Morning at Jalna — Mazo de la Roche

First published in 1960, in Morning at Jalna it is 1863 and the
American Civil War is raging south of the border. Still in its early
years, the Jalna estate seems far away from the despair and destruction.
Philip, who will grow up to become the master of Jalna, has just come
into the world, while Augusta, Nicholas, and Ernest are children. Life
at Jalna is as peaceful as usual until the Sinclairs come to visit. They
arrive with the polished manners and soft accents of Old Carolina and
quickly appeal to Adeline's sense of hospitality. However, as the burden
these distant cousins bring grows, the Whiteoaks begin to suspect that
the Sinclairs have a deep and dangerous secret. This is book 2 of 16 in The Whiteoak Chronicles. It is followed by Mary Wakefield.