Chapter 96

JESSIE was looking around as she was trying to mingle with the crowd. But, she did not know anyone around except for Emily, the marchioness of Kain, and she was with someone.
“Jessie, I would like you to meet my friend, Becca,” she said as Jessie was bowing at the duchess.
“How do you do, Your Grace?” She said as Becca just laughed before waving her hand dismissively.
“Please, drop the formality. I am not a duchess anyway. Just call me Becca,” she said as Jessie smiled at the duchess. They were sitting at the table before Becca was smiling at her and Emily was sitting next to her.
“So, do you want to tell us how you snatch the earl? I heard that many mamas tried to shove their daughters to him but they all got rejected,” Emily said as Jessie was looking at them.
“Well, I don’t know that he was an earl in the first place—“
“Wow, that was so much better. So you did not marry him for his wealth and connection?” Becca asked her as Jessie smiled.
“Yeah, sort of,” I married him for something else, Jessie mused before Becca and Emily were sighing dreamily.
“What a romantic story,” Emily said as Becca nodded.
“Yeah, and I heard that he saved you from the bandits as well. Such a hero,” Becca said before someone was clearing their throat behind them.
“Who’s the hero, love?” The Duke of Belikov, Niklaus Dragomir, Becca’s husband was arching his eyebrow at her before Becca was smiling wickedly at him.
“Oh, someone that we’re talking about,” she said before Niklaus was narrowing his eyes at his wife.
“Well, in that case, I have to show you that I am your hero,” he said before he was offering his hand to Becca which she took it. Then, they were off to the dance floor.
“Niklaus can get jealous very quickly,” Emily said before someone was chuckling behind her. Emily turned before Jessie noticed that her husband, Ian, was standing behind her with her husband, Tom.
“What is that, love? Do you want to dance? I thought you never said that,” Ian said before he was dragging Emily from the table as the marchioness was trying to protest. But they have been gone, leaving Tom and Jessie alone.
“So, does my countess wanted to dance with me?” Tom asked Jessie as she was looking at the hand that was in front of her. Tom was waiting for her to take it before she was sliding her hand into his. It sparked before Jessie was standing in front of him and they were off to the dance.
Jessie was aware that people were looking at them. Why they wouldn’t? Thomas Rambova was a very handsome man, as well as those lords of the Higher Court. They demanded attention and people, especially women, were drawn to them.
Jessie cannot help but compare herself with other women around the crowd. They were staring with jealousy and envy in their eyes like a green monster. They were waiting for Tom to left her alone as she heard that these lords would not stick around.
They were rumored to have mistresses as well.
Jessie was looking at Tom who was twirling her and waltzing her around as the music was playing. She was thinking about the rumors that she did not notice that Tom was talking to her. Tom chuckled before Jessie snapped her eyes to his face.
“My dear, I see that you are preoccupied with something. Do you want to share it with me?” Tom said as Jessie was being twirled out of his hand before she was pulled back in. Her back was hitting Tom’s hard chest before she gasped as they were swaying to the music. Tom was kissing her ear.
“So, will you tell your husband what was bothering you?” He asked as Jessie was looking at someone that has been staring at them for quite some time now. Then, Jessie turned to look at her husband.
“I don’t know what are you talking about, husband, for I am not preoccupied with anything,” she said as Tom was amused with her answer. Jessie was keeping a calm face when she knows that she was being watched by that woman.
What could have I done to attract her attention? Jessie mused before the music ended and they were bowing at each other. The duke and duchess were off the floor as well as the marquis and his wife. Jessie was about to go when Tom stopped her.
“One more dance?” He asked as Jessie was blinking her eyes at him.
“But we just—“
“That was for the one that we don’t have a chance to dance at the reception. Now, we’re dancing as a couple,” Tom said before he was pulling Jessie against him. Her skirts rustled against his breeches before they were moving across the floor again.
Jessie was keeping her eyes on Tom’s handsome face the whole time but she felt the hair on her neck was standing up, knowing that she was being watched by the woman that she made eye contact with before. She was gripping Tom’s hand hoping that he would not notice her distress and leave her be after their dance later.
