] ] Plus, the disparity in their ages was ever-present for me. Isabella is 21. Catherine is only 17. I suppose I have a dislike for grown women who don't grow up.

] I don't think that at this time that is a very big gap in ages. After all in P&P Charlotte is 27 and Lizzie is only 20 and yet they're considered best friends. [snip] Without school there's no graduations or anything and girls as young as 15 could be out in society - making them equal with the the others.

but in all of her books, i've gathered the impression that many girls came out (of the schoolroom) around 17 and if I had been "out" for 3+ years, I wouldn't particularly care to attach myself to a just out of the schoolroom girl, esoecially if I had the character of what I perceive in Isabella, that of attracting attention and making sure others think the best of me. But with Lizzie and Charlotte, IMO, since they're both out (and all of Lizzie's sisters are out too) they would be more at the same par. But I could be persuaded out of this notion too. =)