A/N: Hello and welcome back! I just wanted to put a warning forward to all the readers that view this chapter, and I'm going to say it as plainly as possible so it will be more effective, this is NOT a sweet chapter! Please try and enjoy and don't forget to leave your thoughts big or small all are welcome. Thank you.

Chapter 4.

The late afternoon sun was masked by heavy clouds and a wind so cold that when ever it blew Nellie could have sworn it was cutting her cheeks like razors. The sudden cold was out of place even for late November and had forced many of the towns people into their homes, in fact now that she thought about it Nellie realized she was the only person out, apart from the beggars and prostitutes that were looking for shelter, as she made her way to Benjamin's babe we shop. Using her frozen fingers as best she could she opened the door closing it again behind her as she went to the little stove in the corner warming her hands and ignoring the playfully hurt look Benjamin was giving her.

"It's colder then death out there it is."

The words slipped through her chattering teeth more to herself then Benjamin as feeling slowly came back to her fingers and cheeks.

"Then why on earth were you out in it Nellie, you'll catch a chill."

Nellie sighed contently as his arms wrapped around her warming her farther as she turned and hid her face in his chest letting her eyes close as she inhaled his scent, a soft musky scent that mingled with hints of spice, making her smile until she remembered why she had come. Lucy had left earlier in the morning and hadn't come home but the nagging feeling in her stomach only became unbearable when she thought of him, like it was now making her look up at him.

"I 'ad to see you, somethin' ain't right I can feel it Ben."

She watched him eyes worried as his eyes looked over her face before placing a kiss to her lips.

"It's alright pet, nothing's going to happen."

She nodded as he broke the kiss but pulled her to the barbers chair and into his lap as he sat down. He took her hands between his and rubbed them making them warm up faster causing her to smile as she watched him. Once he was satisfied with her skins temperature he wrapped his arms around her holding her as he seen the glimmer of worry still lingering in her eyes, his eyes looked around the room for something to take her mind off the feeling. His eyes found a pack of playing cards left by the waiting chairs a day before by a pair of children that had come in with their grandfather and he smiled looking down at her.

"He Nellie I bet you two pennies I can beat you at a game of cards."

He waited for her reaction and chuckled as she looked up at him smirking wickedly as she stood and went to pick up the cards and pulled a chair back with her.

"You're gunna regret that wager mr. Barker."

He laughed watching as shuffled and dealt the cards before looking at her cards, her face void of any expression as she looked up at him waiting for his reaction. Before long afternoon turned into dusk and Benjamin had lost 1£ and was about to lose another judging by the smirk playing on Nellie's lips.

"Ready to give up yet Ben before you lose all your earnings?"

Benjamin watched her eyes before laying down his cards and shaking his head.

"I give up, you win."

Nellie smiled laying her cards down to relive that she had held cards worse then his making him look at her surprised.

"You knew you were going to lose yet you acted like you were winning."

Nellie smiled and stood from her chair going to his side her hands rubbing his shoulders.

"That 'ow you play the game my dear learned from me father when I was a mere slip of a thing."

She kissed his cheek before looking up at the door feeling the gnawing in her stomach return and the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stand on end at the sound of foot steps outside. Before either of them could move or speak the door opened and Lucy walked in, her cheeks were red from the cold, her hair was a mess from the wind but a wide smirk dominated her features for half a heart beat making Nellie's stomach drop to her feet as Lucy raised her arm and pointed to Benjamin.

"There he is officer! He's the one that stole from the judge! I saw him stuff a strand of pearls in his coat!"

Benjamin opened his mouth to protest but before he could say a word an officer walked in and pulled him to his feet while Lucy pulled Nellie away from the back of the chair by her shoulders her face filled with mock worry.

"Come away Eleanor he's a thief, he'll try to steal something from you how else could he afford such beautiful razors?"

Nellie growled trying to get out of Lucy's hold eyes locked on the scene of Benjamin being searched by the officer as her protested ever touching anything besides his own tools. Another wave of nerves hit Nellie hard enough she stopped fighting Lucy as her eyes widened in horror as the officer pulled a long string of milky white pearls from the pocket of Benjamin's coat holding them up eyes narrowed.

"Didn't touch nothin' eh lad, then explain 'ow these got in your pocket!"

