Author's Note: Thank you Neighbourhood Squirrals for my first review and as always thank you ThePurpleness remember for those you read that former last names were not given in the play or the movie (as far as I remember I could be wrong, if so correct me) so Lucy is now an Ainsworth, which was a pretty common olden last name in the 1700s in England. Remember to keep an open mind and the next chapter I promise everything picks up!

Possibly I know now what the soldier feels when a bullet crashes through his heart.

~ Mark Twain

"Netty!" Benjamin called as he walked through the doors of her shop with a broad grin plastered to his face. Linnet was carrying a rather large and heavy pot from the back kitchen and so barely managed to pass him a smile in greeting as she struggled. "Oh!" Ben still smiled as he leapt forward to steady her when she almost tripped, "Here." He offered taking the pot from her and resting it on the counter top.

"Thanks!" She gasped, resting one hand on her hip as she fought to reclaim her breath. She then moved to a much smaller pot and ladled out a bowlful, motioning at the same time for Ben to sit. "Try this, made it this morning but I'm not too sure how it came out." She said as she placed the bowl in front of him and handed him a spoon.

"New concoction?" Ben smirked.

Linnet blushed as she replied, "Well kind of; more like mixing two old recipes together to see what it came out as. Personally I like it but it does seem a bit off."

Benjamin took a tentative sip before replying, "Wow, this is good...but you're right it is missing something. I'm afraid though that I'm not much of a man in the kitchen and therefore wouldn't be able to tell you what."

"Well maybe you can tell me the kind of taste it's missing?" She asked hopefully.

"Hmm," He took yet another sip before adding, "perhaps something a bit salty? Or sour-ish? No, lemony? I've no clue, I told you I'm not going to be much help. I simply enjoy the food placed in front of me yet I'm clueless as to what it is exactly I am ingesting."

"You know you might have helped me anyway." She smiled before going back to the counter and grabbing a knife and something green. She came back to him and chopped the green leaves finely into the soup and mixing it. "Now try it." She smiled.

Benjamin took one more sip and smiled triumphantly, "Perfect! What is that?" He pointed with his spoon to the remaining green leaves in her hand.

"Cilantro. My favorite."

"I think it is now mine. You know I really don't know why you stick around Fleet Street. You could make such a living over in the grander parts of London you know? Though I would miss you dearly." He placed a hand to his heart in a dramatic fashion.

"Ah, Mr. Barker you see that is why I cannot go! I would hate to break a heart such as yours. Plus, if I left I'm fairly certain you would die of starvation now that Nellie is in charge of all the cooking. Poor Mrs. Baker's shop is going to run straight into the ground." She chuckled.

Ben smiled and then his eyes grew, "Oh, I forgot to tell you the news I came here for in the beginning!"

"And that would be?" She laughed at his enthusiasm while going back to clean down the counter and adjusting the temperatures under the soup pots.

"I think I'm in love." He sighed with a lost daydreaming look on his face.

"Oh yeah?" She appeared to look nonchalant, "What's her name?"

He paused slightly before answering, "I don't know."

Linnet's brow furrowed, "How do you talk to a person and not find out their name?"

"Oh that's very simple," he smiled sheepishly, "I didn't."

"Well you're none for two." She chuckled, relaxing slightly, "So how do you know you love her if you've only seen her?"

"Now come on Netty, you're a romantic aren't you? What with all your reading and writing every spare minute you've got. Surely you must know of a little thing called love at first sight?" He waggled his brows at her while taking another spoonful of soup to his eager mouth.

Linnet sighed for she certainly did know the joys of love at first sight, having experienced it with Benjamin herself, though he was still quite oblivious to her affections of him and she highly doubted if anything would become of her admiration; especially now that he'd found someone special to him. "I suppose you're right." She sighed, "Look Ben if you really do believe yourself to be in love with this woman whom you've never spoken one word to, nor learned her name, I suppose then as your friend I should support your lunacy; however," she continued upon seeing his slight frown immediately light up into the beautiful smile she adored, "I highly suggest that you get to know her first. Don't do anything rash Barker, just take her out for a stroll in the park and then see how your emotions fare."

"Thank you Netty." He smiled, standing up and embracing her quickly, "I knew you'd know what to do." He took one last, large gulp of the soup calling back to her, "That really is a great new recipe Nets." before he jogged out the door and in the direction of the barber shop to work.

Linnet sighed as she slumped down into his vacated seat. She finished his soup dejectedly, smiling sadly. The recipe was now perfect and would be ready for sale tomorrow after she worked out quantities and bought more cilantro. She stared into the empty bowl and found tears brimming her eyes, knowing her love would never be reciprocated from Benjamin Barker. She had to wonder if she would ever find love.

As she spent all time pining after a love that couldn't be, she failed to notice any other man vying for her attention. Though that could perhaps be because of the rumours spreading of her and Benjamin's courtship. She didn't perceive herself as ugly by any means, she knew she was not. However she wasn't exactly a catch in London either.

Men wanted high class women with pale skin that showed they didn't dare leave the house without their parasol. Women with fair hands that showed they hadn't worked a day in their life. Women with petite and lithe frames as no proper woman had use of physical strength. Women with blonde hair and blue eyes were considered God's gift to man.

Linnet was none of those things. Though she was well educated she held no place in the aristocracy. Her skin was lightly tanned from all her days spent outside or in the park. Her hands were slightly calloused from all the housework she did as she lived alone, and her arms were slightly defined from lifting the heavy pots back and forth. Her hair was auburn and her eyes were emerald,, just as she wrote the character playing out in her stories.

They were her most defining features, her eyes. They told her mood and they expressed her innermost soul. While she was very good at hiding her emotions to the general public, the people who knew her, could always tell what was real from lies. She couldn't hide from her brother, who could read her like a book, and she couldn't hide from Benjamin, who knew her innermost desires...well all except for one of them.

News soon spread among all the gossip mongers that Benjamin Barker had officially declared courtship with Lucy Ainsworth. This caught many by surprise and all turned eyes to Linnet to see how she was taking the news. When the old biddies saw that she was taking everything in stride, they huffed in annoyance at being proven wrong.

Benjamin and Lucy kept an appropriate courtship and then married as soon as was appropriate. Linnet was seen crying as she held Lucy's train and while everyone, even Benjamin saw them as tears of joy, she was dying slowly inside, with each and every step she took behind Lucy. She had gotten to know the fair woman and she had to admit, if it had to be someone, she was happy it was Lucy.

Benjamin deserved all the happiness in the world, and she was willing to support another woman, if it was the other woman he so desired. As it was, he did. She and Lucy somehow managed to become friends. Linnet was still able to keep her daily meetings with Benjamin as Lucy completely understood their friendship.

All seemed to be going well, everyone was happy, and everyone was prospering greatly in their business ventures. Even the newly wed, Mrs. Lovett, who had managed to find the trick to making a proper meat pie...not burning it.

Alas, nothing is ever as it seems, and happiness, often comes at a great price.

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