Marianne felt more miserable the next day. She was determined to avoid Mrs. Jennings.
“Her kindness is not sympathy,” she complained. “She enjoys gossiping about my problems to her friends.”
After breakfast, Mrs. Jennings found the sisters in their room and delivered a letter to Marianne. “My dear, this will make you happy.”
Marianne hoped it was from Willoughby, explaining and apologizing for his strange behavior. But it was from her mother. The letter expressed confidence in Willoughby. Marianne began to cry again at the thought of her mother’s disappointment when she learned the truth about him.
Then there was a knock on the door. It was Colonel Brandon. Marianne ran away to her room. Elinor greeted him. He seemed unhappy.
“I’ve come to speak with you,” Brandon said to Elinor. “I want to tell you some details about Mr. Willoughby’s character.”
“Your words are proof of your feelings for Marianne,” said Elinor.
“Perhaps you remember a lady I mentioned once at Barton Park? She was like your sister, with an eager mind, a warm heart, and great sensibility. She was a distant cousin of mine. We played together when we were children, and this grew into love,” said Brandon.
“But at seventeen, she was married to my brother against her wishes. Before the wedding, we planned to run away to marry secretly. My father discovered the plan and sent me to the army. Their marriage was unhappy. My brother cheated on her with countless other woman. Two years later, they were divorced. ”
Elinor looked upon him with great sympathy and concern.
He continued, “Three years later, I found her in a debtor’s prison. She was terribly sick and had only a short while left to live. I cared for her until she died in my arms. She left a little girl in my care named Eliza. I sent Eliza to school and then left her in the care of a respectable woman in the country. Eliza is now seventeen. Last year, she suddenly disappeared. She was gone for eight months, while I searched for her.”
“Good Lord!” cried Elinor. “Could Willoughby be……”
“Remember the day at Barton Park? We were supposed to go on the outing, but I received an urgent letter. I was called away. Willoughby didn’t know it was to help someone he’d made poor and miserable. But he wouldn’t have cared. He did the worst a man could do. He left a girl he’d seduced, with no home, no friends, and no money.”
“This is an outrage!” cried Elinor.
“Now you understand what he is like. Imagine how hard it was for me to see your sister’s affection for him when I knew of his character. Who knows what his intentions were toward her? One day she will feel grateful when she compares her situation to that of my poor Eliza.”
“Have you seen Willoughby since you left Barton?” asked Elinor.
“Yes, after Eliza confessed the name of her seducer. I accused him of dishonorable behavior and challenged him to duel. We met in combat, but both of us returned unwounded.
My poor Eliza had her child and now lives in the country.”
The colonel left. Elinor told her sister the details of their conversation. But the result was not what she had hoped. Marianne listened attentively and accepted Willoughby’s guilt. But she seemed even more saddened that Willoughby’s good character was lost, as well as his herat.
Mrs. Dashwood’s letter of reply came the following day. She advised them not to shorten their stay with Mrs. Jennings. A hasty return to Barton would only bring back memories of happy times with Willoughby.
Sir John and Mrs. Jennings condemned Willoughby when they heard of his dishonor. They also shared the belief that Elinor would be the woman to marry Colonel Brandon.
Two weeks after Willoughby’s litter, Elinor found out that he had gotten married. Marianne was calm when she first received the news, but later began to sob wildly.
At this time, Elinor unhappily met the Steele sisters who had arrived in London. Lucy pretended to be happy to meet her. Elinor had to use all of her self-control to remain polite.
A more welcome meeting occurred when John Dashwood visited them at Mrs. Jennings’. After being introduced to Colonel Brandon, he asked Elinor to take a walk with him privately. “Elinor, I think I’ll be congratulating you on a very respectable marriage soon, ” said John. “Colonel Brandon is most gentlemanly, and I’m sure he likes you.”
“He doesn’t wish to marry me,” she replied.
“You’re wrong, Sister. You can catch him with a little effort. How funny it would be if Fanny had a brother and I had a sister, marrying at the same time!”
“Is Mr. Edward Ferrars getting married?” Elinor asked calmly.
“It’s not arranged yet. But he is to wed the lady Miss Morton. She’s Lord Morton’s only daughter, with 30,000 pounds of her own. Edward’s mother will give him 1,000 pounds per year if he marries her. I wish we could be so comfortable,” he said.
A week later, John and Fanny Dashwood gave a dinner party. The Middletonss, Mrs. Jennings, Colonel Brandon, the Dashwood sisters, and the Steele sisters were all invited. Elinor and Lucy both knew that Mrs. Ferrars would be there.
“Oh dear, Miss Dashwood,” whispered Lucy as they walked upstairs. “In a moment, I’ll be seeing the person on whom my happiness depends-my future mother-in-law!”
Mrs. Ferrars was a small, scrawny woman with a grouchy expression. She clearly disliked Elinor and approved of Lucy Steele.
“If only she knew Lucy’s secret,” mused Elinor, “how she would hate her!”
The next morning, Lucy bragged to Elinor about how much Mrs. Ferrars liked her.
Before Elinor could reply, the door opened. Edward walked in. It was an awkward moment between the three of them. Elinor welcomed him. Lucy kept watch over Elinor from the corner of her eye. Elinor decided to leave the couple alone and went to find Marianne.
After visiting with his sisters, John Dashwood thought about inviting them to visit Norland for a few days. But Fanny Dashwood quickly informed him, “I’m shocked by your suggestion. I’ve just decided to ask the Steele sisters to Stay with us. We’ll have to ask your sisters some other year.”
John agreed, and Fanny invited Lucy and her sister. Lucy was very happy for the useful opportunity to be close to Edward.
Some days later, Mrs. Jennings came back from her daughter Mrs. Palmer’s house with a new piece of gossip.
“Fanny is ill because her brother Edward has been engaged to Lucy Steele for over a year! Only her sister Anne knew! The Steeles are staying at your brother’s house right now. Anne, being a creature of no intelligence, told Fanny! Your sister-in-law fell on the floor sobbing and screaming. The Steele girls were told to pack their bags immediately. The Ferrars family wanted Edward to marry that rich Miss Morton. I have no pity for them. I can’t stand people who think money and greatness is important!”
Now all of the talk was about Edward. Elinor knew Marianne would be angry with him. She decided to tell her sister the truth in preparation.
Marianne listened to Elinor’s story in horror and cried continuously. Edward seemed like a second Willoughby. “How long have you known?” she asked.
“Lucy told me of her engagement four months ago at Barton. I promised to keep it a secret.”
“All this time you’ve been caring for me, and you’ve had this on your heart. How could you put up with it? ” cried Marianne.
“I was just doing my duty. I didn’t want to worry everyone,” replied Elinor.
“Four months! And yet you loved him!”
“Yes, but I love my family, too. And I don’t have any ill will toward Edward. They will marry, and in time he will forget that he ever thought another woman better than her.”
“I’m beginning to understand the way you think. Your self-control doesn’t seem so strange any more.”
“I know you think I lack emotions. This has been on my mind for months. I couldn’t tell anyone. The person who destroyed my hopes of happiness told me this. She saw me as a rival and was happy to defeat me. I’ve had to listen to her talking about Edward again and again and pretend I wasn’t interested in him. And I had to endure the unkindness and rudeness of his mother. Surely you can see how I’ve suffered now?”
“Oh, Elinor!” Marianne cried. “How unkind I’ve been to you!”
Then the two sisters fell into each other’s arms, sobbing.
The next day, John Dashwood came to visit them.
“I suppose you’ve heard of our shocking discovery,” he said.
The sisters nodded silently.
“Your sister-in-law has suffered terribly. So has Mrs. Ferrar