I can see why you find that a little confusing. It's a very subtle message and I would probably have to read more of the book to understand what the author is trying to say, but from what you've written I believe this is the meaning... Margaret, as an adult, had a readiness to accept love and adoration from those who were not her family. The author is implying that this is a little bit strange and improper. Normally people aren't very willing to accept love and adoration until they really know one another for a very long time, because it takes a very long time before you can trust someone with your love. So why is Margaret so willing to do this? The author says it is something she learned in the nursery at a very young age. It sounds like Margaret was raised by servants and not by her mother. She learned to accept WHAT SHE THOUGHT was love and adoration from people who were just employees. So there was something a little bit wrong and unnatural about that. Perhaps Margaret realizes this somewhere in her subconscious. She should have received love from her family and not servants. But that was how it was, so this sort of dynamic became part of her foundation and personality. Margaret, as an adult, had a false facade of vulnerability, she ACTED like she accepted love from people but she actually didn't, because she was never shown what real love was when she was a child. In fact, Margaret probably had no idea what love was. To her, love was something you accepted from people who were paid to be there.