I've always assumed, for reasons I don't know myself, that Mr Elliot had married a widow, but I just reread Chapter 1 and I realized that the widower was Lady Russell who'd married a knight. For the life of me, I cannot remember why I thought Mr Elliot had married a rich widow. All I found is this:

Ch 1: "...he had purchased independence by uniting himself to a rich woman of inferior birth."

Did I get them mixed up? Did I remember the wrong information? If so, I appreciate the correction, and I apologize. In fact, this might change my view of Mr Elliot...