I can't really put my finger on why I am also uncomfortable about G/B. Logically, I should be fine. Their difference in age is not that much - about 8 years or so as Darcy and his sister have 10 years between them and Bingley is a bit younger than his friend. His behaviour of letting her investigate the field without any thoughts on him as a potential suitor is also acceptable. His attentions did not start when she was too young... So, everything is in his favour. Yet, I can't shake the feeling that he should stay away - despite the fact that JA had many characters consider this as a potential match. Maybe I feel weird because the jump from "little sister" to "future wife" is one I cannot accept (no logic there either...) Or maybe because his interest in G has been too vague for the reader (we read of it, but we see little actual interaction) and thus we cannot connect. Or maybe because due to the potential previous reason, I find his interest cold and calculating. It could be that I still see her as not mature enough for marriage and wish "to protect" her. Or because their contacts are so infrequent that I'd chalk this to the infatuation side rather than deep, mature love. At any rate, I wrote a lot. I am not happy with my attempts for explanations. I just don't see them as a good match and indeed, my preference would be that they enjoy the season, that Georgiana starts realising what sort of commitment marriage is and what sort of partner would increase her chances for a happy life and reject him not because he is faulted or bad or an ex-flirt but because her infatuation cooled down and she understood that she needs to seek a deep connection. Few people seem to have acted thusly, but one would hope that the example of her brother and his wife would have some impact on her.
