So, Anthony ducked a bullet there. But what will his family say to him? Also, meet Isabella Montague here. She'll be a major character in the next installment (if I write it)


The Montagues all sighed with relief. Claudio and Paulina hugged one another, but there was a bitter sweetness in the air. Benvolio could not describe what it was. Beatrix herself did not pick up on it, and it was only when they were outside the courtroom, and reunited with Anthony, that he did.

Beatrix seized Anthony in a hug.

"They saved you! Three cheers for Tybalt, the best financial advisor in the world, and Portia, the best financial lawyer in the world!"

Anthony smiled and laughed with her, and turned to thank Tybalt and Portia, but Tybalt was busy with his mobile and Portia was being hugged and applauded by her own friends. He turned back to his family.

"I'm free to go!" he beamed "Did you hear that? And I have a great idea to get back on my feet...what's the matter?"

"You" said Benvolio "You're the matter"

"What do you mean?" asked Anthony.

"You should have seen yourself" said Claudio.

"What do you mean?"

"What were you thinking of?" Paulina almost shrieked "Discriminating and treating him like that! Just because he was Jewish? What is your problem?"

"It was just a joke!" Anthony protested "I didn't mean it! I didn't know any better when I was a kid!"

"A kid? You're not a kid anymore, Anthony! You're forty six!" yelled Claudio "You should know better"

"I'm ashamed of you" said Benvolio.

"How do you think this makes the rest of us look?" asked Paulina "Christianity is not about discriminating people – it's about treating others the way we would like to be treated, and forgiveness! You have just given our entire church, our entire community, and everyone who identifies as Christian a bad name"

"What would Friar Lawrence say?" asked Romeo.

"Religion aside, I'm embarrassed to call you my father" spat Benvolio "I can't believe you'd stoop so low. You're nothing more than a two-faced, bigoted, bullying, evil, neo-Nazi!"

"I'm none of those things! I made a mistake!"

"What would mum say if she was here?" exploded Benvolio "Hmm? Would she still want to be married to you? Or would she be glad she's dead, so she doesn't have to see you like this?"

"Benvolio, that's a-"

"And you aren't exactly world's best dad either – you're always favouriting Beatrix and telling me off. Even after she died, I never got any comfort. It was just 'grow up, Benvolio, stop crying, stop being such a girl' or 'stop wetting the bed, Benvolio, it's a disgusting habit, how old are you now?' No hugs, no sympathy, nothing! I hate you!"

"Benvolio!" gasped Anthony.

"I wish you'd died of cancer, instead of mum!" Benvolio continued to yell "I wish you'd got prostate cancer, and were the one vomiting from the drugs, with no hair, suffering in agony – maybe then you'd know how it felt to be one of those poor Jews in the concentration camps. You have no right to treat people like that! I am so, so angry with you!"

"What on earth has this got to do with..."

"It has everything to do with everything!" Benvolio screamed, growing red in the face. Sweat broke out on each side of his forehead "How am I supposed to raise Eliseo now, knowing what you are? If I have any sense, I'll never let you near him again, in case you turn him into a little bigot like you!"

"Benvolio!" shouted Anthony.

"I don't want to speak to you again!" Benvolio shouted, running off "I don't want any of your money, ever again! I'll earn it myself next time! Don't call me, don't come and visit me, just do yourself a favour, and disappear!"

Mercutio ran after him, pausing to blow a big wet raspberry in Anthony's face, before catching up with his friend. Romeo glanced backwards, and then ran after his two best friends.

"Hermia, you'll talk him out of this, won't you?" said Anthony.

Hermia sighed, unsure of which side to take "Just let things calm down, first, Anthony. He's got Mercutio and Romeo with him to talk to. I'm going to go home and see my baby"

"I'll come with you" said Tybalt "I'll come and see if Rosaline hasn't lost her mind yet"

"Oh boy, I hope he's puked" Hermia grinned. She and Tybalt clamoured into a gondola together, leaving Amparo with the Montagues.

"Gabriel isn't with them" she said, turning to her closest friend, Isabella Montague, aunt to Romeo and Benvolio.

"Maybe you just missed him"

"No, I'd have seen him. He'd have been wearing something eye-catching, and you can't miss platinum blond hair" Amparo looked around again, wondering where her young boyfriend was.

"Well, we were going to go back with the students, back to their place" said Isabella. She looked over to where Anthony and Claudio continued to argue "But I'm not sure that's such a good idea right now"

Amparo pursed her burgundy lips "I've got to find him. He's become completely unreachable. I only know he's still here from the stories reported from your family. Angelo is beside himself with guilt and worry. He keeps saying that this is Gabriel's idea of revenge, to make him worry about him"

"Angelo is worried about him? He looks so composed whenever I see him"

"Yes. He completely swallowed his pride to call my rented apartment in Mantua to ask if Gabriel was with me. When I returned to Verona, which was only a few days ago, mind you, he was hammering on my apartment door, demanding to speak to Gabriel. I told him I knew as little as he did"

"Perhaps we could follow Hermia back to the apartment. I'm sure they'll know more. I have the address here, and I know where it is. We can ask them" said Isabella.

"Good idea" said Amparo, climbing into a gondola. The Montagues continued to rage at Anthony outside the court, and they turned away.