The difference between Captain Wentworth and Henry Crawford

Before I decided to reread Persuasion, my friend Knulp mentioned that Captain Wentworth had some behaviour similar to Henry Crawford’s in Mansfield Park. 
Indeed, on the surface there’s something similar. 

“Which of the two sisters was preferred by Captain Wentworth was as yet quite doubtful, as far as Anne's observation reached. Henrietta was perhaps the prettiest, Louisa had the higher spirits; and she knew not now, whether the more gentle or the more lively character were most likely to attract him.” (Ch.9)  

For those who haven’t read the book, or have read it but have forgotten the plot, Henrietta Musgrove has been seeing (but isn’t yet engaged to) Charles Hayter, who is absent for 2 Sundays and comes back to find himself forgotten, because of Frederick Wentworth, aka Captain Wentworth. 
Their brother Charles Musgrove and his wife Mary (Anne’s sister) discuss Captain Wentworth and whom he might prefer. Mary, on her part, hopes Henrietta to be the one preferred, because, as a snob like the rest of her family except for Anne, she looks down on Charles Hayter.  
Later, Anne Elliot has to hear Admiral Croft and his wife Sophy (Captain Wentworth’s sister) discuss Frederick. 

“"He certainly means to have one or other of those two girls, Sophy," said the Admiral; "but there is no saying which. He has been running after them, too, long enough, one would think, to make up his mind. Ay, this comes of the peace. If it were war now, he would have settled it long ago…"
[…] "... I wish Frederick would spread a little more canvass, and bring us home one of these young ladies to Kellynch. Then there would always be company for them. And very nice young ladies they both are; I hardly know one from the other."” (Ch.10)   

Anne herself wants Frederick to make up his mind. Is it not reminiscent of the way the characters discuss Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park and argue if he prefers Maria or Julia Bertram? 
However, the 2 situations are only similar on the surface—there are 2 main differences.  
First of all, when Henry is introduced to the Bertrams, Maria is already engaged to Mr Rushworth. Under the circumstances, his options would be Julia Bertram and Fanny Price—instead, he flirts with both Julia and Maria, often in front of Mr Rushworth. In Persuasion, Henrietta is not yet engaged to Charles Hayter—in Captain Wentworth’s eyes, Henrietta and Louisa are both free and eligible, and he’s getting to know them. 
More importantly, their behaviour is different. Look at these observations from Anne: 

“Anne had soon been in company with all the four together often enough to have an opinion, though too wise to acknowledge as much at home, where she knew it would have satisfied neither husband nor wife; for while she considered Louisa to be rather the favourite, she could not but think, as far as she might dare to judge from memory and experience, that Captain Wentworth was not in love with either. They were more in love with him; yet there it was not love. It was a little fever of admiration; but it might, probably must, end in love with some. Charles Hayter seemed aware of being slighted, and yet Henrietta had sometimes the air of being divided between them. Anne longed for the power of representing to them all what they were about, and of pointing out some of the evils they were exposing themselves to. She did not attribute guile to any. It was the highest satisfaction to her to believe Captain Wentworth not in the least aware of the pain he was occasioning. There was no triumph, no pitiful triumph in his manner. He had, probably, never heard, and never thought of any claims of Charles Hayter. He was only wrong in accepting the attentions (for accepting must be the word) of two young women at once.” (ibid.)

Anne acknowledges that he’s wrong in accepting the attentions of 2 women at once, but the key is that he doesn’t deliberately flirt with them for fun or play with their feelings. He doesn’t set out to break their hearts, as Henry does.  
Let’s look at Mansfield Park. 
When the young people go to Sotherton, Henry chooses to sit with Julia at the front of the barouche-box, leaving Maria with others. 

“Happy Julia! Unhappy Maria! The former was on the barouche-box in a moment, the latter took her seat within, in gloom and mortification; and the carriage drove off amid the good wishes of the two remaining ladies, and the barking of Pug in his mistress's arms.
[…] For the first seven miles Miss Bertram had very little real comfort: her prospect always ended in Mr. Crawford and her sister sitting side by side, full of conversation and merriment; and to see only his expressive profile as he turned with a smile to Julia, or to catch the laugh of the other, was a perpetual source of irritation, which her own sense of propriety could but just smooth over.” (Ch.8) 

Once they’re at Sotherton, Henry switches to Maria, slighting Julia. 

“Mr. Crawford was soon followed by Miss Bertram and Mr. Rushworth […] Julia, whose happy star no longer prevailed, was obliged to keep by the side of Mrs. Rushworth, and restrain her impatient feet to that lady's slow pace, while her aunt, having fallen in with the housekeeper, who was come out to feed the pheasants, was lingering behind in gossip with her. Poor Julia, the only one out of the nine not tolerably satisfied with their lot, was now in a state of complete penance, and as different from the Julia of the barouche-box as could well be imagined.” (Ch.9) 

He spends all day going to Maria. When they’re due to return, Fanny notices Julia’s unhappiness. 

