Who was Flora and how does she enter the March family?

The last runaway slave that March aided before the Civil War broke out was a pregnant girl, only fifteen-years-old, named Flora. She was terribly underweight, skin literally peeling off bones with frostbite, and nearly mute with fear. Because of the girl's condition and despite the danger, the family decided to keep her for two weeks, long enough for her frostbitten feet to begin to mend. The family maintained their daily life so as not to draw attention to themselves, but never leaving Flora alone in case any danger should arise. The only person Flora would speak to was Beth, the sickliest and shyest of the March daughters. The two girls, who were roughly the same age, became inseparable, and March watched as both girls bloomed with the friendship.