I was thinking about this thread earlier and I started to wonder if we should in a way pity James. I know I did (way back in my youth!) some stupid things for boys I liked, and that is really what James is doing here, letting his feelings (and natural adolescent instincts!) run away with him because he thinks he loves Isabella.

I don't like that he is kind of throwing Catherine under the bus in his attempts to keep things going with Isabella, but hormones and adolescent feelings can make you do crazy things. And he is certainly still an adolescent.