Plot

Danford Hall

The story I have most going through my mind is kind of a Sense and Sensibility story. Only it takes place in the early 20th century (1910) about a mother and her 3 daughters (Laurel, Emmy, Gloria) but they live in their Grandmother's house because after the death of their father they are poor. The story is mostly told through Emmy's eyes. She is the second daughter and longs for adventure more than anything and hates the confines of her world. Then Laurel is painted as this modest young woman who is very gentle and though the beauty of the town, Pine Haven, her modesty cast her rather plainly. She also feels a great burden to marry well so she can pull her family out of its humble standings. The action of the story begins when their cousins the well to do Danfords come to visit, Nicholas and Julia and their friend Ethan Foster. Ethan is college mates of Nicholas from England. Though the girls think he is rich on his own he is quite dependent on his aunt, who live in New York. Also Nicholas is recently engaged to Kathryn James. But he knows to continue his inheritance he must get approval of his Grandma Danford. She demands to meet Kathryn. Kathryn brings along her eldest brother Brandon James and then the next brother Caleb joins them after a few weeks. By that time Ethan has gone back to Boston every one thinks he will be back shortly and propose to Laurel but she does not encourage such comments. Julia has long loved Caleb and hopes that as soon as her brother and his sister are married she will be married to Caleb. But Caleb falls for Laurel when he tells this Julia she says that Laurel will soon be engaged to Ethan Foster. Caleb says that's impossible as Ethan has long been engaged to Sally Lawrence, secretly of course. In the background of all this Brandon James has fallen for Emmy but no one but her mother sees it because Brandon is at least 10 years older than her. That's mostly what I got figured out right now but I think there is going to be some more action in Boston at Marcus and Kathryn's wedding and also a twist at the end when Grandma Danford dies.