How does the reader learn of Bilquis' social and economic status?

The reader first learns about Bilquis' social and economic status by finding out that she has a large property and many servants. Then the reader learns that her ex-husband had been Pakistan's Minister of Interior. We learn that Bilquis had been hostess to diplomats and industrialists, and she had shopped in London and Paris. She says that her ancestral home is "palatial," with tower, terraces, and huge chambers; but, she had a smaller house built.