Thanks for the added depth here Rachel G. Very right to bring up Anne's views of Mr. E from ch 17 in this discussion.

But I am miffed at Captain Wentworth for behaving so badly! We have been watching him throughout enjoying the company and attentions of the Musgrove girls. Admiral Croft seems to think his marrying one of them a done deal early on. And yet, " In his preceding attempts to attach himself to Louisa Musgrove (the attempts of angry pride), he protested that he had for ever felt it to be impossible; that he had not cared, could not care, for Louisa; (Ch 23)

Wentworth is a grown man! What is he about? How can he say he had not thought that his "excessive intimacy" with the Musgrove girls could be seen in any other light?

"I was hers in honour if she wished it. I had been unguarded. I had not thought seriously on this subject before. I had not considered that my excessive intimacy must have its danger of ill consequence in many ways; and that I had no right to be trying whether I could attach myself to either of the girls, at the risk of raising even an unpleasant report, were there no other ill effects. I had been grossly wrong, and must abide the consequences."

At least Wentworth understood - although late in the game - that his behavior towards Lousia left him bound to her in honour.