But of course, it would not be the case for she will discover the secret of Thomas Rambova later.
After their second dance, Jessie went to get something to drink before she was approached by the woman that was on the sideline before. She did not notice it was her until they were staring at each other.
“May I talk to you, my lady?” She said as she was looking at Jessie. Jessie was analyzing her as she was a petite woman. She blinked her eyes at the petite woman before she smiled.
“Of course, and what would you want to talk about?” She asked before the petite lady was looking at her with an innocent look. Then, she smirked.
It was not innocent at all.
“You think you know Tom better than I am and you carry his rings. Be warned that he was not a man to satisfy easily between the sheets, my lady. I just don’t want to see that you will be falling apart later on,” the petite lady said before Jessie was blinking her eyes. Then, the lady went away as she was glancing over her shoulder to look at Jessie. When people moved, she disappeared as Jessie was looking for him.
“What are you doing, my dear?” Tom’s voice startled her before Jessie was looking at her husband. She smiled before she was looking at the crowd again. Then she shook her head as she was looking at her husband.
“Nothing, just someone that talks in another language,” Jessie said as she was smiling at her husband before Tom was arching his eyebrow at Jessie. She smiled before she was pulling her husband to the table and have some dinner as they were chatting away, knowing that the lady has put fear in Jessie's heart that her husband might have someone else besides her if she cannot satisfy him.
But I did everything that I could to make sure that Tom was the one that will be marrying me, she mused as she was sipping on her wine when Tom was cutting the meat before eating it. But you only married him for the secret about the gentry and the fact that your husband was a Vampyre. Admit it, you only think that about him, her dark mind thought as Jessie was shaking that thought away. Tom looked at her before he arched his eyebrow.
"Is everything okay, Jessie?" He asked before she smiled at her husband.
"Everything's fine," she said as she sipped on the wine, knowing in her heart that she cannot live if she did not know what other secrets that Tom might have. Someday, I will know it all, soon enough, she mused before the night was getting wasted as she was drowning in the wine more than she could handle.

TOM noticed that his wife has been sipping on the wine for quite some time now as he was sipping on the wine as well. She was smiling at him before she sipped on the wine even more and looking around the ballroom.
Maybe it's time to call it a night, Tom thought before Jessie stood up from her seat and went to him. Then, she was leaning on the table as she was looking into his eyes.
Her blue orbs clashing with his violet ones.
"You know, I was kind of thinking that you might just want to get this night over with so why don't we got to our bedchamber and get on with it?" For a Lady, she does speak her mind and in this society as well.
"Jessie, I think you have enough wine for tonight..." Tom was being interrupted as Jessie was leaning closer to him. Her alluring scent was sending Ton's demon into a frenzy zone where he just wanted her to be down on the mattress on their bed and have his wicked ways with her.
"Why are you so afraid of, husband? I can handle your wickedness in the bedroom, unlike your mistress's thought of me," Jessie whispered to him as Tom was blinking his eyes.
Mistress? He thought before a face was coming into his mind. Of course, that wench!
"Jessie, I think you're mistaking her..."
"What? You think that you married me now you can have your ways with her again?" Jessie glared at him before Tom resisted to smile as Jessie was showing her jealousy right now. You put your heart on the sleeves too much, sweetheart, he mused before Tom was gripping her arm as they made their way to their bedchamber.
"Clean up this mess and do not disturb us until tomorrow," Tom said to his butler before the old butler nodded at him.
"As you wish, my lord," he said before Tom did something that was not expected by a lord. He scooped his wife into his arms before he went to as end the stairs.
"I can walk you know," Jessie slurred before she was putting her head at the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent. Tom shivered.
"Of course, but I think tonight I want to show you how much I..." Tom did not finish his sentence as he heard that Jessie was snoring in the crook of his neck. He smirked before he made his way to the bedchamber.
This marriage might be interesting after all, he mused as he put Jessie on the bed before he left her alone to get ready for bed.