Who is Lady Dedlock from Bleak House and what is their importance?

Lady Dedlock, known as Honoria Barbary before marriage, is the wife of Sir Leicester Dedlock, a baronet. The Dedlock's are representative of the aristocracy. Over the course of the novel, we learn that Lady Dedlock is Esther's mother, and that she was told her baby died at birth. When she realizes that Esther is her daughter, she watches from afar, eventually revealing her identity to her daughter but only her daughter.