Caught Somewhere in Time

Eleanor Price

Sweeney began pacing. It helped him think, that was a something that he'd learnt about himself when he first returned to Fleet Street. How many nights had he spent pacing, figuring out the best way to get revenge on the blasted judge? Planning everything down to the minutiae. And for what, he thought in retrospect. Nothing went as planned the night he finally killed him. This, however, was an entirely different matter. He couldn't help but think of Eleanor as a problem, an obstacle he had to overcome to live happily with Lucy. A containment plan was needed.

He knew he had to stop the wedding, he had to prevent her from moving downstairs. It would be better for both, he reasoned. He would eradicate the temptation she offered and she would escape a loveless marriage that brought her nothing but sorrow in their original timeline. But how would he do it? He certainly couldn't stand up when the priest asked whether anyone objected and tell everyone what an older Eleanor did to him in another timeline. And he couldn't just kill her and be done with it, that was abundantly clear. It had been too painful when he thought she was dead and he wouldn't risk the Watcher calling him back to that limbo if he attempted to end her life again. Then, he thought about killing Albert. No groom, no wedding. And Albert was such a waste of a man, few people would miss him or perhaps no one at all. Eleanor would surely be happier without him. She'd never spoken much about her previous marriage but despite her photograph with him in the shop and parlour and the occasional "my dear Albert" she referred to him as, he knew by the small titbits she'd shared that there was no love lost between them. But if Sweeney killed him, he and his family would have to find somewhere else to live and for all his faults, Albert Lovett offered them a decent price. He sighed, knowing fully well that keeping the man alive was in his best interest, at least until he made enough to move elsewhere but considering how little he'd earned the past week as a barber deemed too young to be renowned, that would be long after he and Eleanor tied the knot.

There wasn't much time, he'd have to think of something fast. Eleanor would know what to do, was the thought that crossed his mind. As much as it angered him because she'd used it against him, her practicality and quick mind was something he admired about her. He turned to Lucy, to his precious wife who was rocking a sleepy Johanna, seemingly unperturbed by his pacing. She didn't have the baker's cunning mind but she was smart too, probably smarter than Eleanor, only that she used her intellect to do good. She would know what to do.

"We have to stop the wedding" he announced solemnly and Lucy looked at him over her shoulder, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked softly.

"Mr. Lovett and El... Miss Price" he replied, catching himself before his wife noticed the familiarity with which he almost referred to a woman they had technically just met. "They can't marry."

"Why are you saying that, darling? They seem like such a fine pair. I don't think I have ever seen Mr. Lovett this happy, not since before Mrs. Lovett fell ill, may God bless her soul. You can tell he is head over heels in love with Ms. Price and I think that's beautiful. Have you seen the way he looks at her? How his eyes soften with so much love" she said dreamily, which made Sweeney clench his fist in anger. How could she be so oblivious?

"His eyes might soften but I assure you another part of him is getting hard" he huffed and Lucy's eyes opened wide. She never expected such a crude remark from her dear Benjamin but unbeknownst to her, Sweeney now inhabited his body and it was impossible to keep him perpetually hidden. "In any case, Ms. Price doesn't love him. She is going to be very unhappy if they marry."

"How would you know? She looks happy to me and he seems to treat her right. He will be a good husband" Lucy argued, but her tone was as calm and collected as usual.