Aunt Jane's Nieces Chapter 8 - The Diplomat

In which the ailing Jane Merrick suffers a paralytic stroke, yet maintains a stern resolve to shape her affairs, while welcoming her poised niece Elizabeth De Graf to the stately Elmhurst, where uneasy first impressions are exchanged amidst the grandeur. Elizabeth, mindful of her humble origins and the challenges ahead, begins to muse on her strategy for winning her aunt’s favour—and the mysterious rivalry that may lie in wait.