Author's Note: SRRY this took so long to post! Hope you enjoy it!
"What new arrival?" she asked Mrs. Pettigrew.
"I've have hired a new employee for the shop. Seeing as business is hard these days, maybe our new arrival will have some new ideas to get Pettigrew's establishment back where it used to be… not to mention teach you to get rid of you stupid mistakes." She sat down in a chair next to Mr. Pettigrew, who was sound asleep, and started knitting again.
As Nellie started to walk out the door, Mrs. Pettigrew interrupted her and said "Eleanor, you can wipe up the counter while you're waiting." she then went back to her knitting finally.
Nellie out a huff and got a rag from under the counter. She took it to the sink and washed it out a couple of times and started to clean the counter till it sparkled. Being the only employee here got not only boring but also lonely.
Nellie hoped that the new arrival, whoever it was, would somehow become her friend. Nellie pretty much lived at the shop, there was a room above the shop where she and Albert stayed, she wished that she could just leave this place and escape from Mrs. Pettigrew and her evil cat, but where else could she go?
Plus, she needed this job to make money. All she just hoped for was that the new arrival would work out. She was tired so she lay her head down on the counter and started to drift off to sleep.
Unfortunately she was awaken by the sound of the bell ringing when someone opened the door.
There stood a very slim, pale-faced woman. She had a mass of wavy red hair. She wore an ordinary, everyday corset and dress. Her eyes were bright with hope. She was really pretty.
"This is Pettigrew's am I correct?" she asked Nellie. "Why yes love it is" "I'm here for the new job, Mrs. Pettigrew hired me and I wondered where I could find her. Could you tell me?" she asked kindly. "Sure dearie she's right in the back, follow me."
Nellie lead her through a door and to the room where Mrs. Pettigrew sat. "Oh! Lillian so nice to see you again!" Mrs. Pettigrew jumped up from her seat and ran to hug the new red-headed girl. "Um, nice to see you too Mrs. Pettigrew" Lillian looked uncomfortable, though she smiled.
After all the hugging Mrs. Pettigrew gave Nellie a stern look and said "Eleanor, this is Mrs. Lillian Mooney, she, of course, is the new arrival I've been talking about. Since it is her first day here, why don't you show her around and teacher her about the pies wot not?"
"Of course Mrs. Pettigrew, follow me Lillian." said Mrs. Lovett. She showed Lillian where everything was, the kitchen to make the pies, the supply room, and the upstairs room where they would share a bedroom. It was small and there was a few cobwebs here and there but it was cozy.
" 'Ere ya go Lillian make yerself right at home" Nellie gave Mrs. Lillian Mooney a smile. "Kinda shabby ain't it?" Lillian walked into the room. "Yeah, but you learn to live with it. One advantage of it is that it stays warm on cold nights an' in the wintertime."
"That's good, at least we don't 'ave to sleep in the gutter like some common whores do." she gave a chuckle. They both sat down on Nellie's bed. "Come on then, sit yer bags down an' we'll talk some more." "So what did you do before ye came to Pettigrew's?" Nellie's asked.
"Well, before, I didn't really have a job I stayed at home with me great aunt Abby. She was old and frail and died recently, 'ad to take care o' her. I taught meself how to cook an' everything. Not that im saying I'm the best cook in the world but, I think me cooking skills 'ave gotten quite good. After she died, well there was nothing left for me to do really, so I was lookin' for jobs and stumbled across this lil' place. 'nough 'bout me, what have you been doing here, with yer life and everything?" Lillian asked.
"Well not long ago, I was married to me dear husband Albert, suffered from a heart attack 'e did. Miss him I tell you that. He was a butcher here at Pettigrew's. Found the best type of meat. Now alls we got is that bloody good-for-nothing husband of Mrs. Pettigrew. He sho' isn't doing much of anything I tells ya." she went on.
"Oh my dear I'm so sorry to hear that about your husband." Lillian patted her hand.
"Its fine love, he's in a better place." she smiled.
"Nellie, after I lost my aunt, my world was completely turned upside down. I felt like I had no where to go, I mean I didn't want to stay at her cottage all my life, wot with being lonely. I was hoping that if I got a job here, I would keep meself busy, even find a friend. In the end, I'm glad I came here because you're here and I think that we can become real nice friends." she sat down next to Nellie and hugged her. "
Same here, I mean you do know it gets completely lonely wot with the ol' hag Mrs. Pettigrew." she laughed. "But in the end Lillian, I'm glad you came here too." With that Nellie hugged Lillian back.
Well, Mrs. Lovett got what she wanted, a new friend. But will Lillian Mooney end up betraying her? Wait and see dears!
Author's Note: ugh this chapter made me kinda mad. I think the scene between Nellie and Lillian is kinda mushy. Still Let me know what you think.