Much Ado about the Shrew (24 page)

           
At the same time that Lennox and Ben
were kidnapping/rescuing Bee, Welles was in his own carriage with Lady Julia.

           
"Now, you'll remember it the
way we discussed?" he asked her. Julia looked up at him and smiled widely.
"Of course," she giggled. Welles felt his heart swell in his chest.
"Excellent," he said, glancing down the street.

           
Within a moment, Lord Surrey came
walking up. "Perfect timing," Welles said under his breath.
 

           
"How did you know he would be here?"
Julia whispered.

           
Welles poked his head out of the
window then back in. "I sent him a note this morning, posing as Dorset, saying
it was imperative that they meet this afternoon. I figured he wouldn't wake
soon enough to try Dorset at his home, so he would have to meet him here."
He picked up Julia's gloved hand and cradled it between both of his. "You
are certain you wish to go through with this?" he asked her, searching her
eyes.
 
"I will understand if you
wish to wait in the carriage."

           
Julia smiled up at him. "He
killed poor William and is ruining Bee's life. I'll do whatever I can to
help."

           
Welles grinned a goofy grin back.
"My brave girl," he said, and hopped out of the carriage, holding the
door open and holding his hand out for Julia, who stepped out daintily.
 
He maneuvered her around him, and with what
would have appeared to be a complete accident had Julia not known what was
going to happen, crashed her directly into the path of Lord Surrey.

           
"Oh! Oh, dear!" she cried
as she fell onto the hard cobblestone street. Welles was immediately by her
side to help her to her feet, and stood behind her as he guided her back to her
feet.

           
"What the bloody hell?"
Surrey yelled. "Watch where you're going, you stupid cow!"

           
Julia gasped and put her hands over
her mouth. Welles felt a rush of pure anger wash over him as he stared down at
Surrey, who was struggling to get back to his feet.

           
"You apologize to the lady
right this instant!" Welles demanded.

           
"I will not apologize for your
clumsy excuse of a female!" Surrey said, brushing off his pants and
jacket. "You should be apologizing to me for allowing that... thing on the
streets." He waved his hand vaguely in Julia's direction, and Welles
gently pulled her around him so he was in front of her, facing Surrey.

           
"I demand you apologize right
now, Surrey, or you'll face me at dawn tomorrow," Welles said, his voice
low and stern.

           
Surrely
looked up then, noting the change in tone. "Oh, dear God, it's you Welles.
Where is Kendal and his other lapdog? Shouldn't you all be panting about Lady
Beatrice? Oh, that's right... she's now legally betrothed to me. How bothersome
for you." He picked up
 
his hat from
the ground and began walking away.

           
"Now, I do believe the lady
demands an apology," Milford said in a bored tone as he came out from
behind the carriage, blocking Surrey's path.

           
Welles
 
glanced over at Julia. "My darling, I am
so sorry you had to listen to such drivel."

           
Julia frowned and narrowed her eyes
at Surrey. "He did just terribly offend my family," she said.
"I'm not sure how to respond."

           
"Dearest, don't bother
yourself," Welles said, taking her hand in his and bringing it to his
lips, gently kissing it. "Shall I kill him for you, to restore your
family's honor?"

           
"Now, see here," Surrey
started, only to catch a fist to his gut by Milford's free arm. He doubled over
before collapsing to his knees, Milford's grip on his arm the only thing
keeping him from falling over completely.

           
"Oh, dear, you would do that
for me?" Julia said, staring into Welles' eyes, completely ignoring Surrey
and Milford.

           
"My darling, you know I
would," Welles returned, offering her his arm. "Milford, please be
sure I'm the first of Surrey's appointments tomorrow."

           
"Ap... appointments?"
Surrey gasped, clutching his stomach.

           
"Welles, that isn't fair,"
Milford complained. "You said I could shoot him first."

           
"But my dearest wishes for me
to kill him," Welles reminded him. "Don't you, sweetness?"

           
"I think it's so brave of
you," Julia said, sighing dreamily up at Welles.

           
"Dear God, I'm going to be
ill," Surrey murmured.

           
"Yes, they are sickeningly
sweet together, are they not?" Milford grimaced.

           
"No, I'm really going to be
sick, you bastard," Surrey groaned before turning and puking into a bush.

           
"Oh, dear," Julia said,
putting her gloved hand in front of her hand. "I think I should go."

