Thorns And Roses

Chapter Two

"M-Mr T!" She gasped.

"Mrs Lovett, what on earth are you doing?" He demanded, looking around at the carnage that was her shop and the stranger laid down in the gutter.

"I-" Eleanore struggled to find words, the whole situation suddenly hitting her all at once like a bone-crushing tidal wave. "Th-they were attackin' a man...I had to stop 'em. So I fought with 'em...knocked out one of the bastards in me shop while the other took off..."

"Mum?" said a small voice behind Sweeney. Toby peeked his head around the tall barber and gasped when he saw the bleeding older man on the ground. "Wot's 'appened?!"

Snapping out of her stupor, Eleanore raced forwards and fell to her knees by the elderly man's side. She placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him gently, checking for any signs of life but he didn't move.

"Toby, go fetch the doctor - he's at number twelve on Tiperry Street!"

"Right." Toby nodded and took off, not questioning her for a moment. 

Sweeney approached her as she continued to try and wake the man, speaking quietly in his ear, asking if she could hear him. The sight was rather sad indeed, it looked as if this man had his head trampled on by a herd of horses. Sweeney had no idea what had gone on but from the state of the shop and the commotion he'd heard from outside he knew it wasn't good.

He hadn't expected to hear the voice of Mrs Lovett or the sounds of things crashing around in the shop below, thats why he had raced down without even grabbing his shoes. It wasn't because he cared about her - the woman was a tricky one after all. But if something or someone was harming her, how was he going to continue his murder spree without the pie maker disposing of his goods?

On the floor, glinting from the moonlight Sweeney spotted something. On close inspection, he discovered it was a big kitchen knife from Mrs Lovett's shop.

"Come on dear, open those eyes. It'll be alrigh'..." Her soft voice drew him out of his thoughts and he turned to glare at her while he picked the knife up.

"Mrs Lovett, get up...the man's clearly dead." He said, running his fingers over the edge of the blade and gazing at his reflection in the polished silver. Huh, he thought with a small smile, silver like my friends...

Mrs Lovett's head snapped to look at him, she had forgotten he was there at all truthfully.  "Ya don't know that!"

"His head's been mangled." He told her "Of course he is. You'd be better off gettin' a policeman to deal with that one in your shop than waste time and monry on a Doctor."

 "I'm not gonna leave 'im while he lays bleedin out on the street like this! You wouldn't just stand there an' watch if it were ya father now would ya?"

Sweeney clenched his jaw. She had no right talking about his father, the man had died while he had been serving his fifteen-year sentence in Australia. This she knew. Young, naive Benjamin Barker had never been able to go to his funeral and had been devastated when he'd found out. Her comment struck him hard and he found his patience wearing thin.

"Well, he's not my father." He spat, "He's some posh bloke probably waltzing around with 'undreds in his pocket and then wonders why he gets himself jumped by a couple of thugs walking home. The man's an idiot to be walking alone at this time of night-"

"Mr T would ya give it a rest!" She hollered, giving him the filthiest look she could muster. It successfully shut him up, but it didn't remove the murderous look in his eye.

He stepped forward, about to let rip into the woman for her cheek when the sound of footsteps caused them both to raise their heads. The silhouette that came into view was Toby, but he wasn't alone. Following behind him were two police officers all dressed in their pristine uniforms and hats with their batons held in hand. Sweeney felt his heart begin to race.