Chapter Forty-Three – A Not-So-Humble Abode

A week soon passed and the day of the housebreaking dawned bright and early. Bill had, unusually, been up an hour or so before the sun rose, preparing his arsenal for the night's expedition. Ever since that night exactly one week ago, there had been a sort of invisible barrier between him and Nancy. He hadn't spoken a word to her and she hadn't dared say anything to him. It was an uncomfortable, suffocating silence, but it seemed neither Bill nor Nancy dared break it.

--

When he'd returned from Fagin's the previous week, it had been to find Nancy slumped over the table, an empty bottle clutched in her frail hand. Bill had prized it from her and carried her to the bed, but she'd been too out of it to notice his small gesture of kindness. When she'd awoke the next morning she'd found him gone; she had only the dog for company.

She kept replaying the previous night's fights in her head and she still couldn't make sense of them.

She could have sworn Bill had meant to kill her…she'd seen the fierceness and fire in his eyes, the snarl on his face…but he hadn't. He was certainly strong enough to, she knew that. But he hadn't killed her.

But she knew he could.

And the thought sickened and terrified her, as it rightly should.

But he wouldn't kill her…

Would he?

--

Bill loaded the gun with care, making certain afterwards that he had everything he needed. The house Fagin had described to him and Toby was a large one, out in the country. The people who lived there were the rich landowning sort with no need to work for their money. If the situation arose, Bill thought, he wouldn't mind shooting one of them out of pure spite.

But then it occurred to him that, brutal as he could be, he wasn't a killer. He could drink and shout and swear and fight but kill? It didn't seem impossible, what with Bill being who he was, but the man himself just couldn't picture it. He'd seen a man die, right before his eyes and had felt guilty enough then…and Bill wasn't a man for guilt or regret.

'Me; a murderer?' he scoffed to himself as he stowed his gun in the inside pocket of his greatcoat. 'Don't make me laugh.'

--

At long last night fell, a blanket of darkness draped over the great city. Bill roused himself from his chair and, having made sure he had all he needed secreted about his person, prepared to head off to Toby's. As he made for the door, however, he felt Nancy grab him from behind, engulfing him in a tearful, terrified embrace. Bill turned to face her and followed suit, but nowhere near as earnestly as she.

"Bill," Nancy pleaded, looking up at him with wide, scared eyes. "Don't go…please!" The last time Bill had been out housebreaking with someone else, the other man had died. For all she knew it could be Bill this time. Despite her fear of the man she loved, she was also scared for him.

Bill stared back down at Nancy, unsure whether to let his emotions show or to keep them hidden. It was the first time they'd made contact in seven days…there would be other cracks…surely he could give up this one to spend the night at home with the woman he loved?

'No,' said a voice in his head. 'Are you mad? Fagin'll pay you handsomely for this one; don't let this opportunity go! Nancy will always be around, but the silver in that house won't. Get going!'

He shook his head as if to rid himself of the voice, but extricated himself from Nancy's grip all the same. He turned and stalked over to the door without a word, Bulls-Eye at his heels. As his fingers tightened around the handle, however, he was verbally waylaid by Nancy once more.

"Bill," she said, her voice hoarse from unshed tears. "Be safe."

Bill nodded and left the flat without a last look back. Even after he'd closed the door and the sounds of the city at night accosted his ears, he could still hear Nancy's pitiful sobs as she wept for the man she knew she loved…despite everything.

--

Petticoat Lane was bustling at this time of night, crowded with all the scum of the city's boots. Women loitered around the lampposts, ragged men huddled in corners, drunkards lumbered through the crowds and a small group of pickpockets were having a field day.

All as would be expected.

Bill rapped on the door of Toby's lodging house and was admitted by a scrawny, ill-shaven fellow clad in a shabby blue coat and torn breeches, who duly informed Bill that his name was Barney and that he owned the lodging house. Bill nodded sullenly as this information was afforded him and followed Barney up two flights of stairs to the flat Toby was renting out.

The suite of rooms was shabby, but Toby had made them look as nice as possible what with plenty of brightly coloured pieces of fabric strung on every available surface. Toby's large collection of neckerchiefs made a prominent appearance; they hung from various rafters and beams to serve as decoration, reminding Bill for a moment of Toby's fence.

The man himself was dressed in various shades of plum and cream, his hair as expertly curled as ever. He'd been tugging on his boots when he noticed Bill and, in jumping from his seat to greet his new partner, narrowly avoided falling flat on his face as one foot was higher off the ground than the other.