           
"Yes, yes,
Sweetling
,"
Welles said, turning his body and briefly shielding him from Surrey as he
retched. He lightly patted her hand and gently pulled her away. "Milford,
remember: I get to shoot him first," he called over his shoulder as he
took Julia back over to her carriage.

           
"Now, that's not fair,"
Milford said when Welles returned from the coach. "Just because you accosted
him first does not mean you get the first appointment."

           
"He offended Lady Julia,"
Welles said defensively, gesturing towards Julia's retreating form.

           
"Enough!" Surrey said,
straightening. "I'll see you both tomorrow at dawn. Pistols, the two of
you. But what the bloody hell did I ever do to you, Milford?"

           
Milford frowned, pursing his lips.
"I should say for the same reason Welles called you out," he said
slowly, "but in reality, I just don't like you."

           
Surrey spat onto the pavement and
wiped his lip. "Fine. I'll kill the both of you tomorrow morning.
Then
I'll marry Lady Beatrice, and take
her back to the Continent with me. Or maybe I'll just leave the loudmouth here
with her uncle and go by myself-
oof
!"

           
His words were cut off as Milford
struck him soundly against the jaw, and Surrey dropped to the ground. "And
for that, you bastard," he growled.

           
"Milford, I say," Welles
said, astonished. "I haven't seen you that animated since the war."

           
Milford shook his hand out.
"Yes, I do hate exerting myself so. What say you, then? Since I hit him,
can I have the first appointment?"

           
"But I promised Miss
Lennox," Welles argued.

           
As they quarreled over Surrey's
unconscious form, three other men hurried up towards them. "Are we too
late?" one asked.

           
"Too late for what?"
Milford responded.

           
"To call out Surrey. We were
told to meet here at three to catch him- oh! there he is. Did you kill him
already?"

           
"Alas, no," Milford
sighed.

           
"Milford there knocked him
out," Welles smiled.

           
"Really?" another man
said. "I honestly didn't know you had it in you, Milford."

           
"Don't get used to it,"
Milford frowned. "It was more of a one-time event.
 
I do believe I used most of my energy in that
one punch... I may not have enough strength to even walk home tonight... I'll
have to call my carriage."

           
"You live around the
corner," Welles said.

           
"I know," Milford sighed
again.

           
"You knocked him out in one
punch?" A crowd was gathering now.

           
"Is he dead?" another man
called out, running up the steps.

           
"Just unconscious," said
another. "Wake him up so I can call him out! I have to meet my secretary
in a half-hour."

           
"Wait," Welles said to the
crowd. "Are you all here for Surrey?"

           
The crowd nodded and murmured in the
affirmative. Welles leveled a look at Milford. "Kendal," they said in
unison.

           
"Gentlemen," Milford said,
raising an hand to silence the crowd, "I believe you will all get your
chance to call the bastard out. Let's wake him and let him know the good news,
shall we?" With that, he proceeded to slap an unconscious Surrey across
the face.

           
Bee settled back against the seat and
crossed her arms. "Rescuing me? A likely story."

           
"Well," Ben said,
adjusting his coat and pulling on his cuffs, "it's true."

           
"And where are we going, may I
ask?" Bee asked icily.

           
"Of course you may ask,"
Ben said evenly. "We are on our way to Gretna Green."

           
"What?" Bee shrieked. Ben
winced and rubbed his ear. "What do you mean, Gretna... stop the coach.
Stop it right now, I say," she said.

           
"Um... no," Ben replied,
sitting back into the plush leather seats.
 
He looked around at the interior and frowned. This
was
a nicer carriage than his. Much better sprung, and the seats
were
more comfortable. That was damn
annoying. He would have to remember to ask Bee about the carriage maker when
all of this was done.
 

           
"What do you mean, no?"
Bee asked, her voice still high.

           
Ben rolled his eyes. "Can you
maybe tone down the harpy?" he asked.

           
"Harpy? HARPY?"

           
Oh, this was not going well. All
right, then- how did the rescues in the novels go? First, the evildoer kidnaps
the girl, second, the hero rescues her. Except, Ben thought,
he
had actually kidnapped Bee. But in
order to rescue her, he amended. Oh, that didn't work out the same way at
all.
 
He hadn't bothered to read the
novels with the miscreant monks... perhaps those books dealt with just such a
situation? Damn, when did things go so convoluted?

