I'm glad you're here Kim. We need as many contributors as possible for this group read.

] snip ... I don't recall* one proposal in this particular book that sprung out of nowhere, so am wondering how often these unexpected proposals (like in P&P) occurred.

I often wondered how realistic short engagements were in this period. Mr. Elton picks up Augusta (the consolation prize) fairly quickly and Charlotte Lucas says yes to Mr. Collins faster than I can buy a hat. I don't have the impression that Jane Fairfax spent a long time with Frank Churchill before they became engaged. I won't include Lydia Bennet since she was totally irrational and immature. There are probably a few more characters in JA novels.

So I wonder -- were these situations created to make a novel interesting, or did they occur more than we would think? I don't remmeber reading about quick marriages in The Gentleman's Daughter (was Elizabeth Parker too quick to become Elizabeth Shackleton, with a husband 17 years her junior?). Since it was almost impossible to get out of a marriage, I would think that one would choose carefully.