Friends, in the strictest sense, she has none.

She doesn't permit herself such luxuries.
She had been at once attracted by Tita.

Naturally Tita _would_ be useful to her, so she has adopted her on the spot.

Baronets' wives are few and far between upon her visiting list, and to have an actual cousin for one of them sounds promising.

Tita will probably be the means of getting her into the Society for which she longs; therefore Tita is to be cultivated.