Eustace has accused Edward of trying to acquire his property of Highnoons and Edward has advertised for a young woman to come and marry his cousin and thus inherit the property in the event of anything happening to Eustace. Elinor's arrival in search of the position of governess is thus at cross purposes.
Eustace has accused Edward of attempting to acquire his Highnoons estate, while Edward has advertised for a young woman to marry his cousin in order to secure the property in case Eustace's circumstances change. This leads to Elinor's arrival, which is at odds with her intended role as governess.