]I wonder (pretending I don't know how it ends), if CB and Mrs. D could form an attachment? (Snip)...I can't imagine it was totally unheard of for a man to marry a woman who was only a few years older than himself. Mrs. D is only 2 years older than I, she's still young! :-)

On beginning the book, I always thought Elinor would make a good match for him. His quiet strength matches hers. As for Mrs. Dashwood, what we know of both the Colonel and her up to this point, they seem highly unmatched but then so are the Middletons IMHO. So there it is, anything is possible. It's certainly an interesting premise.