I Still do not own Sweeney Todd
Before they went to market the next day, Mrs. Lovett sat Ellie down to help her look the part, with thick black liner under her eyes, there was only one thing left to do to make her look as transfixing as her father. "Don't you worry about a thing love." She whistled as she grabbed a small green glass bottle of platinum hair dye, "This won't hurt a bit."
She was wrong, although the dye had left the desired blond streak that stood out like lightning against her dark brown hair, it also burnt her scalp in one spot, so it looked as if she had hit her head on something. Using white powder to cover the mark, she blew through her lips and touched the blond streak, it was rough and straw like against her soft black hair. "Ellie! Let's get a move on!"
"Coming!" she yelled down and tied a black, satin ribbon around her neck, with a small tear drop shaped bead that hung at her throat. Dressed in a nice green dress with black trim she pocketed her money and walked down the stairs.
"This is insane" she muttered over and over. "Alright, are we all clear on the plan?" Sweeney asked before they left. "My name is Eileen Todd I am twenty one years old and I was born in Antwerp." Ellie listed, "that's right, and I am your father Sweeney Todd, you father, I was born in London but moved to Antwerp and worked as a barber, my wife was named Anne Todd and she died eleven years ago." Sweeney listed
"Alright, now that that is straightened out let's get going before that Italian moves again." Mrs. Lovett clapped her hands and straitened her best hat. The trio strolled down the street toward St. Dustan's marketplace. The street was filled with filthy beggars, merchants who hawked their goods and the high borns who turned their nose at the both.
"He's there every Thursday?" Sweeney asked, "Like Clockwork." Ellie confirmed, "Italian, all the rage he is."
"Not for long" Sweeney smirked. "There the cart" Nellie pointed to the cart, decorated with peeling, faded paint, and a large crowd swarmed around it, taking up a good sized corner of the market place.
"Signor Adolfo Pirelli, Hair cutter to his Royal Majesty the King of Naples" Ellie read outloud, as it was printed on the side of the cart. "Oh, Mr. T do you really thing you can do it?" Nellie fretted.
"By tomorrow they'll all be flocking to me like sheep to be sheered." Sweeney assured her before cutting off sharply, his eyes flashing with a white hot rage as he caught sight of Beadle Bamford, who strolled casually down the street.
"Sonofabi…"
"ELLIE" Mrs. Lovett Stopped her, "Come along love, he might recognize you." She pulled Sweeney along. "I will do what I have vowed to do." He growled, "Come on, he's not worth going back to jail for." Ellie took His arm and guided him toward the crowd.
A little boy wearing ragged clothes and a bowler hat burst forth from the curtain and pounded on his drum. "Ladies and gentleman!" he called, "May I have your attention please?!"
"Do you wake every morning in shame and despair to discover your pillow is covered with hair?" he eyed every balding man in the crowd, "What ought not to be there? Well ladies and gentlemen from now on you can waken at ease! You need never again have a worry or care I will show you a miracle, marvelous, rare!" he pranced about the stage, "Ladies and gentlemen you are about to see something what rose from the dead!"
He removed his hat and let a mop of pale yellow hair fall from it, "Oh the top of my head." Ellie couldn't help but join the crowd in a chuckle.
"'twas Pirelli's Miracle Elixir, that's what did the trick sir, true sir true." He displayed a small bottle of a dark liquid, "was it quick sir? Did it in a tick sir, just like an elixir ought to do."
"How bout a bottle mr. only cost a penny guaranteed." Nellie nudged Ellie who looked at her. The Baker nudged her head at the front of the stage, Ellie understood what she was saying, sabotage.
Ellie squeezed through the crowd, " 'scuse me, pardon me, thank you, 'scuse me." She muttered and snuck up to the front.
"Does Pirelli's stimulate the growth sir, you can have my oath sir, tis unique. Rub a minute, stimulatein' in it, soon you'll have to thin it once a week." He sang and passed a bottle around. Ellie took one and sniffed it, scrunching up her nose and cough in, "Sweet Jesus." She passed it to the man beside her who took one look at the bottle then at her and set it down.
"Pardon me Ma'am? What's the awful stench?" Sweeney sang loudly in the back, "Must standing near an open trench." Nellie replied, Ellie caught on and turned to the man behind her, setting off a chain of complaints.
"Try Pirelli's miracle Elixir, anything wots slick sir, soon sprouts curls," he leant in to a middle aged man, "Try Pirelli's, when they see how think sir, you can have your pick sir of the girls." He jerked his finger a Ellie who blushed, and retaliated by grabbing a bottle and sat on the edge of the stage, "What is this?" she asked, "What is that?" a man asked as Ellie handed him the bottle "Smells like Piss." He sang and handed it back to her.
