Book excerpt: When Rintarou asks Maria to accompany him to his family’s next party, it’s like something out of a dream. But as Maria’s feelings for him only grow stronger, she worries that Yokohama high society is no place for the daughter of a lowly Mayuzumi family helper. Can Maria overcome her self-doubt and the class divide-especially when there’s a romantic rival who’s ever so eager to remind Maria of her station?