Alexan­dra Aldrich, a direct Astor descen­dant, lived at Roke­by, the house at the heart of this sto­ry, until the age of four­teen, when she left to attend board­ing school. She stud­ied vio­lin at a pres­ti­gious music con­ser­va­to­ry and lived in Poland. She now lives in Brook­lyn with her son.