Father and Mother led Benvolio and I to the home I’d never seen. While it didn’t hold a candle to the size or splendor of the Capulet mansions, it seemed like a palace compared to the miniscule, filthy apartment we had lived in for years. It was also considerably larger than my earnings as a nurse could provide. I cast a suspicious look at Benvolio. He pretended not to notice.

As Father lit the candles, Mother said “Keep quiet. David’s old enough to look after Giovanni and Lorenzo now, so we left him in charge. They should all be asleep right now.”

We heard giggling from the floor above.

“Or not,” said Father with a sigh. He padded up the staircase. “David, what did I tell you?”

“We’re asleep,” said David.

“Well, try a little harder,” retorted Father.

Giovanni said, “We want to see ‘Lena.”

“Not now,” Father said. “In the morning. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner morning will get here.” He went back down the stairs with a heavier tread. “You may as well sit down,” he said in a deceptively quiet voice as he rounded on Benvolio. “I’m sure they’re listening, so unfortunately I can’t call you the names I’d like to, you sneaking, obsequious aristocrat.” His voice went higher as he mimicked Benvolio’s “Oh, I’m all for ending the feud and I think you’re just the man Verona needs. Purely out of the goodness of my heart, I’m going to help you. No, I’ve never met your daughter and she doesn’t have anything to do with this whatsoever.”

“I don’t think I ever put it quite like that,” replied Benvolio.

“Would someone care to explain how you two know each other?” I interjected.

Benvolio looked guiltier than ever. “I’m your father’s business partner.”

Father scowled. “You were my business partner. I make it a policy not to do business with people who can’t be trusted.”

Benvolio snorted. “Good luck with that. You see, Elena, shortly before I met you—”

I interrupted him “You manipulated me for a business deal?”

My father interrupted me, “You manipulated me to get to my daughter?”

Benvolio held up his hands for silence. “You’ll wake the children. The answer to both justifiable outraged questions is emphatically ‘No.’ As I was saying, I went into business with your father shortly before I met you, Elena. He was a good man, a good businessman, and wanted to end the feud. I didn’t know he had such a captivating daughter.”

“Why did you act like you didn’t know him?” I asked.

“I didn’t—at least, I never said I didn’t know him. If I remember correctly, I rather implied that I did. But I wasn’t exactly anxious for you to know because I thought you might treat me differently if you knew I was your father’s business partner. You made it clear how important your family was to you. I’d never have a chance of—”

“Of what?” interrupted my father. “Just what, may I ask, did you want from my daughter?”

“That’s a rather complicated question,” said Benvolio, gazing at me. “For about a minute, I thought I just wanted someone to talk to, until I found myself flirting in the most obvious manner. I had never met anyone like her. And there was this small, happy voice at the back of my mind saying—”

“I see.” Father’s expression suddenly softened, though it was still grave. He cleared his throat suddenly. “Perhaps you two would like to see the roof? This place isn’t much, but the view at night is quite splendid. Just follow the stairs—all the way to the top.”

“What?” I said.

“The stairs,” he repeated sarcastically.

Bewildered, I took a candle and led Benvolio up the two flights of stairs, and found the door onto the roof. I had heard a little voice in the back of my mind that day—my own, but given the perverse nature of things I doubted that Benvolio had thought the same thing.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Benvolio cast a grateful glance up at the star-filled sky. “Someone must be watching out for this lord of disaster.” He walked towards the edge of the roof, a small, scared smile on his face. “It looks so peaceful at night, doesn’t it?”

I drew in a deep breath. “Benvolio, Juliet got married today, and I just got out of jail. Both of which were partly your fault, to say nothing of the fiasco with my father. I am not in a mood to be patient.”

“That’s why I’m stalling,” he said. “This is not what you would call the opportune moment. I should have asked you in the garden.”

I was tempted to ask, ‘Which garden?’ but decided it wasn’t important. He’d spent the better part of the day in prison, and he looked like it, but he was still handsome.

