1) Edward Ferrars has chosen to marry Lucy Steele despite being disowned by his wealthy mother Mrs. Ferrars.
2) Colonel Brandon offers to help by giving Edward a job as a curate at his parish in Delaford.
3) However, Mrs. Jennings misunderstands and thinks Colonel Brandon is marrying Elinor to help the situation, when in fact he is just helping Edward.
2. Chapter 36
A few days later, a big announcement shows up in the papers Mrs. Palmer has finally
delivered her baby. Mrs. Jennings is immensely pleased, and is busy with her new
grandchild.
This leaves the Dashwoods on their own; they'd rather stay home, but everyone
insists that they go and share with Lady Middleton, Lucy, and the elder Miss Steele all
day, every day.
Lady Middleton, doesn't actually like the Dashwood girls, and even Miss Steele,
who's actually quite easy to please, doesn’t like the either.
Mrs. Jennings, however, thinks it's nice for all of her young friends to get to spend
time together. She is really enjoying her time with her daughter Charlotte Palmer and
her new grandchild.
Another unhappy social situation arises: a friend of Fanny's invites Elinor and
Marianne to a musical party, thinking that it'll be nice for Fanny. But Fanny doesn't
like her sisters-in-law, and doesn't want them involved in her social circle.
Marianne is now used to going out during the day and evening, and she gets ready
for the party with the help of Miss Steele. She and Elinor are picked up by Fanny and
John's carriage, and all the Dashwoods go to the party together.
3. Chapter 36
Elinor isn't really that interested in the party, since she doesn’t like music very much.
She passes the time by looking at her fellow partygoers including the unpleasant
young man from the jeweler's, who had stared so rudely at Elinor and Marianne as he
ordered his idiotic toothpick case.
The offensive young man comes over with John, and is introduced as the mysterious
third Ferrars sibling, Robert. Elinor observes mentally that he's just as arrogant Lucy
made him out to be.
Robert takes it upon himself to explain to Elinor why he is so much better than his
brother, Edward. He then goes on to ask her about her family's cottage in Devonshire,
exclaiming that he just loves cottages.
John, observing his sisters, meekly asks Fanny if they might have Elinor and Marianne
come and stay with them, since Mrs. Jennings is so busy. Fanny tells him immediately
that they can't take the girls away from Lady Middleton. John responds that this is
hardly a good reason, Fanny says that she's decided that she'd like to invite the Miss
Steeles to stay instead.
John is convinced and rest his case. He hopes that next year Elinor will be married to
Colonel Brandon, and that Marianne will be their guest.
The next morning, Fanny invites Lucy and Anne Steele to stay with them at their home
in Harley Street for a few days. Lucy is perfectly happy, and is certain that this bodes
well for her marriage to Edward. She shows Fanny's note to
Fanny becomes devoted to her new friends, and doesn't know what she'll do without
them when they leave.
4. Chapter 37
Charlotte Palmer is rapidly on the mend after the arrival of the baby, so after two
weeks of attending her, Mrs. Jennings has a little more free time on her hands. She
comes back home to Berkeley Street, and resumes her old habits.
One day, Mrs. Jennings busts in on Elinor with lots of news items to tell. First of all,
the baby is sick with some non-dangerous ailment called "red-gum“ the doctor
stopped by to check it out.
Fanny is ill, apparently the illness is emotional, rather than physical. Because of Lucy
and Edward's secret engagement has emerged into the light of day. Miss Steele is
the one to blame since she thought that since Fanny and Mrs. Ferrars liked Lucy,
they wouldn't mind the marriage, so she told Fanny all about it.
The Steeles were kicked out of the Dashwoods' house, and now everything's is in a
state of chaos.
It's now Elinor's task to tell all of this to Marianne without upsetting her too much. She
tries not to dwell on her own feelings, and figure out to make Marianne deal with it in
a calm manner.
Elinor knew about it for the last four months, Marianne seriously couldn’t believe it,
how could Elinor possibly have kept all of this for so long?
Elinor tries to explain herself; though she'd wanted to tell others, she couldn't without
breaking her promise to Lucy. She had loved Edward all along, but she wants him to
be happy, even if that means that he must marry Lucy.
5. Chapter 37
Marianne is shocked and dismayed that she's been so cruel and ungrateful to her
sister; the two comfort each other for their heartbreaks. Marianne swears that she'll
never forgive anyone involved in this debacle.
She also promises to be discreet, and she always has Elinor's back. For the first time,
Marianne actually holds her tongue, and her behavior this makes Elinor feel stronger.
The next day, John comes to visit. He tells them that Fanny is doing very well, but
that Mrs. Ferrars is having a really rough time. She feels totally betrayed.
Mrs. Ferrars sent for Edward, and upon his arrival, informed him that he had a choice;
he could either be wealthy and on good terms with his family, or he could marry Lucy
and be basically disowned. If he chose to marry Lucy, his mother would do her best
to prevent him from succeeding in his chosen profession as a clergyman.
,Edward was not to be bought off; he did the right thing and said he would marry
Lucy. Mrs. Jennings thinks he's done the right thing . John is shocked by this
response, since he can't imagine him doing such a thing.
