Grand Affair

OttilieCartaretisborninLondonintoafamilyofboysdominatedbytheirgenialmother,MaO'Flaherty.Forthefirstfouryearsofherlife,allOttilieknowsisloveuntil,thatis,theerringfatheroftheboys,theeverabsentMrO'Flaherty,sendsenoughmoneyfromAmericafortheO'FlahertystomovetowhatMaimagineswillberuralblissinCornwall.True,StElcombisbytheseaandin1950sBritainiscertainlyruralbut,fortheO'Flahertys,itisnotbliss.NevermindtheirpovertyorthedampcottagewhichMahasboughtforthem,theenmityofthelocalpeopleiswhatprovesinsuperable.ThefamilyunithavingbeendestroyedbyMa'sdeath,OttilieisadoptedbyMrandMrsCartaret,awealthycouplewhoruntheGrandHotelinStElcomb.ItistothesepalatialsurroundingsthatOttilieisremoved,awayfromherbrothersandeverythingwhichsheloves.Hereshebecomespamperedandspoilt,notjustbyheradoptedparentsbutbyallthevisitorstothehotel,withtheexceptionoftheirmysteriousannualguestwhomOttilienicknames'GREYLADY'.TimeshoweverarechangingandnotjustforOttiliebutforthehoteltoo,andastheregularstothenowdecayinghoteldieoff,theCartaretsfindtheyareunabletoadapttomodernways.ThatOttiliebecomestheirgreatestassetandtheylivetorejoiceinthedaytheyadoptedherisundoubted,butthatOttilieperhapssacrificestoomuchherselftosavetheGrandissomethingshesooncomestorealize...