He drew in a deep breath, as if gathering his courage. “That little voice…It wasn’t a huge thing, at least not at first. More like a small suggestion for consideration. I hope you don’t think I’m crazy. Anyway, it said, very quietly, This might possibly be the girl you’ve been looking for. I didn’t think I was looking for anything, until I met you.” His hands were warm and pleasantly rough as they wrapped around mine, but his face was pale. The way he looked at me melted away all remaining traces of anger. He said, “Once we’re all out of this—will you marry me?”

The floor had dropped out from under me. The words had actually been spoken. I knew what my answer would be, but I was momentarily stunned into silence. Then, as if some great barrier had broken, the words came as if they were the most natural thing in the world: “Of course,” I said.

Relief and ecstasy flooded through him in the shape of a brilliant smile. “Really? Truly?”

“Yes,” I said, suddenly aching with his smile.

We stood in the starlight, two absolute messes utterly spellbound into strange beauty.

***

Benvolio smiled. “I should imagine that it will take a long time to work out everything between us,” he replied. “But we’ve agreed to start.”

Father raised an eyebrow. “I notice you haven’t asked for my permission yet, but I suppose criminals and lords aren’t accustomed to asking for permission.”

Benvolio replied, “With all due respect, Sir, I thought it more important to request your daughter’s agreement first, since she’s the one who is, astonishingly enough, willing to put up with me. But—” he squeezed my hand, “we humbly request your blessing.”

Father sighed. “I can’t believe I’m even considering the possibility of having a Montague for a son-in-law. You’ve never even told us how long this has been going on.”

“Yes,” chimed in Mother.

“A little over a year,” I replied. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to put you in danger.”

Mother pursed her lips. “How considerate of you.”

“It was entirely my fault,” said Benvolio, with a small smile.

“Not entirely,” I said. “But he is very persistent.”

Father frowned, but there might have been a slight twinkle in his eyes. Then again, it might have just been the candlelight. “I’ll give you my answer before you leave. Not that it’s going to make any difference. Now, sit down and tell me what you plan to do next.”

I sat down on the same stool and adjusted my skirts, feeling suddenly quite sure of myself. “We’re leaving Verona tomorrow.”

“Yes,” said Benvolio. “I’ll make all the arrangements. Elena will bring Juliet to the west end of the city, where Romeo and I will be waiting. Then we ride to my estate in Genoa. Elena and I will be married there.” He shot me a questioning glance to make certain. I smiled in assent.

Father’s brow furrowed. “It’s a long way to Genoa.”

I continued. “Our main concern—apart from the fact that disaster seems to haunt our every move—is you. When the Montagues and the Capulets find out what’s happened…”

“You think they’ll try to hurt us,” said Father. “Elena, you’re worrying over nothing. I doubt the Capulets even remember where you came from. Even if they do, they’ll most likely hold the Montagues responsible. If worst comes to worst, we can take care of ourselves.”

I wasn’t entirely satisfied, but I let that part of it pass. “What about your work?”

He shrugged. “What of it? There’s always more work to be done. I’ve heard through the grapevine that the Prince is in need of a balanced man to enforce the new laws concerning feuding.”

Benvolio opened his mouth to speak, but Father held up a hand. “I know, you’re going to offer me a position in Genoa. Leave the city. Start a new life.”

“Yes,” agreed Benvolio.

Father shook his head. “I have my pride,” he said grimly. “It’s a bit too much to ask a man to live off his future son-in-law, especially under these inauspicious circumstances.”

“It will be easier for you to get away without us,” said Mother, although she looked worried. “As horrible as it sounds, Romeo did the city a favor by killing Tybalt. The Capulets don’t have much power without him.”

“Keep our offer in mind, anyway, please,” said Benvolio. “You will always be welcome in Genoa.”

“I know,” said Father.

Mother gave Father a long look. “We’ll definitely keep it in mind. Elena, stay with us tonight. I know the Capulets don’t like it—”

“But I’m probably going to be fired either way,” I finished. “I just hope I can get word to Juliet before it happens.”

“Even if you don’t, there are always pigeons,” said Benvolio. I groaned. He added, “As for me, I’m going home.”

“You may as well stay for dinner,” said Mother. “I think we deserve to hear everything over again, in detail.”

“Yes,” said Father. “Besides, I haven’t had a chance to threaten this rascal properly.”