Dear Diary,
Tonight is the masquerade ball and I was so excited about it until a few minutes
ago. That was when my mother came to my room and talked to me about Count Paris.
My parents want me to consider marrying him because he is such a respectable man.
That I will not deny, that he is respectable I mean. After all, he comes from a family of
equal status to my own and is quite attractive too I must add, but I had hoped to have a
marriage made up of more than the physical things. Yes, the physical things are nice, but
what is marriage if two people are not in love? If there is not depth beneath the surface
then what is there? I have no doubt that a marriage to the Count would be successful
for he would provide for me well and it is obvious that he is in love with me, but could I
grow to love him? I would like to think so, but I am not sure. My mother and nurse
told me to see what I thought of him tonight at the party and so I will, although, I am
afraid that I may not have as much of an open mind as I should about the matter.
Obviously, I have dreamed about the man I will marry sweeping me off my feet and
making me extraordinary promises. I know this is unlikely though. Things like true love
are of little importance to my parents. They care more about the security that my
husband’s name will bring me than anything else. I do understand this, for they
obviously want me to have the best in my life and to be happy, but if they really wished
for my happiness then they would allow me to marry whom I choose when I am ready. I
hear the guests beginning to arrive and so my evening must begin. Away I go for a short
time, but I will return diary, of that you need not worry and when I return I will share
all about the party that you are unfortunate enough to have to miss. It should be a
grand affair, with friends and family alike. Dancing and music, food and beautiful
costuming and I will meet the Count Paris. We shall see if he is fit for a husband…
Forever yours,
Juliet
Dear Diary,
The party has ended for the night and I was surprised to find that I enjoyed
myself immensely! I met the most enchanting boy - oh he was just wonderful. He was
handsome and sweet and I really do believe it may have been love at first sight. I caught
him watching me from a corner of the room as I danced and then again after the dance
had ended. He continued to gaze at me constantly as the singer performed for everyone’s
entertainment and it was in a very private moment that he took my hand and kissed it
gently. Oh, he was so charming! He said just the right things and made me feel like I
was floating on clouds as close to heaven as anyone alive could ever be. Unfortunately,
there are two problems with this fantasy. The first is that the boy with whom I have
fallen in love with so quickly is not Count Paris as my parents and nurse had hoped, but
someone entirely different, in fact that brings up my second problem. This perfect boy is
none other than a Montague, my sworn enemy! My how dreadful this situation is
because I really do think that I may love him. What I would give to have him embrace
me in his arms again and feel the warmth of his hand on mine. My how in love I am,
but I fear that he does not return my love and I am careful of my step for if I stumble I
may wake from this dream. Actually, I believe that this dream may be looked at as a
beautiful nightmare because everything in my life now seems so beautiful yet; it all still
feels like a nightmare at the same time.
Alas, the nightmare lives on diary! I had left you for many minutes just then only
to find my Romeo in the orchard below my balcony. At first I was embarrassed for him
to have heard my thoughts the way that he did, but I had no reason to be because he
expressed that he felt the same. How unreal all of this feels! We exchanged our vows of
love to one another and made a promise to plan and be married tomorrow. To think only
a short time earlier I was worried of being forced to marry someone I wasn’t in love
with, well no longer. My dearest Romeo and I will be together by the end of the next
twenty-four hours!
Forever yours,
Juliet
Dear Diary,
Well, I just woke up a little while ago and I immediately sent my nurse to go and
consult Romeo about our plans to be married today. I must have only sent her off ten minutes
ago, but it seems like I have been waiting for her to return with news for years. I am dying for
her return because as I sit here in anticipation of her return my thoughts wander to uncharted
lands. I would give anything in the world to be there with them now, to know their
conversation and not be forced to sit here drowning in the unknown. What if he has changed
his mind and decided that we had moved too fast? What if I was wrong about everything
from last night? I hope that I am not because Romeo seemed perfect in every way possible, like
someone had taken my dreams and tied them up into one package for my taking.
I look outside and see nothing, but things that remind me of what I am waiting for. A
promise of marriage would make things seem to fall into place and would provide a way to
avoid my parents’ plan to marry me off to Paris. The flowers outside bloom beautifully like the
love Romeo and I share. The vibrant colors remind me his lips and eyes. The sun warms my
skin the way his touch warms my body. I pace back and forth and wear a path in the carpets
that lay before my bed, wondering, waiting, worrying. If only Romeo were to see me and how
I was fussing over him right now, or if anyone saw me for that matter, they would think I was
crazy. Well I will not deny that I am crazy, but if there are two types of crazy than I am the
good type. The type of crazy that I am is crazy for another and that crazy is fueled by the
craving for the love of another. That love thrives in its’ safe haven that is my heart until I
receive news and depending upon the nature of the news my garden will either flourish or die.
