Hello and welcome to my new story!!! I would love any comments that you have and tell me what you think!
KEY:
"English being spoken."
"Spanish being spoken."
Thoughts
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Prologue
She was supposed to be happy, and deep down she was in some odd way. It was another night that she had spent alone. Alina could count on one had the nights that she had fallen asleep in the company of her husband. Alina pulled herself out of her many pillows and blankets, pulled her thin robe over her shoulders and moved over to the small table that sat right in front of the window where she had discarded her mother's book of poetry the night before. Alina could not help the small smile that pulled at her lips that memories of her lady mother. Whenever she had a challenging time sleeping or the thunder frightened her from her bed Maria would gather her daughter in her arms and sit by the fire and read poems until Alina's eyes were too heavy to keep open.
Alina picked up the book and opened it to the page had left off. With the just barely risen sun her eyes ran over the memorized words printed on the page.
'Hope' is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –And sings the tune without the words –And never stops – at all –
And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –That could abash the little Bird that kept so many warm
I have heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.
"Oh, good morning my lady. I wasn't expecting you to be awake just yet." Alina's handmaiden, Jane Stone, said as she entered. Jane was a young girl and shorter than Alina by a few inches and was Alina's closest friend. Jane had been serving her for the last three years back in Spain and when Alina had married and moved permanently to England Jane was more than happy to accompany her. "Did you sleep well?"
"Well, Enough I suppose." Alina responded softly placing her mother's book down on the table to be forgotten for the rest of the day. "Is everyone treating you well enough downstairs?"
"Oh yes, everyone has been quite helpful. Are you ready for today?" Jane asked as she quickly moved about the room to gather the gown Alina was to wear today. Alina sighed and took a seat in front of her vanity table and began to remove her sleeping braid, allowing her long brown locks to fall freely.
"I suppose. This will be my first season as Lady Bridgerton, how difficult could be?" Jane moved to stand behind her lady and began to help her get ready. "Daphne must be buzzing with excitement about today." The Bridgerton siblings had welcomed her with open arms and after only a week's Alina already loved them all and enjoyed their company. A few days before her wedding, Alina was able to meet the entire Bridgerton family and right away Eloise and Daphne seemed to have grown quite attached to her for different reasons. Daphne had thought that her marriage was a love match just like her parents had wanted for all their children and Eloise had loved how smart and witty her new sister was and never missed an opportunity to start discussing the latest novel that Eloise had finished. She truly enjoyed Benedict and Colin's humor and their carefree nature when it came to most things and she could see how much love there was within the family and Alina was thankful that they were the family that she had joined, she couldn't imagine what her life would have been like if she had married Lord Berbrook.
"There. You look simply perfect, my lady. The Viscount will be breathless when he sees you." Marie stated as she pinned the last curl into place behind her head. Alina sighed softly at the thought of her husband. It had been a little over a month since they had time together and even though he made it a point to come around each day and stay until everyone had retired for the night. Each time he snuck away she couldn't help but feel like she had done something to push him away. Alina gave her maid a small smile as she stood and finish getting ready for the day, pushing the thoughts of Anthony to the back of her mind. She would try to speak with him this afternoon. Tomorrow would be the first ball of the season and Alina knew that they would have to present as a married couple. She wasn't about to ruin this for Daphne.
Alina had no idea just how tough this season was truly going to be.