Beatrice in Love With Me???

Waking up late is a blessing. It seems as if all the missing sleep we had lost seemed to have collected and been found last night. Well rested, I went into the garden to read a book, but started thinking about Claudio falling in the trap of love. I started wondering how any man could fall in love, and “how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviors to love” (63). While I was thinking, I caught a glance of Balthasar, Leonato, Claudio and the Prince coming my way, so I hid. Balthasar sang a song that starts with “Sigh no more”, but I cannot remember it completely. I just remember that the song was a very bad song that was ill sung. Balthasar left, but I overheard a conversation between the remaining men about me and Beatrice. I heard that Beatrice has fallen for me, but will never say that she loves me. At first, I was terrified, shocked and just stood for a good ten minutes, completely surprised by what I heard. I was disgusted by the idea that she loves me, thinking that this must be a trick, but that it must not be because Leonato, himself, said it. Then I started to feel sorry for her, for they said that her heart will break and die before she professes that she loves me, and that she stays awake all night writing love letters to me, only to tear them up in a million pieces the next morning. They said that she “falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses: ‘O sweet Benedick, God give me patience!’” (73). Also, they said if I ever figure out that she loves me, I would only torment her, which would lead to her death of grief. After Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro left, I was in a happy mood since they talked about how I was a great and proper man and always joyful. I think that maybe going away from my misogynist ideas would be best for me. Then I thought, “When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married” (77). I thought about being in a relationship, but I could not decide whether to continue being against love or become for love. Then I realized that Beatrice does show that she loves me through her hate towards me. While I am thinking, Beatrice comes over and says she has been sent against her will to get me for dinner. “There’s a double meaning in that”, since she clearly is in love with me (79). I do pity her, and I must say I do love her. I never thought it would come to this, but I am in LOVE.