Thank you, ChiefPam for your comments. To answer your comments:
Lena is about Clark's age in the story, which is 24 - 25 years old. Losing your parents when you just turned 20 is losing them when you are young.
And the shopping trip: There have been times when walking through the better stores in Paris I have seen women in very fancy dress shopping with their "escorts". I guess they consider shopping part of an elegant evening. Very different than in the U.S.
Thanks again for your comments, I'll keep in mind to be clearer in my explanations in the story.
