She had already thought how hard it would be to live in this gloomy place without her mother.
She was also well aware that Louise would pester her, as she had done before, to go out with her onto the streets at night and seek out young men with whom they could find amusement.
Everything that was fastidious and well-bred in Vernita shrank from contemplating anything that would have horrified her mother, while she knew it would be difficult to reiterate her refusals to Louise over and over again.
“You would be wise to let me decide this for you,” the Count said in his deep voice.
“Why should you – want to do so?” Vernita asked. “Why should you trouble – yourself with me?”
She tried to sound proud and independent, but instead she only sounded helpless and nervous, a child who was afraid
