Editing Sense and Sensibility (section)

== Plot summary ==
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On his deathbed, Henry Dashwood gets John, his son by his first wife, to promise to take care of his stepmother and half-sisters, [[Elinor Dashwood|Elinor]], [[Marianne Dashwood|Marianne]] and Margaret, from his inheritance. But Fanny, John's wife, persuades her husband not to support them financially, leaving them to survive on a greatly reduced income.

Fanny’s brother [[Edward Ferrars]] comes on a visit, but when Elinor and he seem to be growing close, Fanny warns Mrs Dashwood that Edward is destined for higher things by their mother. Affronted by this, Mrs Dashwood decides to move her family to Barton Cottage in [[Devon]]shire, which has been offered her at a low rent by her second cousin, Sir John Middleton. Later, while dining with the Middletons at Barton Park, Marianne attracts the attention of a family friend, Colonel Brandon. However, he is aged thirty-five, which seems much too old to the romantic sensibility of sixteen-year-old Marianne. 

Marianne sprains her ankle out walking, but is carried home by John Willoughby, who sees her fall. During subsequent visits their similar artistic tastes cause the girl to fall in love with him, abandoning caution and propriety. Just as an engagement seems imminent, however, Willoughby informs the Dashwoods that his elderly cousin Mrs. Smith, upon whom he is financially dependent due to his debts, is sending him to [[London]] indefinitely on business, leaving Marianne distraught.

When Edward Ferrars pays a visit to Barton Cottage, he seems subdued. Shortly afterwards, sisters Anne and Lucy Steele, vulgar cousins of Sir John’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings, come to stay at Barton Park. While there, Lucy forces on Elinor the secret of her prior engagement to Edward, giving Elinor an insight into Lucy's jealous and calculating nature. 

Mrs Jennings invites the elder Dashwood sisters on a visit to London. After Marianne’s letters to Willoughby go unanswered, they meet later at a dance. Willoughby is with another woman and greets Marianne coldly, later informing her of his engagement to the rich Miss Grey. Marianne is very upset but admits to Elinor that she and Willoughby never were actually engaged. 

Colonel Brandon now reveals to Elinor that Willoughby had earlier seduced and abandoned Brandon's teenaged ward, Eliza Williams. Willoughby's cousin has consequently disinherited him, which explains his need to marry an heiress. Meanwhile, the Steele sisters come to London and are invited to stay at John and Fanny Dashwood's London house in preference to Elinor and Marianne. On account of their cordiality, Anne believes that the Ferrars have become fond enough of Lucy to welcome her into the family and betrays to them Lucy's engagement to Edward. As a result, the sisters are dismissed from the house, and Edward is ordered by his wealthy mother to break off the engagement. When Edward refuses, he is disinherited in favour of his younger brother. On learning this, Colonel Brandon shows his admiration for Edward’s honourable conduct by offering him the clerical living of a nearby parsonage, so as to enable him to marry Lucy after he is ordained. 

Mrs. Jennings now takes the Dashwood sisters to visit her second daughter as they make their way back to Devonshire. Marianne goes walking in the rain and her life is endangered by contracting [[Epidemic typhus|putrid fever]]. When Elinor writes home, Colonel Brandon, who lives nearby, volunteers to go and bring back Marianne's mother. That night too, Willoughby arrives and reveals to Elinor that his love for Marianne had been genuine. However, the callous way in which he talks of Eliza and his wife lessens her pity for him.

Marianne recovers from her illness and, learning of Elinor’s own silent heartache, becomes ashamed of her ostentatious grief, vowing to be guided by her sister’s good sense and amend her behaviour in future. 

After their return home, a family servant meets Lucy passing through the nearby [[market town]] and brings them the message that she has married and is now Mrs Ferrars. This final act of spite becomes obvious when Edward arrives to reveal that Lucy had jilted him and married his now wealthy brother. After ordaining, Edward marries Elinor, while Marianne later marries Colonel Brandon. The two sisters can now live as neighbours and in harmony with each other.