Jessie was befuddled the rest of the day. After Sonia told her to leave the room so she and Serena could speak privately, she decided to help Nando keep an eye on James and ensure Faba didn't try to gain an audience with Sonia. The next time Jessie saw Sonia, she, Nando, James, and Faba were shocked to see her walking through the courtyard and humming a cheerful tune while not wearing her veil. When Jessie asked if Sonia had fallen for the duke, Sonia said no, and her reason for being merry was a secret. The countess' lady-in-waiting, fool, and cousin were confused with her answer while Faba gazed upon Sonia in awe of her beauty and took her answer as a sign that he still had a chance.
A few minutes past midnight, Jessie slept in her bedchamber on the second floor. She was sound asleep until she heard banging and music coming from downstairs. Jessie tried to ignore it, but the noise kept her from falling asleep again. She huffed in irritation as she heard James, Faba, and Nando singing, and she got out of bed to put on her night robe.
Jessie went downstairs to the living room with her teeth clenched, ready to beat someone. She entered the room to find James sitting on a sofa with plates of cake, pudding, and bottles of wine on the coffee table in front of him. Nando sat on top of the piano several feet from the couch, playing a cheerful song with his guitar while Faba danced off-beat to Nando's song. The knight from Alola danced with his left arm spread apart and his right hand on his chest proudly as he sang loudly as though he were an opera singer, yet Jessie covered her ears for Faba was painfully off-key. James saw Jessie come in and laughed joyously before he took a swig of his wine and stood up to meet her.
"Ah, Jessie, how delightful that you can join us," James said.
"Join you? I ought to beat you with your bottle to knock some sense into you," Jessie said. "Are you trying to wake the entire city with your racket?"
"If we do wake up the city, then they can join us," James said. "Why, if Cousin Sonia were to come down here, she would be more than welcome to join us. We are throwing this party in her honor, after all."
"Throwing a party in her honor in the middle of the night? Whatever for?" Jessie asked.
"Why, the fact that she is smiling again, of course," James said, laughing as though the answer was obvious.
"Indeed. This house has been a place of mourning for far too long," Faba said. "We must eat and drink and be merry that the head of the house is showing her beautiful face again, full of life and joy. She refuses to say why she's happy, but may God deal with us, be it ever so severely if we do not express how pleasing it is to see the countess happy once again."
"That is right. From what I have heard, there has hardly been any song or laughter ever since dear Count Milo passed away to be with the Lord of All," Nando said. "We would honor the count and his father if we expressed our happiness for their dear sister and daughter."
"Too right you are, gentlemen. Too right you are," James said. "Come, Jessie. Join us in some cake and song."
"And make me as drunk as the three of you? I think not," Jessie said.
"If you won't drink with us, then at least eat and dance with us," Faba said. "Surely, your sweet tooth craves all the cakes and pudding we have taken from the kitchen."
"No, thank you. The sugar will keep me up the rest of the night," Jesse said.
"It's already past midnight, dear Jessie. You only have so much time left to sleep before leaving to get up to tend to your mistress in the morning," James said. "Admit it. Doesn't the cake sound rewarding after comforting my cousin to the best of your ability while she has been mourning for her dear brother? Enjoy yourself, Jessie. Whatever reason Sonia has to smile again is reason for all of us to be merry."
Jessie scoffed and pushed James away. Then she looked at the sweets, and her irritation melted into a look of hesitation. Though she dared not admit it to James, she had missed the taste of sweets since before Milo became sick and passed away. Jessie debated with herself before the edges of her lips curled.
"Very well, but just one slice of cake," Jessie said.
James, Faba, and Nando roared with laughter as Nando began playing his song again. James wrapped his arms around Jessie and spun her around, making her laugh before they sat on the sofa. James gave Jessie a slice of cake and poured a cup of wine for her. She politely thanked him for the cake but abstained from the wine, knowing James tended to drink from the bottle. Faba continued to dance and sing off-beat and off-key, lost in his little world. He sang loud and proud with his eyes closed, imagining himself catching the hearts of countless noble women with his performance. Jessie shook her head as she watched the Alolan knight while eating her cake. What made it more ridiculous to Jessie was that Faba didn't appear to be drunk enough for the alcohol to be a legitimate excuse for his delusions.
