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Mr. Elliot is Anne’s cousin and the heir to Kellynch Hall. He is wealthy, charming, and opportunistic. His current wealth came from his late wife, and he anticipates the supplemental wealth that will eventually come when he inherits the Elliot estate. He is well-dressed, well-connected, and perfectly plays the part of the gentleman.
At the beginning of the novel, the Elliots are not on good terms with Mr. Elliot, as we learn that Mr. Elliot had once been expected to marry Elizabeth. As she is the eldest and most in-demand of Sir Walter’s daughters, there was a social expectation that the future heir would marry her for a stronger connection into the family. Elizabeth was surprised and offended when, instead of proposing to her, Mr. Elliot married a wealthier woman and stopped associating with the Elliots of Kellynch Hall. If he had only snubbed Elizabeth, the family might have forgiven him, but Mr. Elliot also spoke ill of the family and Sir Walter in particular. He told his friend, Mr. Smith, that he disliked Sir Walter so much he was removing “Walter” from his own name, preferring to go by William Elliot instead.
After his wife dies, Mr. Elliot gets back in contact with the Elliots at Bath and has a mysterious change of heart. He seeks their company and tells them that, contrary to the rumors, he never spoke ill of the family. Sir Walter and Elizabeth gladly believe him and think him a perfect gentleman. Elizabeth hints that she believes Mr. Elliot might propose to her after all. However, it is not Elizabeth, but Anne that Mr. Elliot pays the most attention to. Anne does not entirely trust Mr. Elliot, but—as Lady Russell reminds her—marrying him would mean she could return to her ancestral home of Kellynch Hall as the lady of the house.
Mr. Elliot’s true motives remain cloudy for most of the novel, but Anne’s friend, Mrs. Smith, eventually confirms his self-serving opportunism. Mrs. Smith tells Anne she and her husband were good friends with Mr. Elliot and his wife, and that it was Mr. Elliot who encouraged her husband to spend money he did not have, driving the Smiths into debt. When Mr. Smith died, rather than helping Mrs. Smith as he had promised, Mr. Elliot left her in disgrace. Mrs. Smith believes Mr. Elliot has only renewed his relationship with Sir Walter to keep Mrs. Clay from marrying him. As things stand, Mr. Elliot is the heir of Kellynch Hall, but if Sir Walter were to remarry and have a son, then Mr. Elliot would be pushed out of line. The title he once claimed not to care about is now something he knows will improve his status. Thus, instead of remaining at Bath and pursuing Elizabeth, Mr. Elliot courts Mrs. Clay and moves to London, drawing her away from Sir Walter. By ensuring Sir Walter would have no more children, Mr. Elliot secures his place absolutely as the Elliot heir.
