she'll be by herself (the only adult) while Charles and CW and presumably, the Musgroves, all go to Lyme. As annoying as her behavior is, I don't think I'd enjoy being sent home alone (remember she doesn't have a cell phone to keep in touch) for who knows how long while the rest of the family is at a distance. Mary of course overdramatizes this, and thinks too much of her own needs and not enough of the rest of the family, but I believe this would be a bit of a hardship for her. Remember that Anne didn't enjoy being there all alone either, before Lady Russell came to get her. I've said it before, I think Mary's problem is that she probably had an unhappy childhood, with her mother dying so young. At some point, you need to just suck it up and act like an adult, and that, IMHO, is Mary's true fault. Not even making an attempt at being mature.