"Honestly, James, how do you expect your cousin to fall for this brainless baboon when he can't even sing and dance properly?" Jessie whispered into James' ear. "Mistress Sonia would be embarrassed to have someone incapable of simple proper talents fitting for a suitor, much less a husband."
"Or Sir Faba could entertain her with his goofy dancing and lackluster singing," James said. "He could make her laugh to the point of falling for him, and he could just be what the Magnolia house needs to entertain guests when Sonia feels like throwing parties again."
"If entertaining is the way to a woman's heart, then Mistress Sonia would be better off marrying Nando. At least he can hold a tune on top of knowing how to play musical instruments," Jessie said. "Why, you can dance more adequately than Sir Faba despite your drunkness."
James turned his head to Jessie and smirked with a raised eyebrow.
"Is that a challenge?" he asked.
"No, that's a fact," Jessie said. "I remember when you danced at parties respectfully when the mistress's father and brother were still alive and without drinking a drop of wine. I used to wish I could dance with you even though I'm only an employee and you are a knight. I don't believe it has been so long, and you haven't drunk so much that you've lost your skill."
"Is that so?" James asked. "In that case, I shall challenge myself to prove that you are right."
James put down his bottle with a slam against the coffee table to show he was going to prove Jessie's point without another drop of wine. He stood up, removed 6 pence from his pants pockets, and walked over to Nando, who had finished his song. Faba stopped dancing when he noticed James put the coin beside Nando on the piano and cleared his throat.
"Maestro, play us a different song. Something slow and sweet," James said.
"Are we talking about a drinking song or a love song?" Nando asked.
"A love song, if you please," James said. "Something for the lady and I to dance to."
Nando nodded and adjusted his guitar. James walked back to Jessie and offered his hand with a bow and his other hand behind his back. Jessie's cheeks tinted as she paused before she stood up and took James's hand. Faba stepped back against the wall as James guided Jessie to where he was dancing. Nando started his soft tune, and James and Jessie began to dance while still holding hands, Jessie having her free hand on James' shoulder and James' other hand on Jessie's hip. The knight and the lady-in-waiting smiled at each other as Nando began to sing.
O mistress mine, where are you roaming?
O, stay and hear! Your true love's coming,
That can sing both high and low:
Trip no further, pretty sweeting.
Journeys end in lovers meeting,
Every wise man's son doth know
What is love? 'Tis not hereafter.
Present mirth hath present laughter.
What's to come is still unsure.
In delay there lies no plenty.
Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty.
Youth's a stuff will not endure.
Youth's a stuff will not endure.
Youth's a stuff will not endure.
Youth's a stuff will not endure.
Jessie and James looked into each other's eyes as they danced. Jessie smiled warmly, thankful that James' green eyes were fixed on her. James's heart raced, for he only realized then how Jessie's blue eyes shined when she was with him. James pulled Jessie closer, wanting to look closer at her eyes as though they had put him in a trance. The knight and the lady-in-waiting blushed, feeling as though nothing was in the world but them and the sweet song they danced to.
"Has my dancing met your expectations?" James whispered.
Jessie's smile grew, and she whispered, "It's exceeded my expectations. I only wish you are more like this without the wine."
"Well, perhaps I shall try to resist the urge to indulge myself with wine," James said.
"Do you really think you can do that?" Jessie asked.
James hesitated and said, "Probably not, but I'd give it a shot for you."
"I accept that," Jessie said.
James smiled, grateful that Jessie was understanding. Then his smile faded, and he stopped dancing. Jessie looked at James, confused until she saw him lean his head toward her. Her cheeks were red, yet she leaned her head toward James as though their lips were attracted to each other like magnets. They were inches apart when Nando cleared his throat, and they suddenly remembered they weren't alone. Jessie cleared her throat, sat on the sofa, and returned to her cake with her head down. James glanced at Nando and Faba, who gave him smirks that made his face turn beet red. After half a minute, James cleared his throat and walked to the sofa to take a swig of his wine.
