Jaimy,
I see your point.
For me it's a question of how much the extra-canonical ingredient has been adopted by fan fiction at large.
On the one hand, as Agnes has pointed out, there are enough different, and differing, depictions of Col. Fitzwilliam's older brother that it's hard for any single depiction, no matter how well done, to take hold as being tantamount to canon.
OTOH, some details, such as Col. Fitzwilliam's first name being "Richard," or his father being the "Earl of Matlock," have become so standard that, when I reread P&P, I'm surprised, at some level, to find that this detail isn't part of the original novel.
JIM
I see your point.
For me it's a question of how much the extra-canonical ingredient has been adopted by fan fiction at large.
On the one hand, as Agnes has pointed out, there are enough different, and differing, depictions of Col. Fitzwilliam's older brother that it's hard for any single depiction, no matter how well done, to take hold as being tantamount to canon.
OTOH, some details, such as Col. Fitzwilliam's first name being "Richard," or his father being the "Earl of Matlock," have become so standard that, when I reread P&P, I'm surprised, at some level, to find that this detail isn't part of the original novel.
JIM