Mrs. Dashwood: You want nothing but patience -- or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope. Your mother will secure to you, in time, that independence you are so anxious for; it is her duty, and it will, it must ere long become her happiness to prevent your whole youth from being wasted in discontent. How much may not a few months do?"

Edward: "I think," replied Edward, "that I may defy many months to produce any good to me." (Chapter 19)

I have always thought of Edward as shy and sort of boring but in the last few chapters I have seen him charming and playful so I started thinking about him and his situation a little more. Edward cannot find any hope in the idea that his mother should make him independent so long as he is still engaged to Lucy. If Edward truly loved Lucy I feel he would go into one of the professions his family desires and when finding himself independent make what changes he would. Like Elinor, I feel Edward cannot love Lucy or be happy with her so I am not surprised he does not take up my plan. Edward, IMO is hoping to wait Lucy out; waiting for her to give up and let him out of the engagement; his circumstances make it convenient to do this; idleness is the only means he can apply to extracting himself from the engagement because if he had means then the marriage would have to go forward. By doing nothing Edward is doing all that he can do to facilitate the end of their engagement. ;D