In 1905 orphan Helen Schlegel is visiting the wealthy Wilcox family she and her sister Margaret met on holiday at their country house Howard's End and writes to inform Margaret of her engagement to the Wilcox's younger son Paul. However, under family pressure, the couple back down. Returning to London Helen attends a concert where the sisters meet Leonard Bast, a married clerk with a fondness for culture. The Wilcoxes also buy a flat in London, where Paul's mother Ruth takes a shine to Margaret, inviting her to stay at Howard's End.
—don @ minifie-1