Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen



After the death of Mr. Henry Dashwood, all his money went to his first wife's son John Dashwood, his second wife and her three daughters are left with no home and very little income. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret are invited to stay with their relatives, the Middletons, at Barton Park. Elinor is sad to leave their home because she has become closely attached to Edward Ferrars, who was the brother-in-law of her half-brother John. However, once at Barton Park, Elinor and Marianne discover many new contacts and get familiarize with the people, including the retired officer and bachelor Colonel Brandon, and the brave and reckless John Willoughby, who rescues Marianne after she twists her ankle running down the hills of Barton in the rain. Willoughby openly and not ashamedly got involved romantically with Marianne, and together the two boldly display their attachment to one another, until Willoughby suddenly announces that he must depart for London on business, leaving Marianne lovesick. Meanwhile, Anne and Lucy Steele, two recently discovered relations of Lady Middleton's mother, Mrs. Jennings, arrive at Barton Park as guests of the Middletons. Lucy getting the favour of herself to Elinor and informs her that she (Lucy) has been secretly engaged to Mr. Ferrars for a whole year. Elinor first assumes that Lucy is referring to Edward's younger brother, Robert, but is shocked to learn that Lucy is actually referring to her own beloved Edward.
Elinor and Marianne travel to London with Mrs. Jennings. Colonel Brandon informs Elinor that everyone in London is talking of an engagement between Willoughby and Marianne, though Marianne has not told her family of any such attachment. Marianne is anxious to be reunited with her beloved Willoughby, but when she sees him at a party in town, he cruelly rejects her and then sends her a letter denying that he ever had feelings for her.
Colonel Brandon tells Elinor of Willoughby's history that how he was excessively involved in alcohol and drugs, and Mrs. Jennings confirms that Willoughby, having wasted his fortune, has become engaged to the wealthy heiress Miss Grey.
Lucy's older sister without any intentions reveals the news of Lucy's secret engagement to Edward Ferrars. Edward's mother is outraged at the information and disinherits him, promising his fortune to Robert instead. Meanwhile, the Dashwood sisters visit family friends at Cleveland on their way home from London. At Cleveland, Marianne develops a severe cold while taking long walks in the rain, and she falls deathly ill. Upon hearing of her illness, Willoughby comes to visit, attempting to explain his misconduct and seek forgiveness. Elinor pities him and ultimately shares his story with Marianne, who finally realizes that she behaved not wisely with Willoughby and could never have been happy with him anyway. Mrs. Dashwood and Colonel Brandon arrive at Cleveland and are relieved to learn that Marianne has begun to recover.
When the Dashwoods return to Barton, they learn from their manservant that Lucy Steele and Mr. Ferrars are engaged. They assume that he means Edward Ferrars, and are thus unsurprised, but Edward himself soon arrives and corrects their misconception: it was Robert, not himself, whom Lucy ultimately decided to marry. Thus Edward is finally free to propose to his beloved Elinor, and not long after, Marianne and Colonel Brandon become engaged as well. The couples live happily together at Delaford.




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