] just before Elinor realizes it's Willoughby come to Cleveland, she has been expecting it to be Colonel Brandon and her mother. It is, at this point, possible that they could return at any time.

] Colonel Brandon has made no secret of his feelings about Willoughby. The last time they saw each other was at opposite ends of pistols in their duel! And now here is Willoughby where he certainly ought not to be with Colonel Brandon due to arrive at any moment. Cliffhanger indeed!

On my very first read, I thought this might be exactly what would happen. Perhaps the emotional atmosphere I had unconsciously been absorbing from Marianne all through the novel had set me up for expecting some scene of violence; I also seem to recall thinking that the extremely oblique reference earlier to a duel between Brandon and Willoughby was a foreshadowing of some new confrontation. But whatever I was thinking, this cliffhanger made my nerves curl up at the tips.