It did not take long before Anthony came to find me again. I had heard him fussing over Johanna in the hallway, commanding her to return to her room. There was a slight humour to the situation. I took pride in the fact that she had always listened to me.

The door bounced off the wall as Anthony charged into the room frustratedly.

"You haven't told her!" he exclaimed loudly.

"Told her?"

"About anything!"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

He sighed frustratedly, pacing the floor. There was slight amusement in watching his own confusion.

"You didn't tell her about our marriage," he said clearly, although his voice trembled with fury. "You didn't tell her about the baby. You've told her nothing."

"And why does that matter?"

Anthony faced me, his eyes alive with fire and his lips pulled back in an angry growl.

"She knows nothing of her past and yet you may stay so still about it!"

"I tell her everything that is necessary to know."

"Yet Johanna knew nothing of my name before I came back!"

"There was no way of telling that you would have been back."

"Certainly there could have been enough warning."

"You know very well that I did not wish for that to be so."

"This is beside the point, Mr Todd. You still will not tell me why you have not told her of anything deemed necessary in my opinion!"

I sighed, and held up a hand to silence Anthony. He stopped, staring at me with hatred, but still silently.

"Do you think that she would understand?" I asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Would she understand if you told her you were married?"

"I-"

"Would she understand if you told her she was with child?"

"Perhaps, but-"

"The fact of the matter is, Anthony, she can know nothing because she is incapable of it. I spoke to her of her mother, hoping some message would get through, but none of it works. If she can remember what that ring on her finger stands for then I shall applaud you and God knows, I may even respect you."

Anthony swayed slightly, thinking. He then turned sharply to look away from me.

"I still find no excuse in it."

"Then look harder."

Without a warning to myself, I drew myself to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She knows enough now," I said quietly. "That is all we can pray for."

He rolled his shoulder, moving my hand away from him. Without another word, he left, still looking towards the floor rather than me. I shook my head, ignoring this. It was yet another meaningless meeting between two men.

Yet, I looked at the hand that had been placed so nonchalantly on Anthony's shoulder. It seemed to have almost stained. I wiped it absent mindedly on my trousers, not even thinking. A sneer appeared on my lips. How could I have done such a thing? It was a mission for the next few months to keep distant from Anthony, never to allow myself to lay a fatherly hand upon him.

And there I had been. My hand upon him, not in a threatening manner at all. I cursed myself for it.

"Mr T?" said a voice at the door. My jaw tightened as I heard Mrs Lovett speaking to me.

"Yes?"

"I was just about to send Toby out to the shops. Was there anything yeh wanted, love?"

"No," I said brusquely, turning away from her again. I did not hear the door close, and simply waited for the sound of her voice again. It did not take too long for it to sound.

"Yeh want to at least come and say goodnight to Johanna?"

"The sailor boy's taking his time with her."

"Yeh must be growing, Mr T," she said brightly. "Letting 'im see 'er."

"I have no choice of it," I said coldly. "Johanna can become so irritable when he is not by her."

"Then why do yeh seem so sad about it? Cheer up."

I stared at her darkly for a moment, watching as the smile upon her face slowly dwindled. She lowered her head, crossing her hands in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Mr T."

"Sorry implies you may fix it," I said. "The damage here can never be solved."

"Yeh said she's better when 'e's with 'er," Mrs Lovett pointed out.

"What good does that do me?"

"Plenty, I should think. Much more tame, just like the Johanna yeh wanted."

"I care not for what state she is in," I said firmly. "She is still Johanna."

"Yeh know I meant no offence."

I did not reply to this, instead ignoring it. Mrs Lovett moved towards me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I looked at it, but did not respond to it.

"'ave yeh ever told 'er that?" she asked me.

"Told her what?"

"Yeh wouldn't 'ave 'er any other way."

"Do you very well think she would understand such if I said so?"

She paused to think, then shook her head.

"I suppose not."

"Remember, I do not need you to tell me how to handle my daughter. I know well enough how to by myself."

"I only-"

"Thought?" I asked lightly, irritated by this point. "Fifteen years to forget how to love a child? You've obviously never loved a child of your own."

Mrs Lovett shuffled her feet slightly, letting her hand drop to her side.

"I love Toby more than yeh think I could love a child, yeh know," she whispered.

"Then do not question my adoration for her again."

"Yeh don't listen to me, Mr T!"

"I listen plenty enough and you seem not to be able to stop making me."

She turned up her nose and moved back to the door.

"I'll just tell Toby yeh didn't want anything."

With that, the door closed, and once again I was only left with my thoughts.