] As the Mysterious H.c. has pointed out in previous posts, the act of carriage riding with members of unrelated opposite sex was fairly commonplace. The danger lie in frequently going out since that would show particularity.

...thanks, I wasn't aware that this slight shading existed in connection with the ettiquette of carriage riding. I must say though, that it doesn't lessen my disappointment in James. To begin with, Catherine has already been seen once in an open carriage with John. Bath seems to be the most gossiping place imaginable. A second time is bound to start a few tongues wagging. Another thing is that James sees that Catherine doesn't want to go. She has a prior engagement and has already slighted the Tilneys once. John goes over and lies to the Tilneys to get Catherine to go. James is quite happy with this solution. I don't believe their parents raised them this way and would not have approved of his participating in and engaging his sister in such rudeness and deceit. Isabella speaks of the impropiety of her going without another female. I realize this is partially part of her ploy to get Catherine to concede. But the fact that they go and get Isabella's sister to accompany them after John has exclaimed that he wouldn't be caught carting his sister about for nothing in the world seems to lend some merit to the fact that the idea is not the best. Nay, the whole thing has an air of negativity and inapproprietness about it. A brother who is being sensible of/solicitious of his sister's welfare would not desire this entire scenario for her. Sorry, Ceilti, I didn't mean to go off on a tangent and I realize you did not offer this important piece of information to try and change my mind. But as you can see, James's behavior really gets me going and I don't intend to let him off the hook.:=)