Samantha stood near one of the open doors in her pack ballroom, grateful for the cool breeze that drifted in from the rose garden and eased the heat in the

crowded room. Beneath the glitter of four sparkling crystal chandeliers, People lined the edge of the dance floor, congregating in small groups near the sofas filled with chaperones and their young Charges. Steady streams of people flowed in and out of the

adjoining rooms, taking supper in the dining room, and dancing in the drawing room.

Samantha stood on the fringe of all the activity. She felt isolated, alone even in a crowd of over four hundred people. She watched...