The Sense of an Ending

Tony receives a letter from a lawyer informing him of a strange inheritance left to him by Mrs. Sarah Ford, Veronica’s mother. The bequest seems to be a diary. Tony then receives a letter from Veronica, revealing that the diary is Adrian’s and she has it in her possession. She refuses to show it to Tony, however, and abruptly ends their correspondence.

Tony becomes fixated on the diary. He wonders whether Adrian confesses in the diary that Tony’s cruel letter propelled him toward suicide. Since Mrs. Ford left him the diary, Tony seeks legal advice to try to obtain it.

Tony decides to meet with Veronica to discuss the diary, hoping it will reveal Adrian's state of mind before his suicide. The meeting is awkward and tense, and Veronica remains secretive and defensive. She claims she’s burned the diary.

When they meet, Veronica gives Tony a letter. It’s a copy of the letter he sent to Adrian after Adrian wrote that he was dating Veronica. Tony’s letter, addressed to both Adrian and Veronica, is much more vicious than he remembers. He calls Veronica a “Bitch,” “bore,” “snob,” and “cockteaser,” and says that she and Adrian “deserve” each other. He also says that Adrian is an intellectual snob, and that he wouldn’t wish an unborn child to know that Adrian and Veronica were its parents.