Emma
Frank Churchill
The charming newcomer
Mr. Weston's lively, fashionable son, raised by wealthy relatives. He charms all of Highbury while hiding a secret.
Frank Churchill is Mr. Weston's son, adopted as a child by the wealthy Churchills. After a long wait, he finally arrives in Highbury, and everyone is ready to like him. He is charming, theatrical and high-spirited, a quick talker who enjoys a joke and a dance. He is also expert at flattering a lady.
Beneath the charm is a secret he cannot share. He depends on a domineering aunt and has promised himself to someone he cannot openly acknowledge. He uses wit and attention to cover it, and he does not stop to think what his games cost others. Everyone in Highbury, from Mr. Weston to Miss Bates, has been waiting to meet him.
“Farewell for a day! London awaits my unruly locks!”
In the story
Contains spoilers.
Frank flirts with Emma through the story, dances with her at the Crown Inn ball, and goes sixteen miles to London just for a haircut, which Mr. Knightley calls foppish. He plays word games with Jane Fairfax that make her uncomfortable, and at Box Hill he urges the group to say something clever, which prompts Emma's unkind remark.
Highbury learns the truth when Mrs. Churchill dies, and Mrs. Weston explains that Frank and Jane have been secretly engaged since they met at Weymouth. Emma admits she never loved him. Frank and Jane visit Hartfield, and Emma wishes them every happiness.
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