In the end, Edward was sent away from his mother's home, never to return. Nobody
knows where he's gone, or what he'll do now. All of the money that was supposed to
go to him will now to go his younger brother, Robert.
6. Chapter 38
Mrs. Jennings, Elinor, and Marianne all think that Edward did the right thing in sticking
by his fiancée, Lucy Steele. The two girls are both proud of his integrity, despite their
own sadness.
No word arrives from Lucy or Edward.
Elinor and Mrs. Jennings go to enjoy the weather in Kensington Gardens (Marianne
stays home, worried that she'll see the Willoughbys).
Elinor, left on her own after Mrs. Jennings finds a friend of hers, doesn't see She does
run into Miss Steele, and is encouraged by Mrs. Jennings to "get it all out of her."
Miss Steele wants to know first and foremost if anyone is angry at her. Apparently,
Lucy got mad when Miss Steele broke the news to Fanny. Though now she's gotten
over it.
People have been shocked, as John was, by the fact that Edward chose Lucy over
Miss Morton and her thirty thousand pounds; however, after a few days, he came to
visit them to clear up matters.
Right now, Edward is in London for the time being, but plans to go to Oxford to do
some business soon.
The Richardsons, with whom the Steeles are staying now, come by, and Miss Steele
rushes off to join them, after sending her regards to Marianne along with Elinor.
Elinor tries to figure out what she should think: Edward is going to marry Lucy,
whenever he gets a job as a curate somewhere.
7. Chapter 38
Mrs. Jennings has a rather pessimistic view of how Edward and Lucy will be, and
wonders if she might be able to help them out.
The next morning, Elinor receives a letter from Lucy, basically thanking her for her
discretion and for all of her guidance. She also wants Elinor to pass her regards on to
everyone else.
Elinor passes the letter on to Mrs. Jennings, as Lucy apparently intended her to.
8. Chapter 39
Both Elinor and Marianne are anxious to leave London and go home to Barton.
They're invited to go visit the Palmers at Cleveland with Mrs. Jennings, and Elinor
accepts
Marianne has a different opinion, Cleveland isn't too far away from Willoughby's
home.
Since Cleveland is on the way home to Barton, they might as well stop there for a
little while.
Mrs. Jennings urges the girls to return with her to London after the Cleveland visit, but
they insist that they must go home afterwards.
Colonel Brandon stops by to visit after their plan is settled, and Mrs. Jennings sighs,
asking him what they shall do once Elinor and Marianne have gone back to Barton.
Elinor and Colonel Brandon go aside to speak in private, and Mrs. Jennings is dying
to know what they say. She assumes that they could get married.
Colonel Brandon is concerned about Edward and the cruel punishment inflicted on
him by his mother. The Colonel has taken a liking to Edward, especially because of
his friendship with the Dashwoods. He wants to offer Edward the job as a curate at
Delaford, his country home.
Elinor is surprised and overcome, she's incredibly grateful to the Colonel.
Elinor agrees to deliver the news, Colonel Brandon is surprised by this development;
he's not sure that the Delaford living is enough to support Edward and a wife. It's
clear that the wedding will have to be in the distant future.
9. Chapter 40
The Colonel leaves and Mrs. Jennings pounces upon Elinor, demanding to know
what happened between them. Elinor praises the Colonel, saying that he's an
exceptional man. There's a misunderstanding.
Elinor says she has to write first to Edward (thinking of the curacy at Delaford), Mrs.
Jennings figures that Elinor wants Edward to be ordained so that he can perform the
marriage ceremony.
As Elinor sits down to write her letter of good news to Edward, he himself shows up at
her door. She's totally shocked.
Edward has come by to say goodbye, he is on his way out of London (to go work on
getting ordained in Oxford), and wanted to see Elinor and Marianne one last time.
Elinor delivers her good news about Colonel Brandon's offer. Elinor assures him of
Colonel Brandon's good character, and says that he'll be a great neighbor to have; he
believes that Elinor is engaged to the Colonel.
Edward asks for Colonel Brandon's address, and goes off to thank him.
Elinor resigns herself to the fact that the next time she sees Edward, he'll be married
to Lucy.
Mrs. Jennings comes home, practically bursting with her untold secret (or her
imagined secret about Elinor and Colonel Brandon).
Elinor says that the situation has to wait two or three months while Edward gets
ordained.
10. Chapter 40
Mrs. Jennings is shocked by this situation: is Colonel Brandon marrying Elinor simply
to help Edward out?
This question makes the misunderstanding clear, Elinor explains the facts of the
situation to Mrs. Jennings, who's pleased by the news that the Colonel is helping
Edward and Lucy. She still has hopes that Elinor and the Colonel will make a match.
11. Characters
Elinor Dashwood Robert Ferrars
Marianne Dashwood Mrs.Ferrars
Mrs.Dashwood Lucy Steele
John Dashwood Miss Anne Steele
Margaret Dashwood Fanny Dashwood
Mrs.Jennings Mrs. Charlotte Palmer
Colonel Brandon Lady Middleton
Edward Ferrars