I’ve debated the question of who was the better Jane Austen hero between Mr. Darcy in Pride andPrejudice and Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility many times and a lot of people think I only side with the colonel because he was played by my darling Alan Rickman in the movie but that’s not it at all. Having read the books before seeing the movies, I can tell you that the colonel would hold first place in my heart no matter who played the role. Here’s why: He loved Marianne Dashwood in a sincere, true way. He was never cruel to her nor did he ever insult either her intelligence, her beauty or her family. Even when she was set on being with another man- a man he knew wasn’t good enough for her- the colonel’s devotion didn’t waver and he wished her well in her choice.

In the…