another Charlotte - Lucas, in P&P. She also marries her partner (Mr Collins) for reasons that have nothing to do with love, and also succeeds in avoiding contact with him as much as possible.

I just read a newspaper article yesterday about the rise in pre-nuptial agreements in the UK (I believe such things are "de rigeur" across the pond, although there are 300,000,000 people who would know better). Has "marriage for love" really superseded the "marriage as financial arrangement" of JA's day? Maybe S&S is more contemporary under the surface than we might think.