It's Friday. You deserve a diversion, and what better form could it take than wrapping up the brackets for the more obscure heart-throbs in the Austen canon?
It's been a hard fought contest thus far. Captain Benwick of Persuasion, with his moody appreciation of Byron, narrowly edged out Reginald De Courcy of Lady Susan, while the curate from Whit Stillman's Love & Friendship (a delightful adaptation/expansion of Austen's unfinished Lady Susan, and the only work in the Austen Extended Universe that we are acknowledging to exist for the purposes of this contest) edged out Sir James Martin of Lady Susan.
Other contests are not as equal. Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Darcy's more easy going cousin, trounced scapregrace Mansfield Park heir Tom Bertram, and rural heart-throb Robert Martin completely shut out Mr. Yates, Tom Bertram's theatrical friend who in the end elopes with Maria Bertram.
So now we come down to difficult decisions. The warm and easy going Colonel Fitzwilliam is in an Army/Navy bracket against moody and poetic Captain Benwick, who may just recover from his heartbreak to make another young woman very happy.
And the Curate from Love & Friendship, who has done surprisingly well for a non-canonical character who is not blessed with a name in the movie, but nonetheless provides heartfelt advice to young Frederica Vernon (and what young woman who has Lady Susan as a mother doesn't need some sympathy and counsel?) is up against the stolid rural charm of Robert Martin, the man who steadfastly offers his heart to Miss Harriet Smith, even as the exalted Emma causes her to vacillate in her affections.
Who will win? That is up to you. Cast your votes as we bring this contest to its close.
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