I agree that F was very young, and problaby would nto have had any sort of come out before 18, even had she been a "Miss Bertram", but still I feel that as I've said, the Bertrams didn't by then really think of her as part of hte family, who should have the normal life of a young lady. She was just a poor relation and she might not have ever had more than a very very limited social life, had it not been for the Crawfrords arrival and the change of heart in Sir T. (I think that its very possible that she would jsut have very occasionally gone out with the family or with Lady B who mostly, it seems only went out to the parsonage, and that it woudl be clear from the whole set up that little Miss Price was jsut a penniless cousin, taken in out of charity, and that she was not likely to be then considered marriageable by any young men who might meet her...

Im not saying the Crawfords were directly responsible but just by being there and being more lively and fun than teh Bertrams they induced a livelier climate at Mansfield and in the whole thing Fanny got pushed forward more than she would I think normally have.

We can't say for sure of course what might have happpened if Sir T had not come back from Antigua in a somewhat warmer frame of mind and heart. Perhaps he would have been keen for F to have a ball or at least to go into society, by attending parties assemblies etc..But would he, without the spur of his change of heart, have decided to give Fanny a ball jsut becuase William said soemthing about her dancing? Maybe a little impromptu hop might have taken place, but I think that her social life would have been fitful and mostly limited to what Lady B felt up to doing and if she chose to take Fanny with her...

I have my doubts. I could imagien that he might jsut have gone on as before. Maria would have married, Julia would have gone on attending social events till she found a husband and Fanny would have been still at home keeping her aunt company, and running errands for Mrs N.
yes she had a pre engaged heart, and evene if she had a social life I agree she would not have tried to attract a husband but at least she woudl have had soem kind of chance, whereas I do think that iwthout that chance, who was she going to meet?