Reading this week´s chapters (I´ve only reached ch.12 so far) I am quite relieved to learn that Catherine´s initial cluelessness towards John Thorpe is gradually vanishing. Here are some examples:

Towards the end of ch. 8 at the ball, when JT wants to dance a second time with her, she says:"Oh, no; I am much obliged to you, our two dances are over; and, besides, I am tired, and do not mean to dance any more.”

And when he responds to her by suggesting to walk about and quiz people she again...excused herself.

At the end of ch.9, when she arrives home from their first trip in the gig and hears that Mrs. Allen had met the Tilneys, she comes to the conclusion that the drive had by no means been very pleasant and that John Thorpe himself was quite disagreeable. Well observed, Catherine!

And finally in ch.10 she gets into action. When they are at the cotillion ball we read: She had then (at the first ball) been exulting in her engagement to Thorpe, and was now chiefly anxious to avoid his sight, lest he should engage her again... And further on:

As soon as they were joined by the Thorpes, Catherine’s agony began; she fidgeted about if John Thorpe came towards her, hid herself as much as possible from his view, and when he spoke to her pretended not to hear him.