Seeking Ties That Bind

I don't have a lot of family on my father's side of the family. They simply don't make it to old age. Heck, they seldom make it to middle age if you want to get specific about it. I found one of his cousins in a nursing home after quite a bit of searching around. She is the only member of that family to make it to an advanced age. I've been dropping by the nursing home to spend time with her.
I've found most elderly people to be overly trusting of strangers or a little suspicious. She falls into the latter category. She keeps telling me she doesn't know why I'm there. I've explained that I don't have a lot of family left and that I'd like to get to know her. She probably thinks I'm some scandalous miscreant trying to get her to sign over her estate. I really just want to hear stories about my ancestors.
She is one of those strong-minded spinster Southern ladies who doesn't dare let anone see her without full make up. She wears dress pants and blouses, wears beautiful jewelry, and went to college when girls didn't attend college. She's fierce about her single status: "Well, it wasn't for lack of opportunity!" She is an accomplished musician. She can also smoke a Pall Mall in about 3 drags, an accomplishment that sickens me while I visit her. I could reap less second-hand exposure by sleeping in a bar.
She doesn't quite know what to make of me yet, but I like her.