Astrid had selected and ordered Alex’s debut dress with her in Paris that summer at Patou. It was a wispy creation in white organza, and Alex couldn’t wait to wear it. She had another one for her own ball, which they had bought in New York. She was going to wear her dark hair swept up for the first time. She had two escorts for the cotillion, as was the tradition, and her private ball was going to be spectacular. It was going to be the most exciting time of her life, and she felt like Cinderella every time she thought about it. What she loved about it was the dancing, the party, and the hundreds of people present when she curtsied. What she didn’t like about it was the idea that she was expected to find a husband, marry within a year or two, and start having babies. It would be even worse if she had to move to Connecticut, as Charlotte had, or to a horse farm in New Jersey and ride all the time. Alex hated horses, and she had no desire to marry for several years. She had known the boys coming to her party since they were in third or fourth grade, and they seemed ridiculous to her. She had no desire for children, or at least not for a long time. She had wanted to go to college, as a few of her more progressive friends had, and her parents had decided it was unnecessary. Neither Alex’s mother nor her sister had gone to college, nor had either of her grandmothers. Her sister Charlotte was perfectly happy never having gone to college, and just being a wife.