A week passes by and all three of them start to get better. Sweeney and Nellie started to work in their shops again but Nellie told Toby to stay in bed since he was still under the weather.
It was quite a cloudy day and Nellie hopes it won't rain because right now she really needs money to pay her mortgage otherwise her and her family will end up homeless. She definitely couldn't allow that to happen, so she prayed to God it won't rain, knowing that if it did, no one will come in. But surely they would risk their life for a pie or a shave since her and Sweeney have been sick for almost a week. She wondered how Alex was doing, considering she hasn't seen him in a week.
Sweeney was up in his shop right now doing God knows what, he could be sharpening his razors or staring out the window, she knew he wasn't walking in circles because she didn't hear his footsteps on her ceiling. He could also probably be looking at the photos of his wife Lucy and baby Johanna, yes, her and Sweeney are together, but Sweeney hasn't actually made it official that they are officially a couple. In fact... when they first started being intimate and doing what couples do, he's never even said he loves her. Even when he first confessed he has a fondness of her, he said it through a letter, but even that didn't had the three special words she desires to hear. he practically, and literally wrote:
Dear Nellie,
Would you like to join me for dinner tonight? You look quite exquisite.
-Sweeney.
And since then, their relationship blossomed. But Nellie sometimes wonders if Sweeney actually cares about her, there has been a few times she would be angry or sad and Sweeney would take it upon himself to take her as his own. Was that his way of letting her know he was there for her? She believes there is a small chance Sweeney loves her, he just needs to learn to move on from his old love. Lucy is dead and he would have to deal with it, he has a new love now that loves him unconditionally and will practically bend over backwards for him to please him.
She was about to start working on the dough she placed on the counter when she heard the front door open, her first customer of the day! But she was surprised it was not just any customer, but Alexander Williams who came through the door.
"Good day Alex! How ya been, love?" Nellie greeted once Alex was inside and placed himself on one of the booths.
"Oh everything's fine, Mrs. Lovett, thank you" Alex said in a very professional but low voice. Nellie raised a brow when she heard him say 'Mrs. Lovett' why would he call her that? Did something happen when she was sick? Something definitely happened after the dinner she had with his family.
"Listen Mrs. Lovett, I can't stay long. I have important business to attend to about the murders in your area and I'm just not in the mood for small talk" he said again as he chugged on the ale Nellie gave him. Alex looked stressed, he seemed tensed and tired, but it seems there was more going on than just the murder mystery going on in Fleet Street, but she was hesitant to ask.
"Is there anything you need?" She asked. Alex only shook his head, got up from the booth and pulled out a couple of coins from his pocket and waved her goodbye as he left the shop, leaving Nellie puzzled and concerned for him. What happened that made him act this way? She pondered. But she knew she couldn't think about it long since she will have customers to tend to and lied to bake so it's best to put herself to work. She remembered the piece of dough that she left on the counter when Alex arrived so she decided to continue what she was suppose to do, but right when she picked up her rolling pin, she was interrupted again with the door opening, but it wasn't the front door this time, it was the side door that led to the stairs of Sweeney's barber shop and it was Sweeney Todd himself that walked in with a mug in his hands.
"Mornin' dear, any luck with customers showing up?" Nellie queried when Sweeney walked past her to place his mug in the sink. "Very slow" he said, "only two clients".
Nellie sighed in annoyance, "such a pity. And I'm wondering how my business will be" Nellie said as she started rolling the dough with her rolling pin.
Sweeney remained silent as Nellie waited to hear a response from him, but after a while she spoke again. "Somethin's up with Alex, he walked in here not too long ago and looked as if he hasn't slept in days! He said he's been working on the case going on around here". Sweeney grimaced when he heard the name Alex, he still doesn't trust him and he still doesn't like Nellie talking to him or even talk about him, there's something going up on that man's sleeve and it's only a matter of time until Sweeney can kill him so there isn't much drama going on, after all, he's still trying to plan out on how to kill Judge Turpin, he didn't want to add a nosy lawyer on his kill list.
"I don't trust him" he said bluntly, but Nellie scoffed and rolled her eyes, "love, you've met his family and yes it's scary he's looking on the crimes he made but like I've said dozens of times already, he's a good man. A man who loves his family and takes his job seriously".
"And I don't? I don't make as much money as he does but I am passionate about my job" Sweeney sneered. "I know ya are darling, but please, Alex is my friend and I would never speak to you nor would I shag you ever again if you do something horrible to him, ya hear? That's a warning".
Sweeney sighed but accepted that his lover is close friends with the lawyer and will kill him if he tries to kill Alex. "Yes ma'am.." he grumbled.
