I think it's a perfectly reasonable question to voice, Hafsa. The point is that there are very many cultures represented in Pemberley, and it's not only muslim cultures that require a "no physical contact rule". However, it's not a question for this board, because we really should be sticking ito JA's life and novels here.

If you really want to discuss this topic, I think what we have to do is this ;-

a) make it more of a fact-finding mission- ask what Pemberleans consider it important and possible to have love and marriage without body contact, and which ones do not think it possible. As long as nobody gets upset by the fact that there will be differences of opinion, and everyone accepts that different cultures will have reasons behind their choices, it is possible to have a good discussion about this.

b) If we do discuss this, we have to do it off the L&T board.

So I suggest that those people who actually want to discuss this contact me by e-mail. If there's a good response, then we can take it somewhere else.