Thomas Bertram - Travel and Return

Travel and Return

Tom and his father go to Antigua to deal with problems on his estate. Tom returns before his father and finds that while he has been away two new young wealthy people, Henry and Mary Crawford have moved to the area and are living in the parsonage with their half sister, the new clergyman's wife. Mary is romantically interested in Tom at first but he does not respond to her. Tom leaves home again to spend some time with his friends and returns with one, Mr Yates, who is full of a thwarted project to put on an amateur production of a play. Tom proposes that the party at Mansfield Park should also do this. His brother, Edmund and Fanny are opposed but the rest of the group are excited. Tom arranges for a theatre to be built in the billiard room in Mansfield Park. The play was almost ready for production when Sir Thomas returns unexpectedly early and puts a stop to the proceedings.

Tom leaves again to take part in a horse racing meet but has a fall and is injured which, combined with his drinking, causes him to become very ill. His friends abandon him and Edmund has to fetch him home to be nursed back to health. His illness gives fear for his life, which is observed with interest by Mary Crawford who wants to marry Edmund; if Tom should die, that would leave Edmund as the heir to the Bertram estates and title. Tom recovers from his illness, and develops into a more prudent man.