I wonder how much time has passed since I began writing in you diary. It feels like so much
time should have passed, but I doubt that it has, although I have stopped and paced and then
returned to my writing quite a few times. Maybe nurse will return soon, oh I hope so. I hope
with all my heart that she returns before this next minute passes for the suspense of hearing
this news is wearing me down to nothing and I fear that I may die of anticipation!
Forever yours,
Juliet
Dear Diary,
It hasn’t been long since I last had a pen in my hand and was writing in you, but
none the less I am back and in a much more pleasant state of mind. Why am I so happy
you may wonder, because my nurse just recently returned with news from my darling
love, Romeo and it was the most wonderful news anyone has ever received! He has
consulted the Friar and we are to be married this very night! Oh how overjoyed I am for
all of the things that seemed to be falling apart in my life have suddenly fallen together
and into a more perfect place than I could have ever imagined. Romeo is the most
amazing boy in the world and soon I will be his, and he mine. Although, with this
happiness comes plenty of troubles. My parents cannot know of this marriage because
my love is of the name Montague and they are my family’s sworn enemy. Father and
mother would never approve and would never understand the fact that I love him and
that he is all that I want in my life. Tonight still cannot come fast enough though, I
would give anything to be with him right now, but I will see him soon enough. There is
so much to be done before I meet him; my nurse must help me dress in my very best for I
want to look absolutely breathtaking for my wedding even if he is the only one to see me
because he is the only one that matters. I can hardly believe that I woke up just
yesterday without having ever met the man I am about to marry today. Some may think
I am insane, but I know that this is the right thing because I know in my heart that I
am truly in love with him. Granted, I do wish that all of this were under better
circumstances for instance, my parents approving of my choice for a husband, but
hopefully that will come with time. When both his and my own families see how in love
we are and how strong that love is then they will have to accept it all. And now the
time comes for me to bid you goodbye as an unmarried women for the next time in write
in you I will be the wife of Romeo Montague. Oh, what a joyous sound that has to it,
the wife of Romeo Montague! Doesn’t it sound nice? Look at me; I am in such a
pleasant state of mind that I am asking a book a question. Oh well, now I must get
ready to go to the church. This shall be the start of the rest of my wonderful life!
Forever Yours,
Juliet
Dear Diary,
As I write this I am both extremely happy and sad. For one thing I am overjoyed
because I am the new bride of a wonderful man, or so who I thought was a wonderful
man. I say this all in doubt now because I have just received news from my nurse that
my dear cousin Tybalt has just been killed in a brawl in the streets and to make matters
worse, he was murdered by my own husband! This is as horrible a situation as one could
possibly imagine and I do believe that someone should pinch me at any moment and
wake me from this dreadful nightmare. It cannot be true, it just simply cannot! Why
must everything seem to be about to fall into place and then suddenly the bottom drops
out again? I am so furious that this has happened yet at the same time I feel that I
cannot be mad at this occurrence with Romeo because he is my husband and the duty of
a good wife is to support him in everything he may choose to do. Oh, but this is my
cousin! How can I possibly overlook him killing my cousin? What should I do? This
day started out seemingly so perfect and has ended in absolute wreckage. Goodness,
what am I going on and on about, he is my husband and whether he killed my cousin or
my enemy should not matter because I am to be loyal to him now, completely loyal to him
and to all of his affairs. Now, I will begin to look toward my wifely duties because it
may seem as if I am miserable being his wife, but I am not. On the contrary! I love him
now just as much as I ever did for if he had not killed Tybalt, then he himself would be
dead and where would that leave me? It would leave me a young and helpless widow
who would probably be forced to marry another man of whom she had no interest
because her parents wanted her to be married off to a man of their approval who would
give her a good life. They are good people with good intentions, my parents I mean, but
Romeo will give me all of those things and more for he will give me love and in return I
will give him my love and loyalty and I will support in and be a strong and devoted
wife. I grieve for the loss of my cousin, but I also rejoice in my marriage. Is that wrong
of me? I think not, for we must take life with its bumps and bruises along the way.
Forever Yours,
Juliet