Do you think Willoughby considers the following flirtation? From Ch. 44:

Careless of her happiness, thinking only of my own amusement, giving way to feelings which I had always been too much in the habit of indulging, I endeavoured, by every means in my power, to make myself pleasing to her, without any design of returning her affection."

This is what Willoughby says his designs were on Marianne. If he thought his intent was flirtation then why does he say he was careless of Marianne’s happiness? Surely flirtation, as you defined it is your post “flirting” does not include tricking someone into falling in love with you and then purposely withholding your affection? Willoughby is calculating enough to purposely gain Marianne’s affection without any design of returning it. He is calculating enough to abandon Eliza “with no creditable home, no help, no friends, ignorant of his address” (Ch. 31) in an attempt to escape her and any consequences from his actions. He is calculating enough to identify weakness in women and take advantage of them, “I acknowledge that her [Eliza’s] situation and her character ought to have been respected by me” (Ch. 44). He is calculating enough to plan “to re-establish my circumstances by marrying a woman of fortune” (Ch. 44). However he is not calculating enough to avoid legal entanglement with woman he planed to use and discard? Why draw the calculating line at purposely avoiding legal entanglement when he has been so successful with Eliza, Marianne and the nameless others he admits were the object of “giving way to feelings which I had always been too much in the habit of indulging” (Ch. 44)? What is in the text that sways your opinion? (:D)