John Dowell
This protagonist and narrator is defined by his unpleasant and unfulfilling marriage to a wife who won't sleep with him, but does sleep with other men. Most recently, he realized she was having an affair with one of their closest friends, Edward. He fills us in on all the juicy secrets and stories about Edward, Florence, and their constant betrayals to their marriages.
Florence Dowell
This woman has always wanted to be the lady of Fordingbridge, which happens to be the territory where Edward's estate (and inheritance) is located. The reader learns at the beginning of the novel that Florence and Edward "might be" having an affair, or will very soon. It turns out Florence has been sleeping with Edward, basically since the moment they met.
Edward Ashburnham
This playboy disappoints his wife over and over again sleeping with other women. The reader learns about numerous affairs and indiscretion, and in this story, Edward is obsessed with his own niece. He is such a playboy that even his side girlfriends feel betrayed by all his other side girls. He is very rich and spoiled.
Leonora
Edward's wife, Leonora, thought she was lucky marrying such a magnanimous and interesting person, but Edward and Leonora's relationship has been on the rocks basically since the beginning. In this story, Leonora loses her mind from the constant terror and betrayal of being cheated on so often.
Nancy
This more-or-less innocent bystander happens to be Edward's niece. That doesn't stop him from exploiting their relationship for sex. Luckily for Nancy, though, Edward's wife, Leonora, tells her about Edward's history as a philanderer, so that when Nancy removes herself from the situation and writes to Edward from afar, she plays up how happy she is without him, and how little she thinks about him or misses him. He kills himself as a consequence of the rejection.
