In England, 1814, Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall looks through the Baronetage, a volume that lists the members of the aristocratic rank of Baron. Sir Walter reviews the descriptions of his immediate family as well as that of his heir presumptive, William Walter Elliot, who is currently estranged from Sir Walter.

Sir Walter has three daughters: Elizabeth, Anne, and Mary. Lady Elliot died when the girls were teenagers so her friend Lady Russell supervised their upbringing. Sir Walter is close with his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, as they have similarly haughty temperaments. His youngest daughter, Mary, is married to Mr. Charles Musgrove and lives nearby. Anne is overlooked by her family although she shares a close friendship with Lady Russell, her godmother. Once beautiful, Anne is now “faded and thin” (7), with no prospects for marriage.

Sir Walter’s hopes Elizabeth will marry well, as she still possesses her good looks. Elizabeth is eager to marry as she is near “the years of danger” (8) associated with being perpetually single. She once intended to marry her cousin and her father’s heir, William Elliot, but Mr. Elliot never answered Sir Walter’s invitations. Later, Elizabeth heard that he had married someone else.