X-posted to the NCC Facebook group.

I've been re-reading the Christmas books in "Jo of", and thinking again how hard EBD makes life for poor Grizel. Whilst Madge, Jo and Robin are having a lovely time in Innsbruck, Grizel, who'd hoped to spend Christmas with them, has to go home and spend the festive season watching the only person who'd ever loved her dying. It's such a contrast. Why did EBD have to kill poor Grannie off just then ?

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We really must stop eating like this ...

Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open.

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I've wondered before now whether the death of Grizel's much-loved grandmother was an echo of the death of Elinor's own (I think also much-loved) grandmother. Elinor was rather younger than Grizel when that happened, at not quite seven, but her grandmother had lived with them all that time, and was the head of the household, and her death must have left a huge gap in the family structure.

I agree that the contrast seems particularly bitter, but can only suppose that it's part of trying to establish why Grizel is such a difficult character.