十八世纪的英格兰。风尘仆仆的约翰从伦敦赶回了苏塞克斯郡的诺兰德庄园,已是弥留状态的父亲达什伍德将对这个他与故世前妻所生的长子交待自己的临终遗言。按照英国的法律和习俗,约翰将继承父亲的全部遗产,诺兰德庄园将完整地归他所有。作为继室,现任的达什伍德太太和她的三个女儿埃莉诺·玛丽安及玛格丽特,只能得到每年500英磅的年金,这笔钱对于过惯了舒适生活的母女四人来说,仅够她们勉强糊口,已到婚嫁年龄的埃莉诺和玛丽安的嫁妆则根本无从谈起。达什伍德深知约翰的妻子芬妮·费拉斯是个刁钻刻薄和飞扬跋扈的女人,为此,他要求长子对他作出承诺,保证履行对他同父异母妹妹及继母的责任,不然,他是难以瞑目的。不出达什伍德所料,约翰回到伦敦把年金的事告诉芬妮后,立刻引来了她 Eighteenth Century England. Daring John returned from London to Norland Manor in Sussex, where his daddy, Dashwood, will account for his deathbed, the eldest son of his late wife. According to British law and practice, John will inherit all his father’s estate, Nolander estate will be completely owned by him. As a successor, the present Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters, Eleanor Marianne and Margaret, receive only an annual pension of 500 pounds, which is for the mother and daughter who have been accustomed to a comfortable life For the four of them, just enough of them to make ends meet, the marriages of Eleanor and Marianne, who have reached the age of marriage, are simply impossible to talk about. Dashwood knew that his wife, Fanny Feralas, was a tricky and overbearing woman, and for that reason he demanded that the eldest son make a promise to him to fulfill his responsibility for his half-sister and stepmother. Otherwise, he Is difficult to 瞑 goal. Not to be expected from Ashwood, John immediately brought her back to London after announcing Fannie’s annuity