The Return To Fleets Street

Primrose

Mrs Lovett remained silent her heart hammering away in her chest and her eyes looking into his knowing face worryingly. How on earth did he know her daughters name? Had he spoken to her? How did he know where to find her?

Mrs Lovett gulped and walked over to her large dresser placing a hand onto the wood to steady herself. She felt sick, she didn't want him knowing anything about Mae and yet here he was. Standing there in all his fine get up looking at her sorry state for answers Sweeney waited.

Just by her reaction he could see he had hit a nerve. She was unsettled with him knowing so much that he wondered why this was all such a big secret.

"I followed you" he said breaking the silence and making her whiz round to look at him in surprise.

"What gives ya the right!..."

"Because I know she's my daughter" he snapped cutting her off and watching as she turned away from him angrily.

"She ain't! I stupidly became pregnant working here...'twas me own fault ya see..."

"You're lying Nellie, I spoke to Mae...she told me she was 4 years old not 3! She also said she never knew her father as he ran away when she was born" he explained still standing at the doorway watching as Mrs Lovett shook her head and threw her hands to her hips.

"You left!" She yelled tears brimming in her eyes. The room suddenly became quieter Sweeney could see the pain hidden in her brown eyes. He saw the way she looked at him now with such hurt such sadness.

"The day you left everything around me crumbled into nothing" she said softly sitting down on the side of the bed staring at the floor as all those horrible memories came flooding back. "The pie shop went out of business and I couldn't afford to keep a roof over my head....and Toby..." he bottom lip quivered as the tears began to spill from her eyes just thinking about that poor boy.

"Toby past away, got terribly sick, I tried anything and everything to keep him well but he only got worse....we were living on the streets..." she explained gulping down the painful lump in her throat as she thought about him.

Sweeney stayed silent glued to the floor watching Mrs Lovett break down in tears. He had no idea Toby died, no idea that all this had happened after he left....

"After his passing I found out I was pregnant....a kind doctor looked after me for awhile until I gave birth....but then as soon as I had Mae we were back on the streets"

"Nellie I..." Sweeney tried only she cut him off.

"I starved myself in order to keep her alive, whatever money I made on the streets I brought food...enough to keep her living" she looked at Sweeney and could see the guilt in his face.

"Before I found out I was pregnant I tired killing myself but it was one of the ladies working here that saved my life....Mae is the only reason I am here today....so if ya think you can just come ere' and claim her as your own then..."

"Eleanore I don't want to take her from you I promise" he said edging closer to where she was sat on the bed. "I'm so sorry, you have to let me make things right again"

She scoffed and pushed herself up from the bed and headed to the opposite side of the room. "You have no idea what pain I've endured these last few years....Toby's death had me depressed for months and yet the only shoulder I had to cry on was my own" she tried not to cry yet the memories were far to painful.

"I held him in my arms as he died...he was so helpless" She cried hard into her hands her shoulders shaking violently that Sweeney immediately ran over and swung his arms around her.

Pushing him away Mrs Lovett stepped back as if burnt. "Don't come near me, you chose to leave you can't just come running back when you feel like it"

"I shouldn't have left you" he whispered softly his eyes warm and gentle as he looked at her broken face. She was in pieces and yet he couldn't hold her...

Staring at him silently Nellie closed her eyes slowly and shook her head. "I told you I loved you that night....then woke up to a lousy note telling me you had gone...."

Opening his mouth to speak Sweeney found himself without any words. He remembered her whispering those three words into his ear as they laid close in bed together after making love. He remembered that beautiful night they had shared and yet he ran. Ran away from his feelings, ran away because he was a coward! he knew that now...

He left Mrs Lovett in a worser state then he found her in and for what?

"I want to get you out of here Nellie, you and Mae deserve a better life together..." he said seeing she wasn't having any of it. Her hate was so strong he wondered if he would ever get through to her.

"If ya proposing for us to move in with you..." she scoffed again only to be cut off.

"I have my own home, my own money and a well respected job" he explained only for her roll her eyes and look him up and down.

"Ain't it nice for some" she mocked disgusted by his new found wealth after she had been dragged through the mud these last few years.

"Let me help you, please" Sweeney began again walking over to her.

"I don't want anything from you"

"Just hear what I have to say"

"No"

"Eleanore listen!"

"No Sweeney you listen! I'm not a toy you can just play with for awhile and then as soon ya bored throw away....now if this was a few years back and you came to me saying all this I would have crumbled at your mercy! But not anymore, I want nothing to do with you or your money! Now you stay away from me and MY daughter ya hear?!"

Her eyes were flashing angrily her chest rising and falling heavily as she ranted. She never hated someone as much as she hated Sweeney Todd. He wasn't just the demon barber for nothing, he ruined lives and hearts...

She felt sick! Her head was spinning and before she knew it she became a little unbalanced on her heels. Stumbling back slightly Sweeney caught her in worry before she pushed him off again and wiped her brow. "Just leave" she spat sitting herself carefully on the edge of the bed to try and steady herself.

"You're not well" the concern in his voice was sincere however Mrs Lovett still pushed him away when he tried to comfort her.

"Just leave!"

Stepping back slowly Sweeney could see she was getting upset by his presence. She was extremely pale and her hands were shaking, he couldn't help but worry about her.

Hesitantly he walked out of her bedroom and headed down the stairs of the brothel. He ignored the passes he was getting from the other female workers. This place was such a dirty pit. He needed to get Mrs Lovett out and soon.

A/N: so I managed to write up this chapter today! Hope you get an understanding now as to why Mrs Lovett is so hurt by Sweeney leaving her like he did...she's been through so much pain😭