CHAPTER FOURGardenia burst into her aunt’s bedroom impulsively.
“Aunt Lily, it is hopeless!” she exclaimed and then stopped and gave a little cry. “Oh, but how lovely you look!”
Standing by the windowsill, dressed in a sweeping silk gown of soft blue chiffon with a bunch of silk roses pinned with a huge diamond bow to her breast and with her golden hair covered with an enormous hat, the Duchesse did look almost as beautiful as she had been when Gardenia had last seen her in England.
“Thank you, dear child,” Lily de Mabillon said obviously pleased with the compliment.
“Your dress is beautiful,” Gardenia said in an awed voice, “and though I have read about them in the newspapers, I have never really seen a wonderful Merry Widow hat before.”
“Is that what you would call it?” the Duchesse