"Thank you, dear Nando," James said. "Now, let's have a song with a little more bouncing. Something we can sing together."
Nando and Faba chuckled at James's attempt to distract them before Faba said, "Sir James is right. I, for one, love a good group song. How does 'Thou Knave' sound?"
"'Thou Knave?' Don't you mean 'Hold Thy Peace, Thou Knave?'" Nando asked.
"Well, it does start with 'Hold thy peace,' so I'm sure we're talking about the same song," Faba said.
"Then let us hear it, and you can start us off with singing it, Sir Faba," James said.
Nando and Faba nodded in agreement before Nando got off the piano to sit on the piano bench. He began playing a catchy melody on the instrument, and James and Faba began to dance. The Alolan knight was so focused on dancing that he missed his cue to sing. James helped him start at the correct beat before Faba sang off-key again. James rolled his eyes, smirking, before singing the song with Faba. Jesse chuckled as she watched James and Faba dance while they repeatedly sang 'Hold Thy Peace, Thou Knave' with Nando, and she hummed the tune to herself as she ate her cake. She didn't want to admit it, but she was thankful James and Nando could liven things up with the foolish knight.
"Silence!"
Nando stopped playing and all eyes turned to see Giovanni, standing by the door wearing reading glasses and a fine maroon and black nightgown with neon green stockings and black slippers. His mouth and eyes twitched as though he were on the verge of destroying everything in sight like a madman. Faba and Nando looked down, avoiding eye contact like children caught doing something they know they shouldn't do. Jessie put down her cake and looked away, embarrassed, while James scoffed in annoyance. Giovanni breathed through his nose before storming toward James and hissing at him as though trying to avoid screaming.
"Sir James, have you gone mad? It is the middle of the night and the mistress is sleeping, assuming that your racket hasn't woken her up already," Giovanni said. "This is a house of mourning, and you have made this room like a pub in the streets."
"House of mourning? Don't make me laugh, stubborn Giovanni," James said. "My dear cousin has been high in spirits since I let that duke's messenger into the estate. She refuses to say what happened, I grant you, but she's still very giddy. What else can we do but share her demeanor even though we don't know what has happened? Honestly, Giovanni, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you preferred Cousin Sonia down the dumps because you aren't the only unhappy fellow in her house that way. Maybe you were hoping you could marry my cousin because you connected so well with being miserable, whether by losing a loved one or being such a grumpy twit."
Giovanni looked at James, baffled, for James had never spoken that way to him before. Then, Giovanni straightened his robe before stepping closer to James with a taunting smirk.
"You know, Sir James, I have heard from my mistress that she has been talking very poorly about you lately," Giovanni said. "She said that you are on thin ice because of your irritating, noisy, drunken demeanor to the point that she's reconsidering letting you stay in her house. If you restrain yourself from your delinquent shenanigans, you are more than welcome to stay. If not, she would only need to say the word, and it would be my pleasure to drag you to the gate and throw you out so you could drink in the streets like the drunken dog you are without so much as a farewell."
James furrowed his brow, feeling an urge to punch Giovanni in the face. Then he smirked and walked to the coffee table to pick up his bottle and chug the rest of his wine. Giovanni's smug look faded while Faba laughed, and Nando smirked. James wiped the wine from his lips and gestured to Nando to start playing again with a wave of his hand. Nando's smirk stretched to the sides of his face, and he began playing triumphant music on the piano. James turned to Giovanni with his head and chest up as he sang with Nando.
James:
Farewell, dear heart, since I must needs be gone.
Nando:
His eyes do show that his life is almost over.
James:
But I will never die.
Nando:
Sir James, there you lie.
James:
Shall I bid him go?
Nando:
What an if you do?
James:
Shall I bid him go, and spare not?
Nando:
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you dare not.
Giovanni scoffed and said, "You aren't helping your case with such a childish tune, Sir James."
"Oh, shut up, you delusional tart," James said.
"I beg your pardon?!" Giovanni shouted.
James walked over to Giovanni and gave him a stern glare as he stood a foot away.
