Without You, There is No Point in Surviving

Chapter 23 The Afternoon on the Hilltop

It was just turning midday as Nellie floated through the sea water on her back, stopping to bury her feet in the sand as the waves rushed past her waist. She sighed in content. She looked over her shoulder to see Sweeney baking in the sun with a scowl on his face. His eyes never left her despite the fact he looked like a statue sitting on the blanket. Nellie faced him and smirked, dipping herself down so the turf was up to her chin. She waved Sweeney over but he simply shook his head. She sighed and floated on her back once more, getting lost in the waves.
She rested her hand over her lower abdomen. A month had gone by since Monica gifted her the old baby gown. Nellie wanted to wait to be sure. It was the end of August and she was certain. Looking in the mirror of the washroom that morning, without her corset on she could notice the very slight bump. Her fingers danced over her stomach while she floated in the water. She longed to tell Sweeney, oh, he would be so pleased to know they were expecting, but she wouldn't tell him today. She had it all planned out. A beautiful picnic, just the two of them, on a hillside over looking the valley. A different scenery with peace and quiet, there she would tell him.
She walked out of the sea joining Sweeney on the blanket. He handed her a towel once she was standing above him, she grabbed it but barely used the thing, it was so bleedin' hot out, she didn't need to dry off. "You should go in, dear. It's mighty refreshing." She commented seeing the sweat dripping from him.
"I rather return home." He grumbled.
"If you insist," Nellie said whilst letting out a big yawn. "This sun is exhausting me."
The shop has been busier than usual over the past weeks thanks to their neighbors, the Taylors, who after tasting Nellie's famous meat pies, had shared the wonders of Nellie's cooking with the entire town. Her and Sweeney had both been run ragged with exhaustion. A Sunday on the beach under the sun only made the two more tired rather than relaxing them. Although Nellie was feeling sluggish due to another factor. She's also had an increasing appetite for vegetables and so served an abundance of them at every meal.
Sweeney would only raise an eyebrow at her but not ask any questions and tuck into his meal, no matter how abundant with greens it had become. The pregnancy felt so unreal to Nellie. She kept believing it wasn't true, that she'd wake up from this blissful dream at any moment. She figured it wouldn't feel official till she spoke the words aloud to Sweeney.
That next day the lunch rush almost took her out completely. The morning sickness kicked in rather late and she was incessantly nauseated but forced herself to squash all down and keep working. After about the twentieth savory pie was sold, she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"I'll take out the garbage." She stammered quickly to Sweeney before rushing out the back door. He looked around at her with wide eyes from the counter as if she just locked him in a cage with a few lions, customers were commenting on what they wanted and shoving money in his face. Nellie bursts through the back door and emptied the contents of her stomach right there in the alleyway.
"Margery?" a small voice spoke. "Goodness, are you alright?"
Nellie looked over to see her neighbor rushing towards her. "Oh, I'm fine dear." She held a hand to her stomach using the other to wave the woman off. She placed the hand on the door handle, she really wasn't in the mood for conversing.
"Are you alright?" she repeated, "I'll fetch a doctor."
"No," Nellie spoke removing her hand from the door. "No, no. I'm fine." She frowned and swallowed, feeling another wave coming on. She kept her hand to her lower abdomen before realizing that it isn't a good idea to... Mrs. Taylor's gaze fell upon Nellie's stomach, too late.
She let out a loud gasp, almost a shriek, hands covering her mouth. "Why Margery, you're?" Nellie merely nodded.
"I'm sorry, I'd love to chat but I have a shop to attend to."
"Yes, I won't keep you. I was hiding from my husband." She said looking over her shoulder then back at Nellie. "I wanted to apologize."
"For what dear?" Nellie asked.
"For ridiculing you behind your back."
"Oh," Nellie waved the matter off, "That was so long ago."
"I was jealous." Mrs. Taylor spoke. "I'm envy you."
Nellie froze in astonishment. Never had these words been spoken of her, it was usually the other way around. "Envious of me?" she spoke with wide eyes.
"Of your love." She looked down at the cobblestones, depressed. "My marriage was arranged and... there's this shop boy that I..." she stopped herself looking frightened as if she shouldn't dare speak such things. "No matter, I'll let you get back to your shop."
"Mrs. Taylor." Nellie called.
"Call me Anna."
"Anna." Nellie took a step closer to her. "I was once in an arranged marriage myself. Things will get better." Nellie smiled warmly. Why on earth she wanted to help this woman was beyond her. She looked so young, early twenties; the same age Nellie was stuck with Albert. In a way, she felt she knew how the girl felt.
"What happened?" Anna asked.
"Oh, I uh, I got lucky and he died of an illness." Nellie said. "I didn't love him. Though I love Sebastian fully."
"You are lucky to have a husband that cherishes you so dearly." Nellie's smile faded into a sad frown. Just last month, Sweeney plainly admitted that he didn't love her. However, she was playing Margery right now, so she forced a bright smile back onto her lips.
"Yes. I hope you can find happiness someday as well." With that Anna Taylor waved goodbye, strolling out of the alleyway.
The very person they were speaking of clear his throat behind Nellie making her gasp. "Sebastian." Nellie smirked.
Sweeney didn't look in the mood for playing games. "The trade is brisk, my dear." He motioned her to please get her arse back out there and release him.
"Sorry, she wanted to talk. The poor dear." Nellie said once inside.
Sweeney stopped to look at her closely. "Are you sick?"
Nellie swallowed, "I uh, yeah." She honestly stated. "But I'll be alright, just overworked a bit."
"Blazes, let's close." Sweeney said, practically excited.
"Love, I'll be fine, honest."
"No, we're closing." His mind was made up. "Thank God." She heard him mutter.
They locked the door and shuffled the remaining customers out. When all the "We're closed, sorry" weren't working well enough for some of them, Sweeney let out a thunderous "Get out!" and that did the trick.
"You'll scare them all away lovey." Nellie mused with a smile once it was just the two of them.
"I hope to." he growled. "I preferred when we weren't so busy. All this blasted, "I want this and that."' He mimics the customers in a childish voice.
"And you can't kill a one of them. Oh, what a shame." Nellie laughs.
"It's truly the worst of it." He mutters. Nellie hugs him from behind. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Just tired dear." She moves to look up at him. "Thank you for helping me. I know its not idle or what you like to do."
"I rather be barbering." He admits. "However, I don't want to leave you in this shop alone." He said thinking of the law coming in. No bobbies or detectives had come back to question Nellie over that man's disappearance, though you could never be too sure.