Another frequent guest at the Middletons’ home is Colonel Brandon, a friend of Sir John and a 35 year-old bachelor. Jennings, who enjoys predicting and encouraging budding romances. They also meet Lady Middleton’s mother, a kind but gossipy old woman named Mrs. The Dashwoods meet Sir John and his wife, Lady Middleton, often attending dinners and balls at their home. Dashwood accepts the offer, and moves to a cottage on Sir John’s property with her daughters. Dashwood, Sir John Middleton, writes to her and offers her a place to live on his property, Barton Park. Dashwood and Marianne think he and Elinor will marry. Dashwood despises Fanny, but Elinor becomes close with Fanny’s brother, Edward Ferrars. Dashwood, and her three daughters (the rational and self-controlled Elinor, the sensitive Marianne, and the young Margaret) stay at Norland for several months after Henry’s death. John, in response, plans to give his sisters 3000 pounds each, but his wife Fanny quickly persuades him not to do this, so that their own son will have that money. This left Henry’s three daughters without much of a fortune, and when he died, he asked John to look after his half-sisters. When his uncle died, Norland was left to Henry’s son John and John’s own son.

Henry had three daughters by his current wife and one son from a prior marriage. Henry Dashwood lived at Norland Park in Sussex, England, a property owned by his wealthy uncle.

Sense and sensibility set