehow she was not the woman in his thoughts.
What have I done…? He thought to himself, he reached his room and pushed the door open. Kicking off his boots he lay down onto his bed.
I shouldn't have left her.He thought. But what she did… what she did, was only to spare me from the pain of seeing Lucy like that… All this time I thought she was trying to tear my family apart she was really trying to help me. Help Johanna.
Sweeney realized all of this quite suddenly. He needed to find Mrs. Lovett, he needed to find the woman he loved.