“There was one man – he was a Marquis – and very good-looking. Because he paid me a great deal of attention – I believed he was – in love with me.”
“But you found that he was not?” Juarez asked.
“I overheard a conversation just as I was entering a room between him and another man called ‘Henry’.”
Orina drew in her breath as if it was still a painful memory and then resumed,
“I heard Henry say, ‘you are obviously very taken with Orina Vandeholt. Are you thinking of marrying her?’”
“The Marquis laughed.
“‘Great Heavens, no! Can you imagine what my family’s reaction would be if I married an American?’”
“Then Henry replied,
“‘She is a rather exceptional American! Her father is the richest man in the whole country and likely to become even richer’.”
Orina closed her eyes.
It was still