           
"You will tell me right now
what is going on,
Lord Kendal
, or I
swear I will jump out of this coach right now."
 
Bee's eyes flashed with anger and her face
was flushed.
 
Ben's heart
nearabout
flew out of his chest, seeing his Bee in such a
state.
His Bee.
He wondered what she
would have to say about that.
 
Would she
have the same look in her eye when she was under him? The thought that he would
soon find out came to mind, and he had to push it down before he became too
aroused. No sense in making the long ride to Scotland even more uncomfortable.
Not as uncomfortable as the ride would have been in his own carriage, he
amended truthfully.

           
"Bee," Ben started, then
leaned forward and grabbed one of her hands. "See reason. We are going at
a very fast clip- jumping out would definitely either kill you or hurt you
terribly."

           
Bee pulled her hand away as she sat
back and crossed her arms against her chest, leveling a look at Ben. "You
say that as if that were a worse fate than being in here with you."

           
"Bee... you know you don't mean
that."

           
Bee raised her eyebrows in reply,
but did not say anything.

           
Ben sighed loudly. "Fine. Be
that way," he said. "But I will tell you that there is no way on
God's green earth that I am going to let you marry Lord Surrey."

           
"You aren't going to
let
me marry him?" she raised one
eyebrow this time.

           
This definitely was going poorly.
"Well, yes," Ben said, not sure what else to say.
 
He was met with silence as Bee merely frowned
in reply and turned to stare out the window.

           
"Where are we
really
going?" Bee asked after a
minute.

           
Ben drew a sigh of relief; he was
afraid she would refuse to speak for the remainder of the trip. "Umm...
Scotland," he said.

           
Bee raised her eyebrows again.
"What part of Scotland?"

           
"
Er
...
Gretna Green," Ben repeated, swallowing. Was the carriage getting warm?

           
"So, what?" Bee asked,
throwing her other arm up in frustration. "You're going to take me to
Scotland and push me on whatever passerby might want me?"

           
"Of course not," Ben
furrowed his brow and frowned. "How could you say that?"

           
Bee stared at him, her eyes
narrowed, but did not say anything.

           
Ben cleared his throat and leaned
forward, taking one of Bee's hands which were now resting on her knees.
"So, yes, I can see it does not look good. But truly, a great deal of
planning has gone into this...."

           
"When Lennox hears about this,
I swear, Ben, he is going to tear you limb from limb."

           
"I hope he starts with my
ears," Ben grumbled.

           
"What did you say?"
  

           
Ben felt the blood rush to his head.
"I said, who do you think is driving the bloody coach?" Ben all but
yelled, forgetting he was trying to explain things calmly. Dammit, that's what
this woman did to him- kept him from thinking rationally.

           
Bee opened her mouth, and then
closed it again. Ben sighed, thankful for the reprieve, and noticed he was still
holding Bee's bare hand. "So soft," he murmured.

           
"What?" Bee's voice
sounded garbled, but Ben didn't look up.

           
"Your hands," he said, "they're
so soft." He took her other hand before she could protest, and gently
rubbed his thumbs across them.
 
He turned
them palm up, and then brought each to his cheek, holding them there, and
closed his eyes.

           
"Ben?" Bee's voice
cracked.

           
"Yes, dear?" Oh, Lord, had
he just said that?

           
"Ben, are we really going to
Scotland?"

           
Ben opened his eyes and stared into
Bee's for a long moment, then turned his head into each of her palms, kissing
each, before returning her hands to her lap. He kept them wrapped in his,
afraid of letting go. Somehow touch seemed to make Bee much more amenable, and
he had a feeling that he would need all of the help he could get in the next
few moments.

           
Ben took a deep breath. "Bee, I
have something to tell you."

           
Bee's eyes narrowed again.
"What?" her voice was flat.

           
Bullocks, this method was not going
to go well, Ben could tell. He needed another plan of attack.

           
Ben picked one of Bee's hands up
again and pressed a light kiss to the inside of her wrist. "Have I ever
told you how lovely your skin is?" Perhaps a simple seduction would work?

           
"No," Bee said, trying to
lightly jerk her hand back. Ben kept her hand firmly in his, however, and gave
a gentle lick at her pulse point.

           
"Ben!" Bee admonished, but
Ben noticed that she was breathing a little more heavily than normal. Ah, this
particular method seemed to be going swimmingly.
 
