Silver and Rubies: "I Had Him..."

His heart leapt at the sight of the judge. A bounding hopefulness entered his body, but his mind reminded him of his anger, his heartbreak, his need for vengeance. His dismissed Mrs. Lovett – this moment was his and his alone.

The bell on the door rang as she left and he noticed the blood on his sleeve. Frantically, he found a jacket and hastily put it on. Just as he was straightening the collar, the bell on the door rang again. He spun at the sound of his name and smiled to see his visitor – like a rat in a trap.

“At your service. An honor to receive your patronage, My Lord,” he responded.

“You know me, sir?”

Sweeney did not let his face show his falter as he recovered words to save himself. “Who in this wide world does not know the great Judge Turpin?”

At the satisfied look on the judge’s face, he felt he was providing a bit too much flattery.

Judge Turpin inspected the parlor and commented on the barber’s acclaimed skill. Sweeney – slightly anxious – tried to humbly brush off the praise and get the judge to sit. He removed the other man’s coat and was surprised to hear the judge speak of love. But the magic words – “But first sir, I think, a shave.” – returned his vengeful joy.

“The closest I ever gave,” he promised.

His heart beat faster than it ever had as he draped the smock and towel around his customer and mixed the lather. He made excuses for his involuntary whistling and turned conversation to a topic he knew his guest would like: women.

He opened a razor and looked at himself in the silver. Something inside him whispered, wait… The judge caught his attention by speaking of wedding, and since his curiosity could contain itself no longer, he asked, “An who may it be said is your intended sir?”

“My ward.”

The words froze him to the bone, then a fire all too familiar returned.

“…Pretty little rosebud…”

“Pretty as her mother?” Sweeney asked under his breath.

“What? What was that?”

“Nothing sir, nothing. May we proceed?” He moved behind the judge. Oh! How it felt to finally have his blade at his enemy’s neck…

Wait…

He thought of Lucy as he shaved the judge, and tried not to think about whose image Turpin’s mind conjured. Remembering Lucy made the vengeful fire burn hotter, and finally the whisper inside him said, now…

He moved back behind Turpin and pressed his blade to the now shaven throat, his heart pounding in glorious anticipation, his fingers itching to spill the blood of the man who had ruined his life –

“Mr. Todd! I’ve seen Johanna and she said she’d leave with me tonight…”

Curse that boy!

Sweeney could feel the judge slipping from his desperate fingers, his blade pulling back, disappointed…

“As for you, barber – “ Sweeney looked up dazedly as the judge suddenly addressed him. “It’s all too clear what company you keep. Service them well and hold their custom, for you’ll have none of mine!” With that, the judge left, and Sweeney was alone with his hopelessness and the boy. The boy. That stupid, ignorant, foolish, selfish –

“Out!” he shouted.

As Antony ran down the stairs, Sweeney wondered why he hadn’t just slit his throat. But then he remembered Johanna. His daughter. His beautiful daughter… that he’d never get a chance to know.

Mrs. Lovett intruded on his solitary despair.

I had him,” he whispered.

She responded, but all his mind had room for was, “I had him.”