"Bill m'boy!" he crowded, arms outstretched. "Good to see yer!"

"Just get yer bloomin' boots on Toby," snapped Bill with a roll of his eyes. "I assume yer gonna cover up that getup once we're out? People are bound to recognize yer dressed like tha'!"

Toby chuckled, pulled on his other boot and motioned to Barney. The landlord opened an old wardrobe, which Bill hadn't noticed when first taking in the room, and pulled a long black greatcoat from its depths. He tossed it to its owner; Toby caught it deftly and shrugged it on, buttoning it, somewhat reluctantly, to the chin.

"Are you ready yet?" grumbled Bill a quarter of an hour later. Having at last found his hat and produced all sorts of vicious looking weaponry from the wardrobe, Toby was now busy putting it all in his pockets. Persuaders, guns, darkies…the works. It reminded Bill eerily of his first expedition with Jeremy; a thought which he was unable to shake off. He only hoped tonight's raid wouldn't end the same way as his last one with the young redhead had.

"Indeed I am," Toby said grandly, tugging on a pair of black gloves. "Shall we?"

The walk to the house took quite a while, even after hitching a ride to the edge of the city with a passing cab. Bill, though annoyed about the time he thought he was wasting, strode on with purpose. Toby, on the other hand, complained and grumbled under his breath almost all the way; something Bill only put up with because, if he didn't, he knew there was no way he could pull this off.

The house, once the pair reached it, was even larger than Fagin's sneaks had made it out to be; it looked like an impenetrable fortress compared to Bill's usual suburban ventures. He looked, somewhat uneasily, at Toby but the other man didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

It became very clear why when Bill attempted to prize open one of the windows with his crowbar. Toby shook his head firmly and, with a flourish, produced a key from his coat pocket. Bill frowned. How on Earth had he managed to procure such a thing? He was about to ask but Toby simply winked, tapped the side of his nose, and unlocked the servants entrance, disappearing inside without another word.

Bill, confused and interested, replaced his crowbar in his pocket and followed Toby inside.

Needless to say, in a house this large there was plenty to plunder. Both men were weighed down with all sorts of valuables after only ten minutes and it soon became clear they would have to be more selective about what they chose to steal as they proceeded to the upper floors.

Several rooms and three flights of stairs later and the job couldn't have been more successful. The pair of them tottered down the stairs and made their way back out the servant's door; Toby locked it and placed the key on the doorstep, blowing a kiss towards one of the upper windows having done so.

For once Bill didn't roll his eyes.

The pair of them arrived at Fagin's three quarters of an hour later, exhausted but pleased with the night's haul. Fagin was ecstatic and so he should have been; it had been Bill's best housebreaking yet. He gave Toby a knowing look as he examined the goods (Bill was, as ever, distracted by Fagin's gin bottle) and Toby simply grinned back.

"Worked a charm, Faygey!" he said proudly, chuckling a little at the nickname he'd coined for the fence. Fagin ignored the nickname as he always did, too pleased with the goods to bother reprimanding his more carefree acquaintance.

"I'll meet you two at the Cripples tomorrow night," he said, setting down a pearl necklace and grinning toothily at Bill and Toby. "I'll have all this totted up by then."

Bill nodded and rose to leave; Toby did the same, donning his hat carefully over his elaborate curls. The latter headed for the door first but Bill hung back a moment, staring at the vast pile of treasures he and Toby had procured, heaped on the worn old table like the contents of a pirates treasure chest.

Fagin noticed Bill's stare and looked up at him, a contemplative expression on his face.

"You've done Jeremy proud, my dear," he said softly. "He was a great man himself, and you're one too. The very greatest."

Bill knew Fagin was telling the old lie, telling him a tale just to get on his good side, but he nodded all the same, with the faintest of smiles.

"I'd better get back," he said abruptly, moving towards the door. "Nance'll be wondering wot's 'appened to me."

As Sykes closed the door behind him Fagin sadly shook his head. That she would. He had to wonder why Nancy cared so much; surely she knew that all the care in the world wouldn't tame Bill Sykes?

--

A/N: Here's hoping you liked this chapter; sorry it took me so long to get it up! D8

This may be the last update you'll see from me for awhile; friend's birthday party tonight, busy day on Sunday, then a week of school THEN the four-day (over the weekend!) Geography trip.

I should hopefully have an update sometime during the week before I leave on Friday though.

-fingers crossed-

Please R&R, my lovelies! ^^