My Cutthroat Romance

Chapter 4

[A/N: Thank you for your wonderful comments. I was actually gonna stop posting on here, but you made me want to start again! Thank you, enjoy!]

Mrs. Lovett and her son had been listening to Mr. Todd pacing for about fifteen minutes. Suddenly they heard his footsteps stop and rush out of the room and down the stairs.

“Mrs. Lovett, could I ask a favor of you?” He asked at the bottom.

“What is it Mr. T?” Mrs. Lovett questioned.

“Do you have a chair? A fairly comfortable one that I could use?” Sweeney asked, seeming more animated than before.

“I do actually. What’s it for dearie?” She enquired.

“I’d like to start my shop up again, if you don’t mind that is.” He answered, nodding towards her at the end.

“Not at all. Gerard, help Mr. Todd get your dad’s old chair upstairs would you my love?” Mrs. Lovett turned to her son.

“Yes mum.” Gerard nodded, standing up and going to where said chair was.

Again, Mr. Todd followed.

”This is it.” Gerard said, patting a chair as he walked past it.

Sweeney walked up to stand opposite him across the chair and examined it momentarily.

“Perfect. Thank you.” He nodded.

“Excellent. Okay, you take that arm, I’ll take this one and we’ll attempt to heave it upstairs.” Gerard smiled a tiny bit, feeling slightly uneasy in the older man’s presence.

The journey to the bottom of the stairs was relatively easy, but going up the stairs was more of a challenge.

“You go up backwards. That way if you trip you’re less likely to seriously hurt yourself.” Sweeney told Gerard in a tone that eliminated any need for argument.

It took a good few minutes to get the chair all the way up to the landing as it kept catching on the steps, and the staircase was quite narrow. However, when they finally did get it all the way, Gerard opened the door and dragged it across the floor into the middle of the room on his own before Sweeney could get a hold of it. He leaned on the arm of it, panting as Mr. Todd walked across the room and around the chair to beside him.

“Alright?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Gerard nodded, standing up and turning around, brushing his hair out of his face. “I have a question…what did your wife and daughter look like?”

His question was met with a surprised yet heartbroken look.

“They were both very pale…and beautiful…and Johanna had yellow hair, just like my Lucy…why?” The barber asked.

“I was curious…I’m sorry.”

Gerard looked away and Sweeney placed a hand on his shoulder, not wanting to think about the family he’d lost anymore.

“You’ve been very helpful to me, thank you.” He told the younger man.

“Anytime Mr. Todd.” Gerard replied politely.

The barber looked at the boy for a moment before removing his hand from his shoulder and digging around in his own pocket for something. In his hand he pulled out his razor and a ten pound note, which he held out.

“Here, give that to your mother and tell her I said thank you.” He said softly.

“She won’t take it.” Gerard shook his head.

“Well, you have it then.” Mr. Todd retorted in the same soft tone.

He put his razor in his other hand and held the money out further.

“I don’t wanna take your money, Sir. I can’t.” Gerard protested.

He cowered inwardly as Sweeney glared icily at him.

“Yes, you can.” He spoke through the glare, his tone still soft, but darker.

Gerard noticed him start twirling the razor out of the corner of his eye and his heart sped up.

“Um, thank you.” He mumbled after a moments silence, gently taking what Mr. Todd was offering.

“Right, now go and tell your mother I said thank you.”

He had stopped twirling the razor now, calming Gerard slightly.

“Will do, Mr. Todd.” He nodded, rushing out of the room.

He walked shakily down the stairs, shoving the money he’d been given in his pocket as he went to where his mother was. She was in the kitchen when he found her, baking more pies.

“Mum, Mr. Todd said thank you for giving him a helping hand.” Gerard’s voice came out all nervous.

“That’s quite alright. Are you okay dearie? You seem a little…hm…edgy.” Mrs. Lovett replied.

“I’m fine, mum!” Gerard nodded unconvincingly.

“Tell me now; you’re not ill again are you?” She asked seriously.

“No, no, I think I’m just tired, a bit dizzy, probably from being on my feet all day I expect.” Gerard reassured her.

“Okay love, well, you go lay down and get some rest, you’ve worked hard today dearie.” She nodded to Gerard, drying a glass as she did so.

Gerard nodded once.

“Goodnight mum.” He said before leaving the room.