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Whilst riding on his horse coming back from the bar, John Durberyfield is approached by a parson who tells him that he is an heir of a high class family who were famous and richer before. He says that they are called the d’Urbervilles and he is a decsendant of the family. This instantly makes John happy and prideful, je sends for a horse and carriage to bring him home.
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As she is celebrating her father comes in from fiding that he is an heir. Because he is drunk and acting so, he embrasses Tess but she defends him against the girls there anyway. Whilst dancing, Angel Clare catches her eye. He dances with other girls, which makes Tess upset. They dance and he leaves because he has to catch up with his brothers. As he leaves, Angel sees Tess and regrets not choosing her to dance instead.
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She is told by her mother about the d'Ubervilles legacy they have. Joan tells Tess that her father has a serious heart condition.
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When Alec picks up Tess, he drives recklessly and Tess instructs him to stop but he says he will if she kisses him. Tess lets him to kiss her on the cheek but then wipes it. He becomes angry because she wont do what he wants, Tess walks the rest of the way. The next day Tess meets Mrs. d'Uberville. She works for her for several months. One day he picks her up from the market, and whilst she is sleeping he sexually assualts her. Later, she finds that she has no love for Alec. So she runs away.
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After feeling, Alec tries to get her to come back and she refuses. She goes to a clergyman to recieve help. After a while, she becomes depressed. When she goes to church, people whisper and judge her. She decides to only go out during the night. Due to Alec's assualt, Tess becomes pregnant and gives birth, the baby falls ill.Tess names him Sorrow, and he dies the next morning. That night Tess lays Sorrow to rest in a corner of the churchyard, and makes a little cross for his grave.
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The story switches to inform the reader about Alec's life story. We learn that he is attracted to Tess because of her bueaty. Tess tries to stay away from him because of her past and everything she's tried to leave behind in Marlott. One night, the have a conversation and Alec falls for her more. Tess aviods answering questions about her life. He offers to tutor her, but she says no. She says that the answers she wants are not found in books, she seems actually happy.
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Tess avoids Angel more because of the church scene. A lot of the girls confess around Tess that they have feelings for Angel, and Tess feels bad for hogging him. She loves Angel but doesn't want to marry. Later, whilst they are milking the cows together, he kisses her and confesses out loud that he loves her.
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After feeling gulity for falling asleep and accidently causing distruction, she agrees to her mothers plan to go to the Mrs. d’Urberville. When she gets there, its not an old home like she expected. Its rather very modern. She meets Alec d’Urberville for the first time and lies to her but helps her. He tells her that his mother is sick but he will inform her of Tess' presence. When she returns home, she gets a letter from Mrs. d’Urberville saying that she is willing to offer Tess a job.
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Tess realizes she can never be happy in Marlott and wants to live her life somewhere else. She becomes a milkmaid at Talbothays Dairy. Whilst walking around Blackmoor, the bueaty of the place makes her happy. She arrives at Talbothays Dairy and one of the guys looks familar to her. She finds out that its Angel Clare from before, and it seems as though he is favorable amgonst the women there.
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Tess seems happy and the narrator compares their relationship to the likes of Adam and Eve. There is worry about the butter and Mrs. Crick jokes that it only happens when someone on the farm falls in love. The joke is directed towards Alec and Tess and people talk of their future but Tess doesn't want to marry because of her past. Later in the story, they go to church and the girls see Alec with Tess in a "lovey-dovey" type of atmosphere.