Chapter One: How everything starts.

The Dashwoods were grieving. Mr. Dashwood had passed away and his elder son hadn't protected them as he promised to his father. Fortunately, a far relative offered them a place to live, not just a house, because that wasn't the nature of Sir John Middleton, he offered them a home, Barton Cottage. A place where they could rest and live surrounded of real friends that will take care of them without judging. At their arrival to Barton Cottage, Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters found Sir John waiting in from of the country house he'd offered them as a home, in company of his mother in law. A very exuberant woman who responded to the name of Mrs. Jennings. They both greeted them and left them settle, no without an immediately invitation to a dinner at Barton Park. Although their tiredness they had to accept, and barely that night Mrs. Dashwood and her girls were having tea at the drawing room and Marianne, the middle Daswood, were playing the piano forte, not with the desire of entertain, but trying to get caught with the music and disappear from the world.

At that moment another guest arrived to the party. A tall, elegant man, with brown eyes and hair crossed the door and got caught by the young woman at the piano forte. When Sir John took conscience of his presence, he hurried and introduced him to them. - "This is my dearest friend, Colonel Christopher Brandon"-. To the Colonel, that introduction was uncomfortable, because of his reserved nature. When the women were introduced to him, he could notice the grieving they were passing by. But what he couldn't note was that to Elinor, the eldest of the daughters, the grieving wasn't only due to her father's death. Weeks ago, she'd met a young man, her brother's brother in law. The man name was Edward Ferrars. After some days they spent together she thought they were having an understanding until he confessed her that he was engaged to Miss. Steel and she understood that he considered her just a friend.

The dinner and time passed away and the life at Barton Park started to be just what they expected. No luxuries, but very peaceful, just what their souls needed to heal. Colonel Brandon was an often visitor at Barton Cottage. It looked like he was determined to conquer Marianne's heart. He brought flowers every day, and every afternoon he spent there he read to them or listened to Marianne's reading. His feelings were crystal clear to everyone except for Marianne. She considered him too old to marry her, she wasn't very wrong. Her 19 years were a little too far of his 35. But Colonel didn't care and continued his attentions to her until one rainy day, when Marianne suffered and accident while she was walking with her younger sister Margaret. Her ankle suffered an injury and a young, handsome man, with dark eyes and dark hair found them, carried Marianne until their cottage and stayed there until he got sure that their all were fine. His name was John Willoughby, and after that day, his presence at Barton Cottage were as frequents as Colonel's. This young man became Brandon's doom, because Marianne felt totally in love with him and they set a date to get marry before the year ended.

Colonel Brandon's visits became less often and the person who resented it most was Elinor. The Colonel had become her dearest friend and they were confident of each other. Marianne's wedding day arrived and everyone was full of joy, also the Colonel who, despite his profound pain, was very happy seeing her beloved Marianne smiling at every second because of her joy. The party started and everyone were dancing. Everyone except Brandon and Elinor, who was just looking how his dearest friend was resigned to the fact with a glass of scotch. After a little while, Elinor approached to him and, without taking property in consideration she spoke to him.

- "Colonel, we have missed your visits at the cottage, have you found us to uninteresting to count with the pleasure of your presence?"

Colonel Brandon couldn't be more ashamed. In his pain he never considered the feelings of his beloved friend and he just went far away from Marianne in order to avoid being more hurt.

- "Excuse my inconsideration Miss Dashwood, I didn't believe that my presence was needed there now that there's a man to protect you all"

- "Colonel, you are always going to be needed there, you've become a dearest friend and we all wish to see you there although my sister's future absence."

After another sincerely apology, Colonel Brandon and Elinor got on the dance floor and joined the rest of the party. And even though that day was a hard one for Brandon, it wasn't as sad as he thought it would be, because he understood that although he didn't had married with the girl of his choice, he wasn't alone anymore. Beside his dear friend John, he now had become a family friend to the Dashwoods.

Time passed, and life turned to routine again. Until one day when a walk changed everything.