Wow, one and a quarter million pounds! However, what I was noticing is that Captain Wentworth has almost the *least* amount of money of any *man* in the JA novels I've read (not including NA). 20,000 pounds is a lump sum - his capital, and I believe the upper classes tried to live on the *interest* from their capital, which amounted to 4% or 5% per year. If my math is right, 4% of 20,000 pounds is 800 pounds a year, and 5% is 1000 pounds a year. 2000 pounds a year seems to be the standard for a pleasant, comfortable upper-class life in JA's previous novels. Of course, CW might have *some* money from his family already, and may make more in the navy later on, but I wonder what changed between JA's previous novels and this one, or is there something I'm not taking into account? I'd like to come back to this topic later on in the novel because there's more information about money later on!