] Isn't this the most appalling discussion (so why am I laughing?!).

It really is, and it does make us laugh as well. That Jane. ;-)

But what a Master Manipulator this shows Fanny to be! It is really a bravura performance, isn't it? To whittle someone down from £3,000 to nothing - it's positively frightening. Such mean-spiritedness under the guise of protecting their child. Poor John doesn't stand a chance. One must assume that their entire marriage is run along the same lines.

Though it is not all Fanny's fault - JA does tell us that John is "cold-hearted and selfish", Fanny is just more so. And though he might have improved with a better wife, he is still naturally disposed toward being a rotter. ;-p