The purpose of making one’s debut in previous centuries was to bring young ladies out of the seclusion of the “schoolroom” at home and help them find suitable husbands in the same social set. It was the accepted way of finding a husband then, and some brilliant matches—and equally brilliant and often lucrative mergers between important wealthy families—were made. The couples barely knew each other when they married. A similar system had existed in England for centuries, among the aristocracy. Ideally, there were no unfortunate surprises, and decent marriages were the result, although that wasn’t always the case. Alex White’s older sister, Charlotte, was very happy with her husband, a prominent New York banker from a blue-blooded family like theirs. Alex and Charlotte’s father, Robert White, was a banker too. Banking was thought to be the only truly respectable career for a gentleman. None of the women of Alex’s mother’s generation worked. They had no reason to, and it would have been considered inappropriate. The few women who had jobs or careers were severely criticized, and they rarely married. Nothing in their earlier education had prepared them to work. It was considered more important for them to have a solid understanding of art, appreciate theater, opera, and the ballet, run an elegant home, and speak several languages. Alex spoke fluent French, and passable German and Italian, taught to her by her nannies while she was growing up. Her mother, Astrid, and her friends were involved in charitable committees to benefit those less fortunate. It was a value system based on traditions that had existed for generations.

Alex was excited about her debut. She loved going to parties and had envied her older sister all the special events and balls she went to when she came out. Alex had a gregarious nature, and at thirteen, she had sat upstairs on the landing the night of the ball their parents gave her sister, Charlotte, wishing that she could be downstairs dancing with the guests and wearing a fabulous white gown.