Feminine, ash-blonde, old, mad -- but family (5,3,5)
I believe the answer is:
flesh and blood
'family' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'feminine ash-blonde old mad' is the wordplay.
'feminine' becomes 'f' (abbreviation listed in Chambers).
'mad' is an anagram indicator.
'ash'+'blonde'+'old'='ashblondeold'
'ashblondeold' anagrammed gives 'leshandblood'.
'f'+'leshandblood'='FLESH AND BLOOD'
'but' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for flesh and blood that I've seen before include "Family - the human body" , "Human nature - kin" , "Kin - of a bodily nature" , "Real - relatives" , "Relatives (one's own?)" .)