In England in 1815, the Moseley family enters a widening circle of social and romantic entanglements involving their newly arrived neighbors, the wealthy Jarvis family, and other friends and relations, while Emily Moseley gradually becomes attached to George Denbigh after his courage and character are revealed when he saves her from danger. Jane Moseley is drawn toward the polished Colonel Egerton, and a quieter affection begins to develop between John Moseley and Grace Chatterton, while Mrs. Wilson carefully studies Denbigh because she believes character and principle matter more in marriage than wealth, appearance, or rank. Emily and Denbigh grow increasingly close, yet uncertainty about his family, fortune, and past casts a shadow over their attachment and establishes the novel’s central concern with the need for prudence in choosing a husband or wife.
