Romeo's Ex by Lisa Fiedler Page B

me?”
    â€œI am many things with you, dear Rosaline,” he says, “but angered is not one of them.” He touches my cheek. “You offer me friendship, and I am honored to accept it.”
    â€œWe shall dance then,” I announce, deciding to leave Juliet to her own devices for the present. Romeo is not dangerous. He is just … nauseating.
    Benvolio guides me to the dance floor and we take our place in the formation as the minstrels strike up.
    The dance is formal and complicated, and twice I near lose Benvolio in the shifting circles. He is not the most graceful of men, but his persistence is to be commended. At one point, he is required to raise his arm in order that the lady to his left may skip beneath it to join her partner on the other side. But he is looking only at me and miscalculates, thus catching the unsuspecting lady with both his arms around her waist. He apologizes from behind
the mask. The lady giggles, and I think perhaps she was not entirely unhappy to be wrapped, however briefly, in Benvolio strong embrace.
    When the dance has done, Benvolio and I take a seat upon the stairs and watch with amusement as the elders in attendance bicker o’er who, in their day, was the better dancer, heartier drinker, and most successful lover. And with no amusement whatsoever, we watch Tybalt skulking round the room, his hand upon his sword.
    â€œPerhaps he knows there are Montagues present,” I whisper to Benvolio.
    â€œAye, ’tis likely the case.” He stands, pressing a kiss to my wrist. “Much as I hate to leave you, lady, I must remove Romeo from the gathering danger of this place.”
    â€œWait!” I wring my hands. “Could you … might I …” Closing my eyes, I take a fortifying breath. “Will you tell me where later I might find Mercutio?”
    Again that rigid spine and no reply.
    â€œNever mind it, then,” I say, forcing a smile. “I shall find him myself I thank thee for your most delightful company this night … .”
    Before I e’en finish the thought, he has turned and stalked away. I am finding that he does that often. I suppose if we are to be friends I will simply have to become used to it.
    Glancing toward the chapel hall, I spot Juliet, who has at last seen fit to return to the feast—this due only to the
fact that her stout nurse has captured her firmly by the arm and is all but dragging her along.
    Romeo follows them several paces after. When Juliet scurries away to join her mother’s table, I see him approach the nurse and ask a question. ‘Tis clear he does not receive an answer to his liking, for his entire stance goes slack, as though he’s been soundly socked, and e’en at this distance, I believe I see him tremble. The nurse goes to join Juliet, and I watch as Benvolio arrives at Romeo’s side, urging their departure. As they make for the door, the nurse comes swooping back toward them. She inquires something of Romeo. He answers and exits quickly. Benvolio glances back at me and waves, then he too is gone.
    Of a sudden, I feel inexplicably lonely.
    As the hall empties of guests, my eyes dart round the room in search of Juliet. She is leaving with her nurse and looking utterly distraught. I surmise that her nurse has discovered Romeo’s identity and has reported as much to Juliet. If she did not know him to be a Montague whilst she kissed him, she most certainly knows it now! With a hasty good night to those departing friends who call to me, I hurry up the stairs to meet Juliet in her room.
    After the truth she’s just been told, I am certain she will need me!
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    I find Jules sobbing on the bed. Her gown is bunched into a yellow knot around her legs, and her hair is a cloud of darkness sprawled o’er the satin pillow cover.
    â€œHow did I not know it? When I heard him speak, ’twas the voice from the garden. Yet I refused to believe it could be