For a while now, I've been toying with the words 'brittle' and 'frustrated' and 'vulnerable' to describe the Mary underneath the bravado. What's more, she may even resemble Fanny in a way: in resisting being dragged out of her comfort zone by a suitor.

The bending of a sturdy spirit didn't sit well with my interpretation, so I'm liking the idea of it as a tender positive contrast with the sort of intractability she was used to seeing. And yes, a bend in Edmund's spirit is rarely given, and more worth the earning.