>why would she continue to lobby for Anne to go with Sir Walter and Elizabeth?

Maybe she just kept trying to get Anne involved/accepted in family outings and to have her accepted as a member of the family. (more than being 'only Anne')It always strikes me when I read Persuasion how very much alone Anne is. Her father and Elizabeth have each other and their balls, outings etc. Mary has her family and in-laws.

There is a line of Lady Russell's that points in this direction. 'My dear, how it angers me, this break-up of your family.' I don't know if it is a direct quote from the book - haven't found it yet - but I think LR wasn't happy with the situation and kept trying to get Anne included in the visits to London because she felt the injustice of it and wanted her to be part of the family.

(I hope this makes sense. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the number of daily posts and can hardly keep up with them. It's my first group read but I enjoy it tremendously. Excellent posts!)