Milly Theale Timeline and Summary

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• Milly and Susan are on a trip in Switzerland.
• One afternoon, Milly breaks away from Susan and goes to sit on the edge of a large cliff, staring out into the scenery as if she were going to jump off.
• Her friend Susan notices that she has written "farewell" in French across the cover of one of her books.
• When they get back to their hotel, Milly tells Susan that she isn't feeling well and needs to rest. At dinner, she says that she'd like to go to London.
• Susan asks if it's because she wants to see a young man she met in New York named Merton Densher, but Milly insists that it's only because she wants to see what England is like.
• When they get to London, they meet up with one of Susan's old school friends, Maud Lowder. Maud takes them in and Milly becomes fast friends with the woman's niece, Kate Croy.
• Milly and Kate hang out and have fun together.
• Eventually, Milly finds out that Kate actually knows Merton Densher. But Milly doesn't say anything about it.
• One day, Milly asks Kate to do her a favor and come with her to the doctor's office. Milly doesn't want Susan to know about it because Susan can be overbearing.
• After a few doctor visits, Milly is told by her physician, Sir Luke Strett, that she must do everything to live life to its fullest. It's not clear whether this means she's dying or whether living a fulfilling life will improve her health.
• At a party at Aunt Maud's house, Milly goes with a man named Lord Mark into a room with a painting of a woman who looks just like Milly.
• When Milly realizes that this beautiful woman must be long dead, she starts to cry. Lord Mark doesn't understand the emotion, but Milly is clearly rattled by her recent doctor appointments.
• One day, Milly goes to the National Gallery to hang out alone. When she's there, she runs into Kate Croy and Merton Densher, who is back from New York.
• Milly suspects that the two of them are secret lovers, but she later hears from Susan that Kate doesn't return Merton's affection. Milly is happy to hear this.
• A few days later, Milly is invited to dinner again at Maud Lowder's. But knowing that Merton will be there, Milly declines because she's too nervous (or too sick, we're not sure).
• Merton comes to visit Milly at her hotel. Milly informs him that she plans on travelling to Italy with Susan.
• Aunt Maud, Kate Croy, and Merton all decide to come visit Italy, too. While everyone is there, Lord Mark also shows up and asks Milly to marry him. She refuses just as Merton arrives at her door for a visit. Lord Mark seems to realize that there's something going on between Merton and Milly. He heads back to London humiliated.
• Eventually, Maud and Kate leave, which means Merton and Milly can have a lot more free time together. When Milly tries to invite herself over to Merton's place, though, he refuses. She thinks twice about whether he returns her affection.
• Lord Mark returns to visit Milly and tells her that Merton is secretly engaged to Kate Croy. The news breaks Milly's heart, even though she tells Lord Mark that she refuses to believe it. After this meeting, she refuses to let Merton visit her anymore, and her health takes a turn for the worse.
• Later, she lets Merton visit her one last time. She gives him a chance to deny his engagement to Kate, but he won't do it.
• Milly writes Merton a letter. She delays its delivery, though, until shortly before she dies.
• With that done, Milly takes a turn for the worse again and dies. Her letter arrives at Merton's on Christmas Eve and tells him that she has left her fortune to him, even though she knows he and Kate deceived her.