Thorns And Roses

Chapter Twenty Eight

~•O•~

The next minute or two felt like hours while the baker and barber were forced to stand and do nothing as Turpin prowled around the bakehouse looking for Joanna. Throughout the duration of it, Eleanore had kept her eyes squeezed shut in defeat, waiting for a single cry or yelp of a young girl begging for them to let her go.

And her sweet boy, her little angel Toby would try to defend her. He was such a good boy.

But no sounds came.

Minutes ticked by and the baker finally felt safe enough to open her eyes when she heard nothing from either Turpin, the Beadle or the officer that had accompanied them down to the bakehouse. She and Sweeney exchanged a look of confusion and Eleanore almost jumped when she heard an angry shout from the head officer down below.

"They obviously ain't 'ere! Ya waistin' me time!" Footsteps ascended the stairs right after and the pair were greeted by the frustrated looking cop who told his fellow colleagues "Nothin'."

A sigh of annoyance passed between the officers and the grip they had on the barber and baker loosened somewhat, but not completely. Eleanore could hardly believe her ears, how had they not been found? Where were they?

Light footsteps sounded from the bakehouse steps again and Turpin re-emerged looking confused and deflated. The officer who had escorted him down regarded him and the Beadle in anger, appearing to be very peeved at the time they had wasted. Clearly, this man had been a policeman for quite some time, he didn't seem to mind that the Judge was of higher status than most.

"Release them." He turned to his colleagues.

Sweeney let out an exhale in relief and immediately surged forward to wrap a still shaken Eleanore in his arms. He felt her tremble against his body and now that her arms were finally released she modestly pulled up the exposed neckline of her dress and buried her face into Sweeney's shoulder, stifling back her tears.

"Get out, now - all of you!" Sweeney snarled, if they weren't outnumbered he would have reached for his razor then and there and slashed at Turpin's neck for daring to touch Nellie. He wanted to cut him up into little pieces and feed him to the street dogs, he wanted to chop off his manhood and watch him bleed to death while he watched and laughed. He wanted him to suffer pain unlike anyone on this earth. He wanted it badly.

"I think we 'ad best do that." The same officer said.

"Not so fast, Constable." The Judge ordered, his eyes firmly on the barber and baker huddled together as Sweeney gave him what could only be described as a look of death. "I am still yet to search Mr Todd's shop upstairs."

"Search it all you want." Sweeney snapped "We have nothing to hide!"

"We'll see...." The Judge sneered. Turning, he swept away from the hall and back out the parlour to get to Sweeney's shop.

The pair stood while two of the younger officers followed the Judge and the Beadle. Once they were alone, the older officer who had been down in the basement with Turpin sighed and turned to the two, his eyes lost and sad as he looked from Sweeney to the pale, teary-eyed baker in his arms.

"I'm sorry miss." He said sincerely.

Eleanore blinked, taken aback by his compassion. She had thought that most officers except for George were all crooked, selfish men looking out for themselves in a position of power. But they were human too, and they knew right from wrong. At least this one did.

"Please leave..." She begged quietly.

"Like we said, we have nothing to hide. Get the man out of our home." Sweeney added aggressively.