(Untitled)

[signior_leonato]

He had been going to a wedding, and so his clothes are of an even finer cut than is usual for the governor of Messina. Leonato is all but bubbling with the joy of his daughter's impending marriage, the coming fruition of his harmless schemes, the pleasure of seeing his shrewish niece at last brought to civility by love--and although he is an older

Comments

[fair_hero]

Hero looks frankly astonished, and then she pounces him, runs to him and embraces him, a moment after she sees him. "Father!" She'll look older than he remembers, more grown-up, with part of her little-girlness lost. She still wears white, but she's not the same.

[signior_leonato]

And he embraces her back, terribly startled. "Thou lookest a woman already, Hero--how much thou hast grown since thy last wedding day!" He strokes her hair fondly, trying to sort himself out. "Why dost thou not don thy appointed gown and thy mask, daughter? Time flies swiftly, and Claudio awaits thee--!"

[fair_hero]

"No, sir, he--he wants me not."

[signior_leonato]

"What nonsense! The harms that he has done thee, he sore repents; he knows not that he will marry thee, but we will soon reveal his wife returned, as pure a maid as ever she was before he sullied her with slander!"

[stillnotprince]

Don John is not intimidated.

He is not, yet he has no great desire for Signior Leonato's company. Signior Leonato, his father-in-law-- and that's an unexpected phrase, isn't it, father-in-law. Another father for whom he is a bastard son, unwanted, unsummoned.

And so, he is not intimidated, but still he says nothing, makes no move to speak. He is not a man for words and besides, this situation is strange enough that he has none.

[signior_leonato]

Leonato is usually a good-humoured man, and yet when his pride is wounded, something of rage stirs in him--but for his daughter, for the only flesh of his flesh, he would press down that instinct to censure. "My lord Don John, soon to be my son," he says, and there is nothing at all of deference in it (although one might charitably say there is nothing of mockery, either).

Typist: Don John, you intimidate me with the brilliance of your reply. ^___^;;

[stillnotprince]

"Soon to be," he says, plainly and without a trace of hesitation, "is past."

[signior_leonato]

And for all he thought he had lost all power to be shocked, his eyes go wide at that declaration; Hero had not been nearly so straightforward. "You have married her--!" he cries, unable to hide his horror at the idea that this he has come too late to avert such a calamity.

[_ladydisdain_]

Beatrice is coming in from outside, barefoot and smiling without the gentleness of love, quite unaware of anything Leonato may remember. She stops when she sees him. "Uncle!" And for a startled moment she says nothing else.

Typist: Er. Ignore the lateness plz.

[signior_leonato]

"Beatrice!" he answers, and asks straightaway (for something must make sense here, must it not?), "Where is Benedick?"

Typist: Yes'm! Just for reference, from what point is Beatrice taken?

[_ladydisdain_]

"Why, uncle, I know not," Beatrice replies, clearly perplexed by the question. "It is not for me to chase after and keep him from foolishness."

Typist: Shortly after Hero's engagement. :D Yay timelineclash?

[signior_leonato]

"And yet thou wert close by him when last I saw thee, and he--" Ohh, the timelineclash!