The Duchesse made a little gesture with her hands.
“My dear child, I have dozens of servants, dozens of them to do everything for me. But I want to find you a husband and – ”
She stopped and it seemed to Gardenia that there was an expression of embarrassment on her face.
“Oh dear!” the Duchesse exclaimed. “I don’t know what to say. I know of no one I can ask to chaperone you, no one who would accept a young girl on my recommendation.”
“I don’t understand.”
“No, of course you don’t. But there are problems. It is not that I don’t want you to stay with me, but it is a difficult situation.”
“If you are frightened that I would get in the way of your parties,” Gardenia suggested, “I would not come to them. I could hear how very gay it was last night, but when I wanted to come upstairs and
