Della Ralston is hosting her cousin Charlotte when she finds out a surprising fact – Charlotte is the mother of Tina, a young girl living at a nearby orphanage. Charlotte has kept the child a secret for many years, and is set to be married to Joe Ralston, a man who does not know about this secret daughter.

Della is quickly pulled into a plot to ensure that Charlotte is not separated from her daughter. When a series of circumstances ends with Charlotte and Tina moving into Della’s home, Della and Charlotte work to ensure that Tina has a chance at a good future.

This novella is a fascinating dramatic look at the difficulties that illicit affairs can create in a family unit. The Old Maid has been adapted into a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, and remains one of Edith Wharton’s most compelling works of fiction.