"Good" and she pecked his cheek.
***
As expected, the day went by slowly with the weather becoming chilly, winter was around the corner, which also means Christmas was coming soon. It'll be Nellie's first Christmas after fifteen years of being alone, that would include Sweeney who spent his Christmas in prison and Toby will finally have a family to celebrate with, Nellie already thought of a present for him, but what could she gift Sweeney? What would the homicidal handsome demon barber like? She could give him cologne or perhaps a new tie... but she wants to give him something special, something he would really like, but then again, hardly anything pleases him.
She was in deep thought, she knew it was a little early to think about gifts but it was quite smart knowing that the market gets crowded during the holidays. She thought back about Alex and how he was when he visited her, something must be going on. Did he had an argument with his wife? It was common for couples to get into fights, Nellie remembers the times her and Sweeney got into horrible fights but eventually they make up.
"Mum..." Nellie looks over her head to see Toby out of bed looking a lot better. "I feel better now, I can help with the shop tomorrow if ya like" the lad said and Nellie couldn't help but smile at him, such a sweet boy he was. Always wanting to help his mother that's not even his blood, but she suppose from the strong bond they have they are technically mother and son, just not legally.
"That's nice dear, but I want ya to rest up. Don't want ya feelin' drowsy when you go back to work" Nellie suggests and Toby nods as he heads back into his bedroom. The baker smiles at him and as she goes through one of the cabinets to get a bag of flour, she realizes she's low. Perhaps she can go to the store quickly, hardly any customers have arrived and the market wasn't too far from her, so maybe she could get the chance to go there quickly to get some flour and quickly head back to the shop like nothing happened.
She dropped whatever she was holding in the counter and went into her bedroom to grab a thick coat and headed out the door to the market.
She wasn't surprised to see a few people at the market because of the cold weather so she wondered around the place for the flour. As she was searching she spot Alex's wife Emily picking up some vegetables, Nellie thought it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of small talk with her, after all the two did get along pretty well at the dinner so she made the decision to head towards the petite brunette.
"Hello Emily, so good to see you in this cold weather" Nellie chimed but was immediately caught off when Emily sneered at her. "Oh.. hello to you as well Mrs. Lovett.."
Mrs. Lovett? Nellie queried, I thought we were friends? She couldn't understand why the noblewoman was giving her attitude, first Alex and now Emily. Did something happen? Did she say something wrong at the dinner?
"I just wanted to stop by and say hi, but it also seems your husband looks to be a bit worked up. The poor dear looks exhausted and worn out" she mentions Alex but Emily doesn't seem at all concerned or even the slightest bit of pity for her husband and instead gives the baker the stink eye. "Yes, so it seems.. could also be we had a fight a couple of days ago" Emily said rather bluntly which made Nellie raise a brow.
"I don't want to sound nosy or anything but what were you two arguing about? I'm sure the two of you can talk it out" she suggests but the brunette looks irritated but even so she explains the quarrel.
"I feel like my husband is cheating on me with some trollop, someone he has become close with... it's no wonder he comes home late looking like he was attacked by a tiger or overslept! I'm sure you know what I'm talking about Mrs. Lovett" she said bitterly and then walked away not even saying goodbye to the puzzled baker but she soon shrugged her shoulders and carried with her shopping until she found what she needed and headed back home.
She slightly guests that Emily believes Alex is having affairs with herself, I mean she did say it was someone Alex became close to and what other woman could that be then Eleanor Lovett herself? And did she just called her a trollop? But that couldn't be the case since she's already with Sweeney and is in a happy relationship with him, and she doesn't believe Alex will ever have a fondness for her, she doesn't seem like she's his type, and it would never work. He is a man of the law after all, and she is technically a criminal and he would be horrified and possibly filled with rage if he finds out what she has done and he probably wouldn't hesitate to arrest her and possibly hang her for all of London to see.
The thought of that gave her chills. He'll never find out, she kept telling herself, hopefully it will be true that her friend will never find out the path she's in and how wrong it is. Of course she knows it's wrong and will certainly go to Hell for it. She's no daft woman to know that it's not right, but she also is insane to know its right. But it was worth it to get the love of her life, and though it's something she regrets, especially now that Alex is on the case of missing men in her street, but she prays that hopefully he'll never find out. After all, how will you find the bodies if there aren't any to look for?
***
Hello, it's me. Sorry I haven't updated a while on this and I really need to update on 15 Years of Pain, and sorry if this chapter is kind of boring and a little short, it's more of a filler but I promise the next chapter will be better, there will be drama and major events happening, so just be patient 😉
"All good things come to those who can wait"
~ Nellie Lovett