"Smells like, ew." An older woman took the bottle from Ellie and turned it over in her hands, "Wouldn't touch it if I was you dear." She warned.
"This is piss." Sweeney called from the back "Piss with ink."
Toby glared at Ellie and sped up his song, "Let Pirelli's activate your roots sir." He sang Ellie smirked, "Keep it off your boots sir, eats right through." She pointed at a sharp looking man who was handling the bottle.
"Get Pirelli's, use a bottle of it, ladies seem to love it."
"Flies do to." Ellie sassed.
Suddenly the curtain on the stage was flung back as Ellie turned her head to see a flamboyantly dressed man in a ridiculous cape and suit, with ridiculously grease hair. "I am Adolfo Pirelli, da king of de barbers, the barber of kings. E Buon Giorno, good day." He spotted Ellie perched on the edge of the stage looking up him with a slightly repulsed and amused look.
"I blow you a kiss." He grinned and kissed his hand waving it at her, "And I, the so famous Pirelli do wish-a to know-a who has-a the nerve-a to say" he cried, "My Elixir is Piss!"
He scanned the crowd, "Who says dis?"
"I do!"
Sweeney moved forward through the crowd that parted for him, "I am Mr. Sweeney Todd, of Fleet Street. I have opened a bottle of Pirelli's Elixir and I say to you that it is nothing but an errant fraud, concocted of Piss and Ink."
The Crowd muttered about itself and Ellie calmly slid off the stage, "Furthermore Signor, I have serviced no kings, but I wager I could shave a cheek with ten times more dexterity, the some street mounter-bank" Ellie cupped her hand over her mouth.
Sweeney unsheathed his silver razor, "See this razor?" he displayed it to the crowd at the foot of the stage, "I lay it against five pounds" he stared Pirelli dead in the eyes, "You are no match sir. Either accept my challenge, or reveal yourself as a sham."
Ellie clapped her hands and sparked the crowd who was now excited for the challenge, "Bravo." Mrs. Lovett joined in and soon the rest of the crowd insisted on the duel.
"You see dis foolish man?" Pirelli smiled, "you will soon see how he will regret his folly!" he flung his cape dramatically, nearly hitting Ellie in the face.
"Toby!" the young man rushed forward.
"Who's for a free shave?" Sweeney asked, choosing a random man from the crowd.
"May I present my Assistant and Daughter, Eileen Todd?" Ellie curtsied as the young man placed a dirty looking chair and other supplied by the edge of the stage.
"Will Mr. Beadle Bamford be the judge?" She called into the crowd.
Nellie stiffened, as the loathsome man walked up the stage, "Glad as always to oblige my friends and neighbors." Ellie smiled meekly and curtsied once more as the pig-ish looking man smiled.
"Ready?" Beadle asked
"Ready!" Pirelli trilled,
"Ready." Sweeney droned solemnly
"The fastest, smoothest shave is the winner." Beadle regulated. They started.
Pirelli sharpened his razor quickly, nicking poor Toby's knuckles with each swipe. Ellie scowled at the Italian, as Sweeney smoothly sharpened the razor. Pirelli sang about shaving the pope or some nonsense like that. Ellie occupied her self by discretely looking at the Beadle.
He was exactly like she remembered, ugly, portly, with small dark watery eyes . She prayed to God he didn't recognize her.
Sweeney lathered the man's face and it seemed like he was falling behind greatly, until the Italian held a loud high note and Sweeney quickly and precisely shaved the man's face with skill. Beadle examined the man's face before crying out.
"The winner, Is Todd." Ellie clapped for her father as Pirelli looked greatly deflated. The man shaved wiped his face as Pirelli spoke with Sweeney. A crowd of people came by to touch the man's face and Ellie made a show by pecking the man.
Elllie was bombarded with questions about Sweeney, did he have a shop? Where was it?
Sweeney finally pulled her from the crowd and toward the Beadle, Ellie stiffened and tried to seem as innocent as possible, "I thank you for your honest Adjudication sir, you are a paragon of integrity." Sweeney flattered.
"Well I try to do my best for my friends and Neighbors." The beadle hummed, "Your establishment is on fleet street you say?"
"Yes sir." Sweeney smiled.
"Well then Mr. Todd, you will surly see me there before they week is out." Beadle assured him. "You will be welcome beadle Bamford." Sweeny grinned as did Ellie only hers was more predatorily then welcoming. "And I promise you the closest shave you will ever have."
Beadle squinted at Ellie, "I'm sorry, you look eerily familiar, have we met?" he asked Ellie's heart pounded in her chest as she shook her head, "No sir, I do not think so."
They rushed off, dragging with them. When they returned to the shop, neither of them could stop smiling.