I, too, think Sir Walter is unreliable -- it is possible that Mary might have spent more time out-of-doors since her marriage (when she wasn't inside moaning)or may no longer have used any lotions, etc on her skin. Anything short of perfection would no doubt be considered coarse by Sir Walter. But Anne had lost her physical bloom in the years from 19 to 27...and I think Austen did an excellent job of painting a word picture of a once vivid young woman who had faded out over the years. And I also agree that "dark eyes" probably mean brown and not dark blue.