Less talk, more seduction.

           
Ben moved to her other hand and
wrist. "Yes, dear?" he asked. Oh Lord, did he just say that
again
?
 
What was he turning into?

           
"Ben, I do believe I have to
ask you to stop," Bee said as Ben lightly kissed his way up her arm to her
elbow.
 
When Ben looked up, however, he
noticed that her eyes were closed. He continued, and she gave a little moan in
the back of her throat.

           
"You have to ask me... to
stop?" Ben asked.
 
Did he pull her
to his side of the coach, or did he go to hers? While he contemplated this, a
wheel hit a rut, and both of them popped up out of their seats.
 
Bee sat back against her side, and Ben
frowned at the loss of contact.

           
"Bee..." he started, but
Bee interrupted him. "Stop," she said, her hand raised. "Just...
just tell me what is going on. No talking around the issue, no seduction. Just
tell me."

           
Well, that was one method he hadn't
considered. Might as well try with novelty. "All right," Ben said.
"Lennox and I came to the same conclusion that Surrey is a bastard, your uncle
is an ass, and neither are deserving of you."

           
Bee stared at him while processing
what he said. "That still does not explain why are we going to Gretna
Green."

           
"Why, to be married, of
course."

           
Bee laughed out loud. "You...
wish... to be married... to
me
?"

           
Ben looked at her quizzically.
"Yes," he said simply.

           
"Why?"

           
Ben swallowed loudly. Damn this
straight talk. Perhaps he could try with seduction again?

           
Ben had always thought that it was
fitting for a man to go down on one knee, as fashion and tradition had dictated
as much, but realized that doing so in the coach would be almost impossible. So
instead he gripped Bee's hand again and started speaking before he lost his
courage.

           
"Bee, there is no one in the
world I love more than you. No, wait, let me finish. I know that sounds insane,
and perhaps I am for loving you so much, but it is the truth, I swear it. I
love your intelligence, I love your wit, I even love how you drive me to
madness
all the time
... but I swear
Bee, there is no one on earth, not Surrey, not Lennox, not your aunt-
no one
in the world loves you the way I
do.
 
And I swear that, as long as you let
me, I will continue to love you."

           
Ben paused, not sure what else to
say.
 
Bee was staring at him with wide
eyes, and he wasn't sure if what he said had scared her half to death, or if
she thought he was truly insane, or if she felt the same. Well, in for a penny,
in for a pound, he thought, and continued, "Beatrice Mary
Everill
, would you do me the great honor of being my wife,
of bearing my children, and continuing your lifelong quest of driving me
completely insane?"
 
Ben hadn't
meant to add that last part, but once it was out of his mouth he found he could
not take it back. Honesty was honesty, after all.

           
"
Benedick
,"
Bee whispered.

           
Ben felt his heart drop. When the
hell had she ever used his entire name? That couldn't be good, could it? It
reminded him of when his mother would include his middle name when she was
angry.
 
It probably wasn't good, damn it
all.

           
"Yes, dear?" he asked. '
Yes, dear,' again? Really?
What the hell was coming over him?

           
"I... I love you too," Bee
said.

           
Ben thought he had heard
incorrectly. "Pardon?"

           
Bee smiled and jumped into Ben's
arms. "Yes! Yes, you dolt of a man! I love you. Yes I will marry
you!"

           
Ben found himself mired in a tangle
of limbs and petticoats and it took a moment for him to situate Bee on his lap.
Yes, he determined, on his lap was a much better choice.
 
Bee was kissing his cheeks and neck
haphazardly, but he placed his hand on the back of her head and stilled her so
he could kiss her lips.
 

           
"How did you arrange all
this?" Bee asked in a brief pause of their kissing.

           
"Well, Lennox helped quite a
bit," Ben admitted. "Convinced me to take your carriage instead of
transferring to mine."

           
"It
is
a much nicer carriage."

           
Ben shrugged. "It has some
finer points," he admitted.

           
"But how will you keep Uncle or
Surrey from chasing after us?" Bee asked.

           
"Ah, that is the brilliance of
the plan," Ben said, and began to nuzzle her neck. He kissed his way up
behind her ear, and grinned when she uttered a low moan.

           
"Oh, dear, did I just make that
noise?" Bee asked breathlessly.