I'm Not That Girl // A. Bridgerton

Victory II

"How was your conversation with Miss Edwina yesterday?" Daphne asked as she, Violet and Alina continued to add the finishing touches around the ballroom.

"She is certainly a diamond." Alina said with a smile. "She knows exactly when to smile and exactly what to say at all times....It's just that I've always imagined Javi to be with someone more like him."

"Well opposites do attract in certain situations." Daphne offered with a smile. "You know, every time I think my marriage has become simple, Simon and I find some new stone to turn over, a new foible that one of us needs the other to tease out and inspect. It is decidedly irritating." Violet giggled at her daughter's choice of words. Alina nodded in agreement as she thought about all of the twists and turns of her own marriage. "Yet incredibly gratifying at the same time." Alina halted in her movements as she ran her fingers over the leaf of one of the flowers in her hand at the thought. She didn't know if she could say her relationship with Anthony has been gratifying. Of course their...nightly activities definitely but her marriage has been more of a battlefield than she would have expected.

"Miss Edwina is nearly perfect," Alina stated, breaking out of her thoughts as she continued to place her flowers. "But Javi..."

"You think there is not something in all of us that requires a challenge?" Daphne asked, looking over to her. Violet smiled and gently nudged Alina.

"Indeed, there is." She said with a smile. Alina gave a small smile back in return and once they were done with the flowers for the ball Alina made her way up to Javier's room. After a brief knock she stepped inside to see Javier standing by the window watching the gardens with a cigarette between his fingers.

"So this is where you have been hiding, brother." She said as she smiled softly.

"Sister." He greeted and flicked his cigarette out the open window and turned to face her.

"Violet has her ball all set for you." She informed and moved closer to him and stood behind a chair facing the window. Her nose scrunched at the scent left behind his fowl habit. Javier chuckled at her reaction to the smoke.

"Just her? Are you telling me you have had no hand in it?"

"Well, we have both been planning, certainly. But our plans do not require yours to be set." Javier chuckled softly and slid his hands into his pockets at her words but said nothing. So Alina continued. "Miss Edwina is quite lovely. I am certain she will make a perfect wife-"

"Do you still not like her?" Javier asked, looking at his sister in amusement and raised a brow.

"I never said I did not like her." Alina shook her head. "I only wonder if you truly know each other well enough."

"Is that not what marriage is for? You didn't know Anthony before marriage." Alina gave her brother a pointed look.

"You hated Anthony and you do not want to model your marriage after mine, besides it helps if you share similarities." Alina explained which caused Javier to scoff. "Brother, is there really no one you share similarities with? No one at all?" Javier refused to respond and looked back out the window. "How was your hunt with the elder Miss Sharma yesterday? You have not mentioned anything about it."

"I am starting to miss the viscount." Javier said with a humorless smile and finally moved away from the window and headed for the door. "You do not need to concern yourself with this, Li." He called back. Alina sighed and looked down to her hands that rested on the back of the chair. Her eyes catching the gleam from her wedding ring.