"I said shut your trap before I have one of the maids sew it shut for all of our sakes," James said. "I may be drunk, but at least I am aware of it and know my rank as a knight. But you, sir? You embarrass yourself into thinking you're better than us. That just because you're older and act so dull and virtuous we have to submit to your ideals. Do you think only you are entitled to cakes, pudding, wine, and ale?"
"Ah, by Saint Anne, don't forget the spiced ginger ale. Nice and hot in the mouth," Nando said.
"Quite right, Nando," James said with his eyes still on Giovanni. "No, sir. You are nothing more than a steward. A butler. Servant. So, let your superiors behave as they see fit, while you go screw yourself."
Giovanni's face turned red in embarrassment as Nando and Faba laughed at him. James smirked as he watched Giovanni process being taken down a peg. Giovanni looked past James to see Jessie still looking down with her hand covering her mouth to hide her laughter. He walked past James to stand opposite Jessie at the coffee table and glowered as he looked down at Jessie with his arms crossed.
"Ms. Jessie, I must express how disappointing it is to see you interacting with the riff-raff," Giovanni said. "If you care about Lady Sonia's approval, you would do well to assist the head servant in ending this rabble. Surely, you fear being released from your post and looking for another job in the streets."
James looked daggers at Giovanni as the steward spoke condescendingly to Jessie. Nando and Faba looked at Giovanni and then at Jessie, unsure of what the countess's lady-in-waiting would do. Jessie continued to look down as she reflected on Giovanni's words.
After several seconds, she decided she had enough of Giovanni's demeanor and finished the rest of her cake in one bite using her hand. She followed her action by standing up, grabbing an unopened bottle of wine, pulling out the cord with her teeth, spitting it out, and chugging the wine from the bottle to wash down the cake. The men stared at Jessie, astounded as they had never seen Jessie behave this way before. Jessie drank until half the bottle was empty, and she wiped the wine from her lips before covering her mouth to hide a burp.
"Go shake your ears like the humongous, stubborn jackass you are," Jessie said.
James, Nando, and Faba burst out laughing, with Faba leaning against the wall. Nando played a taunting tune on the piano, while James pointed at the steward. Giovanni stared at Jessie, flabbergasted, before he clenched his teeth, and his face turned beat red again. Jessie followed her gesture by biting her thumb at Giovanni, and the steward growled before holding his hand up.
"Lady Sonia will hear about this," Giovanni snarled. "By this hand, she will know of this. Mark my words."
Giovanni stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Jessie snickered at Giovanni's reaction before taking another swig, feeling better after standing up to the cold, boring steward. James continued to laugh until his face turned sour, confusing his friends. He threw his bottle at the door, causing it to crack, and let out a frustrated yell.
"Blast that obnoxious dunce!" James shouted. "We have every right to be merry for our sake and the sake of my cousin, and yet he would dampen the mood with his presence! If I knew how to truly put Giovanni in his place, then by God, I would give it all my might!"
Nando and Faba look at James sadly, dispirited that the host of their party lost his will to celebrate. Jessie looked at James with pity with half a mind to walk over and hug him, disregarding how embarrassing she'd feel to do so in front of others.
Then, suddenly, something clicked in Jessie's mind. She rubbed her chin in thought until she was sure of her idea. The lady-in-waiting looked at the door with a devious smirk and a sinister cackle before she walked over to James and patted his shoulder.
"Peace, Sir James. There is no need to be cranky," Jessie said. "It just so happens that you have given me an idea for something that'll humiliate Giovanni."
James, Nando, and Faba turned to Jessie, unsure if they heard her correctly.
"How? How can one truly humble a man as stubborn as a mule?" Faba asked.
"By using his view of himself against him," Jessie said. "As Nando pointed out earlier today, he's only a fool for his occupation, while Giovanni gives himself delusions of grandeur. If I were a betting woman, I'd say he thinks he could win Lady Sonia's heart because he believes he's better than everyone else. So, I will make him think he can win our mistress as though she could be tamed like a beast."
James, Nando, and Faba looked at each other, astonished by Jessie's claim.
"How is that possible?" James asked.
"Yes, please grace us with the plot details," Nando said.
