Sentence:  Her young British lawyer , James Dunlop , <WSD>pleaded</WSD> that she was sorely needed at her Portland home by her widowed mother , 80 , her maiden aunt , also 80 and bedridden for 20 years , and her uncle , 76 , who once ran a candy shop . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  offer as an excuse or plea