quite the contrary:-D

I had never considered that Mr Bennet could have, or should have tried to, prevent the situation, but of course you are right. He knows Mrs Bennet well enough to know that she would do anything to throw Jane in a suitor's way. And I guess, considering that Mr Bennet prefers his own library to a ball room, that ordering the carriages early shouldn't have been out of character for him:-D

But once he finds himself in this situation, so awkward and uncomfortable to many, I still can't blame him for not trying to stop Mrs Bennet or Mr Collins. I don't think they would have mended their behaviour in any way by his reproaches, and he knows that. Lydia probably wouldn't either, but it's sad that he has given up on her already and doesn't try to rein her in. She is still young, but he doesn't give her any parental guidance at all. I do blame him that.