Jessie chuckled with her mouth closed and said, "I've been trained to mimic Lady Sonia's handwriting. I'll write a love letter with no signature that praises Giovanni's appearance and demeanor and heavily implies that Lady Sonia wrote the letter. I'll drop the letter in Giovanni's path, where he has his daily walk in the courtyard. Giovanni will pick it up, read it, and think Lady Sonia is secretly in love with him. He'll come to her thinking he only needs to make a move to win her heart and body and become the new count."
James, Nando, and Faba's faces lit up as Jessie explained her plan. They roared with laughter, with Nando playing an upbeat song on the piano, James applauding Jessie, and Faba jumping excitedly like a child. Jessie smirked as she watched the men express their excitement until James wrapped his arms around her, picked her up, and spun her. She yelped as James spun around while also blushing from holding her tight. James put her down, and Jessie chuckled while James had his hand on her shoulder.
"That is a tremendous idea, Jessie," James said. "I can hardly wait to see that knave humiliated upon finding out my cousin has no desire to take him as her spouse."
"Yeah, and be embarrassed because Sonia doesn't want to marry him, too," Faba said.
Jessie, James, and Nando turned to Faba, astounded that he unknowingly said the same thing James said. Jessie put the matter in the back of her mind and took James's hand off her shoulder. James turned to Jessie, wishing she didn't remove his hand, and Jessie squeezed his hand assuring him she felt the same before turning to the rest of the men.
"If you wish to watch my plan in action, hide in the hedge by the fountain twenty minutes before noon to ensure you will not be seen," Jessie said. "Interpret how Giovanni reacts, then come see me at the back porch, where I'll have my afternoon tea. Meantime, I must call it a night."
"So soon? Why, you've only had one dance and one slice of cake," James said.
"And I've had more wine than usual to sleep off. I'll need a clear mind to carry out my plan to its full potential," Jessie said. "Till then, gentlemen, enjoy the rest of your party, and when you finally sleep, dream of that arrogant man feeling like the vermin he views us to be."
With that, Jessie squeezed James's hand before she let go and exited the room. James, Nando, and Faba stared at the door, with James looking at it as though Jessie was still there. After several seconds, Faba chuckled and walked to James to pat him on the back.
"Chugging wine, name-calling, and coming up with a devious scheme. Jessie has become quite a remarkable woman tonight," Faba said.
James furrowed his brow and said, "Nay, Sir Faba. She's always been a remarkable woman. Whether it's being there for my cousin when her father and brother passed, putting up with that bloody steward for God knows how long, or even dealing with there being a fellow like me in this house, Jessie has never ceased to amaze me. That's why I adore her even if I've never said it to her."
"Ah, adore. That's a comforting word," Faba said. "I like to think I was once adored for more than just my status and wealth, but it's been so long that I think I dreamt it happened. Upon witnessing what a beauty she is, I'd cherish hearing your cousin say she adores me."
"Heh, I don't blame you for feeling that way about Sonia. She's a beauty just like her mother, my aunt," James said. "But worry not, good Sir Faba. You and Sonia are a perfect match, and it's only a matter of time before she sees that. I'd be a fool if I didn't prove that you two are meant to be."
"I hope not. Being the fool is my job," Nando said. "Regardless, gentlemen, what are you standing around for? Jessie gave us permission to continue celebrating."
James smirked and said, "Right you are, Nando. Let us continue to feast, dance, and sing for my dear cousin post haste."
Faba tilted his head, confused, and said, "Post haste? Is that a phrase that has to do with mail or something?"
"Never mind what the phrase means. Just dance with me," James said before turning to Nando. "Maestro, if you please."
Nando nodded and began playing an upbeat song on the piano. James and Faba laughed joyously as they began to dance again. Nando smiled as he watched his friends, yet while his hands were focused on playing the song, his mind was on Sonia. Seeing his mistress happy again didn't keep the fool from wondering what lifted her spirits. Though Nando was the fool in the Magnolia estate, only he figured Duke Satoshi's messenger was behind Sonia's happiness. Only he was curious about the page's intentions, how it would conflict with Faba's desires, and, potentially, Giovanni's eagerness to win Countess Sonia Magnolia's hand in marriage.