Allenham Court is an estate in Devonshire owned by Mrs. Smith, an invalid, whose cousins vie among themselves to become her heir. Mrs. Jennings describes it as a large house, though when she visited six years ago it was in need of new furnishings. Marianne Dashwood remarks on a sitting room that would be delightful with modern furniture; from it, a visitor can see the bowling-green, a hanging wood, and the church and village of Allenham.
John Willoughby, Mrs. Smith's favorite cousin, is making his annual visit to Allenham when he meets Marianne Dashwood and begins his ill-fated flirtation with her. During his stay, he sneaks Marianne into Allenham where they go over the house and the gardens together. While he is staying there, however, Mrs. Smith learns of his affair with Eliza Williams and demands he marry her. When he refuses, he is cast out until he returns to her good graces and is once again named her heir.