Part 3, Chapter 3 Summary

When Leonora Ashburnham realizes that she no longer has to stalk Edward and Nancy because Edward does not want to be left alone with Nancy, she relaxes her attention. The moment she lets herself rest, she has a breakdown.

This chapter explores Leonora's biographical information, charts how she came to be married to Edward Ashburnham, and how she became estranged from him. Leonora is the third of seven daughters of Colonel Powys. She is convent educated and unworldly. The Ashburnham and Powys families have close ties, and Colonel Powys asks Colonel Ashburnham (Edward's father) to consider one of his girls as a wife for Edward. The Ashburnhams visit the family, and choose Leonora as a bride for Edward. Leonora's Catholic parents do not extract from Edward's Anglican parents a promise that any children born to the marriage will be raised Catholic...