Both Mompellions are important to the community, but Elinor is particularly beloved. As Anna implies here, Elinor serves as a mother to the whole community by providing guidance and helping those in need. That's definitely true in her relationship with Anna. Elinor is Anna's best friend, mom, and teacher, all in one tidy package.

George Viccars isn't just some eligible hunk to Anna—he's her best hope for a new father figure for her sons. She wants to feel like she has a real family again.

In Anna's day, infant mortality rates were insanely high, even without taking the plague into account. It was a rough era. Although losing a child would be painful for anyone, it hits Anna particularly hard because she's such a strong maternal figure.