Benjamin looked at the pearls just as shocked as Nellie as she began struggling against Lucy again.

"Let me go! 'E ain't no thief! I've known 'im since we was kids 'e never stole nothin'! Let me go you stupid whore!"

Nellie finally yanked herself free but not sooner had she did she find herself staggering back holding her cheek as with a loud crack Lucy slapped her. Nellie looked at her sister more than a little shocked as her cheek stung under her finger tips, now aware of three pairs of eyes on her Lucy began to cry crocodile tears into her hands whimpering apologies and excuses Nellie was to busy thinking of why Lucy thought Benjamin had stole the pearls or how she knew he was at the judge's house at all, the only person her told he was going there was Nellie herself and she hadn't told a soul.

"Come on then lad, it's down to the jail with ya till mornin'."

The officer's voice snapped Nellie from her thoughts and she took a step after them as the officer forced Benjamin out into the cold ahead of himself. Nellie clenched her jaw against the tears welling in her eyes as she turned to face her sister who was smiling brightly looking happy with herself, out of the corner of her eye Nellie seen the gleam of one of the 7 silver razors and her anger boiled her blood. Pushing past Lucy she quickly gathered the razors and closed the box holding it tightly in her arm while her other hand quickly dug out the little velvet purse Benjamin kept his earnings in before tucking it in safely with the razors.

aa hand touched her shoulder making her growl while she turned on her heel to face Lucy slapping her hand away.

"Don't touch me! Don't speak to me just leave me alone!"

Nellie didn't wait for a reaction as she ran from the shop looking wildly around the street for the officer and Benjamin but found nothing as the howling wind whipped her deep red curls into her eyes as tears spilled from them and began to freeze to her cheeks. After some time Nellie let Lucy drag her, almost literally, home but once in the door she ran up the stairs to her room slamming the door behind her before sitting on the bed looking over the wooden box in her hands. She carefully opened the lid and removed the purse to look at the gleaming razors, even after nearly a month of use they were still sharp and there wasn't a speck of dirt on them, Benjamin had taken prefect care of them making sure they were always sharp and polished no imperfections to be found on them.

She removed one and opened it examining its mirror like blade before testing it on the back of her hand as she'd seen Benjamin do so many times before letting a smile grace her lips for a second before she whinced as the cool silver nicked her skin making a small drop of red form on the snowy white surface of her skin. She examined the drop for a moment before looking at the razor, it's sharp tip had a spot of crimson upon it and it gave the razor an appearance of longing for more. Shaking her head she wiped the blade clean on her skirt and closed it before setting it back in the box with the others, once the lid was closed she carried the box with her to her desk and carefully set it down. After rummaging through her closet she found a maroon velvet scarf and wrapped the box in it before hiding it inside a bag just big enough to hold it and the velvet purse, to which she had added some of her own saved money, then hid the bag under the bed.

The night passed by at snails pace while Nellie tossed and turned wide awake in her bed. She looked at the empty left side of her bed and felt tears prick her eyes, she hadn't even had the dream of laying with the man she loved in her grasp longer than a few months and now in one night it was ripped away from her. She curled up holding her knees to her chest while tears dampened her pillow, she hadn't even heard the door open then close in fact she wasn't aware of anything until the bed dipped beside her and the scent of Lucy's perfume wafted down to her along with fingers brushing her cheek.

"Eleanor,"

Nellie didn't answer past turning her brown eyes to look up at her sister.

"I yelled for you before I left but you didn't answer so I thought I'd let you sleep, Benjamin went on trial not long ago...he's being sent to Australia for life."

Nellie's body unfroze and she sat up glaring at Lucy her hand gripping her pillow.

"Get out of my room! You did this on purpose! You wanted 'im sent away 'cause 'e loved me over you! GET OUT!"

Lucy looked hurt but it wasn't in her eyes as Nellie readied herself to through the pillow at her. Lucy slowly stood up and walked to the door pausing to look back at her sister.

"The ship leaves in an hour with him aboard."

Nellie was ready to curse her sister so much a sailor would be embarrassed but the blonde slipped from the room closing the door behind her making Nellie bring the pillow to her face and scream at the top of her lungs into it before throwing it at the wall knocking down the framed picture of her parents and Lucy before Nellie herself was born and shattering the glass covering it as she sobbed.