The Visitor

The Baker's Visit

The Baker's Visit

Nellie Lovett let out a shaky breath as she studied her reflection in the mirror. She grumbled under her breath as she yanked at her curls, why could she never get the damn mass of unmanageable curls to cooperate, even just for this one day? After another few minutes, she let out a yell and slammed the infernal brush onto her vanity table. A quiet knock at the door had her rolling her eyes at the interruption of her frustrated tantrum, "Erm, everything all right in there, Mum?" Toby's soft voice cautiously questioned from the other side of the door.

Nellie's face softened as she opened the door to his wide-eyed glance, she must've worried the poor dear with all of her shouting. "S'fine lovey, just me 'air being a right bloody nuisance." Toby grinned, telling her that she was pretty no matter how her hair looked. "Well, ain'cha sweet, but I don't think that Mr. T will be too pleased standing next to a woman whose 'air looks more fit for a bird than a veil." They both broke out in raucous laughter, Nellie hugged the boy to her and ruffled his hair. "Well, best be finishing up here, just tell Mr. T that I'll be out soon." Nellie closed the door, letting out a loud sigh and sitting down to her vanity. She picked up her brush to make another attempt, before clamping a hand over her mouth to stifle the loud shriek that threatened to erupt from her lips.

Lucy watched the door from the lush chair in the corner of her room. "What a sweet boy, I didn't know that you had a lad, Mrs. Lovett." She frowned deeply and looked down at her lap. "He seems to be quite fond of you, you must be doing a fine job with him. I wish that I could've done that for Johanna." Mrs. Lovett looked at the barber's late wife slack-jawed. God, her nerves must really be playing with her mind, there no was no other explanation for Sweeney's -make that Benjamin Barker's- dead wife sitting in her bedroom!

Nellie stammered as she slowly backed up to the door, fumbling for the handle behind her back. "Www-w-wha'cha doin' here? My God, 'ow is this even bleedin' possible? Either the stress 'as made me go utterly doolally, or I've fallen asleep and this is a very real feeling dream." She finally got the door opened but before she could rush out to either Toby or Sweeney, she felt a vice-like grip on her wrist.

She spun on her heels and freed herself from Lucy's hold. "Just please listen, Mrs. Lovett, I promise that you haven't taken leave of your senses. I will leave soon, but I needed to speak with you before I could do so." The baker's brows knit together and her eyes darted around the room as if expecting someone to jump out from somewhere and laugh at their own poor excuse for a prank. However, when she saw absolutely no glint of merriment but shimmering desperation in the eyes of her future husband's late wife, she cautiously made her way to the side of her bed and sat.

Lucy gave a quick nod before sitting herself, her hands wrapped around the edge of the bed mattress as she looked down at her shuffling feet. "First, I know that we never really got to know each other very well when I was alive. I know that you and Benny got on well enough. I suppose it made me a bit concerned because you were so much more boldly extroverted and Ben always spoke of what fun you were. I thought it better to simply avoid you than to rudely say that I didn't like you because of that fact."

Lucy gave the baker a shy smile before Nellie erupted in laughter, wiping away some stray tears as Lucy pouted at her. "M'sorry, it's just so funny! I mean you, Lucy bloody Barker, you was jealous o' me? You 'ad beauty, a daughter to love, and you 'ad Ben. Sure we was friends, but all he would want to talk about were you and Joanna. I never said it, but I would've given anything to be you for even just one day." They were both laughing now with the realisation that the differences that kept them at arm's length from each other could've led to them actually being friends, if they both hadn't been rather stubborn and foolish.

Mrs. Lovett suddenly appeared very solemn as she asked, "Ya never answered me question, wha'cha ya doing 'ere Lucy?" Was she here to help the baker in some way, or here in an attempt to keep the baker from marrying her late husband?