Chapter 3: Settling down
Author's note: I know I haven't updated for a long time but I had a lot of studying to do and exams and stuff. I hope you will like this chapter too and I promise to post the next one soon enough. Thank you all very much for your reviews. They mean a lot to me!!
The house was easy to find following the directions Mr. Jones had. Once they got to the house he told them to make themselves comfortable. The house needed some work but it was livable.
Mrs. Lovett approached Mr. Jones and with a very sweet tone she thanked him for letting them stay.
"May I suggest, though Mr. Jones, I think you need a shave. There's stubble upon your face. Perhaps a haircut too."
"You think so?" he asked touching his face to see for himself.
"Oh, yes."
"Then I suppose I'll have to go to a barber."
"There's no need to. Mr. T. here is the best barber of London. You won't be able to find a better one."
"Is this true?"
Mrs. Lovett winked at Sweeney.
"Oh, yes sir. I don't wish to brag but I can give you the closest shave you'll ever get."
"I am going to the kitchen to see if there's anything I could prepare."
Sweeney waited until she left and took put his razors.
"Now, my friends, another job to be done."
In a flash of a second he cut Mr. Jones' throat. A quick and clean job.
"Mrs. Lovett, I believe you'll be able to make some meatpies for dinner."
She came out of the kitchen smiling.
"Fresh supplies. Exactly what I needed. Now let's take the deeds to the property. It's going to be our new house. My god Mr. T. You look horrible. You should go and rest. I'll call you when dinner's ready."
"Fine Mrs. Lovett."
Sweeney went and found a room to stay and decided to sleep for a while. Mrs. Lovett went to buy some groceries and other kitchen supplies she needed. Of course she informed people she and Mr. Todd were the new owners of the house while making small talk and then returned home. She cleaned the house a bit while the pies were in the oven Mr. Jones really seemed delicious judging by the smell.
…………
"What have you become Benjamin?"
Sweeney turned to face Lucy. They were in his shop and he had blood all over his clothes.
"Benjamin's gone. It's Todd now. Sweeney Todd."
"You'll always be my Benjamin."
"What good is it now? You are gone. Johanna too."
"What about you? She saw you in all that blood."
"She didn't know who I was."
"Does it matter?"
"I can't keep doing that. You know I'll always love you but life's for the living."
"Mrs. Lovett?"
"She loves me."
"Do you?"
"She's quite attractive."
"Yes. But do you love her?"
"I'll never love anyone the way I loved you. I can't get her out of my mind though. I long for her."
"Maybe you should start a new life with her."
"You think so?"
"I want you to be happy, Sweeney."
He looked at her surprised she called him Sweeney.
"I now know Benjamin's dead. Benjamin and me will always be together. Perhaps Sweeney should be with Mrs. Lovett."
…………
Sweeney woke up from his dream a bit confused. Lucy wanted him to be with Nellie? He sat on his bed thinking about this. Was that what he wanted?
"Dinner's ready, love" she called from the door bringing him back to reality.
When he went to the dining room he found some meatpies, a salad and a fruitcake. They ate silently and when they finished Mrs. Lovett took the dishes in the kitchen to wash then. Sweeney followed her.
"Let me help you."
"You don't have to Mr. T."
"I want to."
She looked at him trying to figure out why he was doing this.
"All right" she finally said. "You know, I'm starting to like this place."
"Me too. There's work to be done though."
"I know. But after that it will be very cozy."
"I need a room for my shop."
"What? But it's only a small town. People are going to notice if the men who come here start disappearing."
"Calm down. I'm just going to shave them. Unless of course a tourist comes.. That's a different thing."
"I shall open a shop too love then."
"No, my pet. I want you to relax."
"But Mr. T…"
"Good night Mrs. Lovett" he said and went to his room.
Mrs. Lovett stayed in the kitchen for a while thinking and then headed for her room which was next to his.
For the next few days they were working in the house painting, restoring and decorating. Sweeney formed a room to be his shop. At nights he was so tired that he wouldn't wake up even if someone fires a canon next to him. That gave Mrs. Lovett the chance to sneak in his room and watch him sleep. She liked watching him sleep. His chest went up and down slowly and she could touch his face or even kiss him some times. She felt happy then.
When he work stopped he started sleeping less and Mrs. Lovett stopped going in his room. She stayed in her room wondering if he ever thought of her, of their future together. She wanted him more and more every day. Lucy was out of her way, they were well away from London and the nightmares had finally stopped. The past was behind them and her mind was filled with him. She used to put her ear on the wall that separated them trying to hear even the faintest sound he made. Sometimes she sang a little song before falling asleep.. "There is a barber in this town and he is beautiful. A proper artist with a knife oh how I wish to be his wife and he's so beautiful…"
He was indeed a proper artist and every man in the town went to his shop. He didn't kill anyone now though. Most of the men came with their children and even if they didn't he knew they had wives and children waiting for them home. Sweeney was sleeping less hours now the restoration was over. He would lie on his bed looking at the ceiling thinking of the future. His future with Nellie mostly. Every time he laid his eyes on her he'd feel something burning him inside. Many were the times he had to stop himself from going in her room and doing things to her. He knew it was so not like him to want her so much. But he couldn't help thinking that back in London she'd said she wanted to marry him and live together by the sea. Now they lived by the sea. Maybe the other thing was not that bad.