Mansfield Park Chapter 42 Summary

  • Henry pops back up the next day and goes to church with the Prices.
  • Fanny is surprised by how much her mom resembles Lady Bertram when she's dressed up and relaxed on Sunday.
  • The family and Henry all go for a walk and it's a beautiful day.
  • Once again, Fanny has a pretty good time with Henry and Susan. Though Henry isn't Edmund, he isn't half bad.
  • Henry encourages Fanny to let him know if she wants to leave Portsmouth sooner, since two months is such a long time to stay and he's worried that the Mansfield crew will forget to come get her.
  • He's also concerned about Fanny's health and insists that he and Mary will come get her and take her back to Mansfield Park whenever she wants.
  • Henry again declines a dinner invite and we learn that he doesn't really have other plans; he's just aware that Fanny is a little embarrassed by her family and is therefore giving her some space.
  • Before he leaves, Henry detains Fanny from going inside the house with the others in order to ask her opinion on some matters with his house. Fanny tells him to trust his own judgment.
  • Henry tells Fanny good-bye since he's heading back to London and says that he'll say "hi" to Mary and Edmund for her.
  • We learn that, as Henry feared, Fanny is not doing so well in Portsmouth – she isn't eating much since the food isn't very good, and she's been feeling pretty depressed.
  • She still wishes Henry would drop his proposal, though.