“She felt, as she looked at Julia and Mr. Rushworth, that hers was not the only dissatisfied bosom amongst them: there was gloom on the face of each.” (Ch.10) 

Henry now softens Julia again, by offering her to sit at the front with him on the barouche-box. 

“The request had not been foreseen, but was very graciously received, and Julia's day was likely to end almost as well as it began.” (ibid.) 

It is clear that Henry’s not simply getting to know Maria and Julia to see whom he prefers. He’s deliberately flirting with them both and playing games with them—he charms and gives each woman attention, then slights her and makes her jealous, then soothes her again whilst slighting the other. 
Later, when the young people discuss the casting for the play “Lovers’ Vow”, Henry knows both Julia and Maria want to play the role of Agatha—to act opposite him. He cleverly manoeuvres so that the role goes to Maria.   

“Pleasantly, courteously, it was spoken; but the manner was lost in the matter to Julia's feelings. She saw a glance at Maria which confirmed the injury to herself: it was a scheme, a trick; she was slighted, Maria was preferred; the smile of triumph which Maria was trying to suppress shewed how well it was understood…” (Ch.14) 

Soon after he tries to soften Julia by arguing why she should play Amelia. 

“The influence of his voice was felt. Julia wavered; but was he only trying to soothe and pacify her, and make her overlook the previous affront? She distrusted him. The slight had been most determined. He was, perhaps, but at treacherous play with her. She looked suspiciously at her sister; Maria's countenance was to decide it: if she were vexed and alarmed—but Maria looked all serenity and satisfaction, and Julia well knew that on this ground Maria could not be happy but at her expense.” (ibid.) 

Julia is upset—the only people who notice are Fanny, and Henry himself. 

“Henry Crawford had trifled with her feelings […] She either sat in gloomy silence, wrapt in such gravity as nothing could subdue, no curiosity touch, no wit amuse; or allowing the attentions of Mr. Yates, was talking with forced gaiety to him alone, and ridiculing the acting of the others. 
For a day or two after the affront was given, Henry Crawford had endeavoured to do it away by the usual attack of gallantry and compliment, but he had not cared enough about it to persevere against a few repulses; and becoming soon too busy with his play to have time for more than one flirtation, he grew indifferent to the quarrel…” (Ch.17) 

Of course, I notice that there’s no sense of competition between Henrietta and Louisa, but we don’t see Captain Wentworth play the Musgrove sisters against each other. As observed by Fanny, Henry’s fully aware of Julia’s feelings—he just doesn’t care. 
If before, Henry seems to switch between the Bertram sisters, throughout the time of the play, he makes it clear, especially to Maria, that she is preferred. At the play is interrupted and everything comes to an end, she expects him to declare himself, which is of utmost importance to her. Instead, Henry decides to leave and acts like nothing has happened. 

“The hand which had so pressed hers to his heart! the hand and the heart were alike motionless and passive now! Her spirit supported her, but the agony of her mind was severe. She had not long to endure what arose from listening to language which his actions contradicted, or to bury the tumult of her feelings under the restraint of society; for general civilities soon called his notice from her, and the farewell visit, as it then became openly acknowledged, was a very short one. He was gone—he had touched her hand for the last time, he had made his parting bow, and she might seek directly all that solitude could do for her. Henry Crawford was gone, gone from the house, and within two hours afterwards from the parish; and so ended all the hopes his selfish vanity had raised in Maria and Julia Bertram.” (Ch.20)

There is no need to write again about how Henry afterwards chooses Fanny to be his new target and tries to force her to fall in love with him. 
Captain Wentworth’s wrong is in accepting attentions from the 2 young women at the same time. This is comfortably resolved after a meeting at the aunt’s house, when the group have a long walk: 

“Charles and Henrietta returned, bringing, as may be conjectured, Charles Hayter with them. The minutiae of the business Anne could not attempt to understand; even Captain Wentworth did not seem admitted to perfect confidence here; but that there had been a withdrawing on the gentleman's side, and a relenting on the lady's, and that they were now very glad to be together again, did not admit a doubt. Henrietta looked a little ashamed, but very well pleased;--Charles Hayter exceedingly happy: and they were devoted to each other almost from the first instant of their all setting forward for Uppercross.
Everything now marked out Louisa for Captain Wentworth; nothing could be plainer; and where many divisions were necessary, or even where they were not, they walked side by side nearly as much as the other two.” (Ch.10) 

I have heard many times before the criticism of Mansfield Park that the resolutions at the end all take place off-screen, and Jane Austen avoids writing about Henry’s affair with Maria, now Mrs Rushworth. That criticism is wrong-headed because the story of Mansfield Park is about Fanny Price—some people (including Nabokov) might want to see the scandalous stuff such as the affair and its aftermath, as well as Julia’s elopement with Mr Yates, but to Jane Austen, and to the right readers, the interesting and important stuff take place at Portsmouth. Mansfield Park, if we have to put it in a few terms, is about the sense of displacement, and it is at Portsmouth that Fanny finally learns about herself and realises her place in the world. 
Jane Austen also spends a long time developing and depicting the character of Henry and Maria, so there’s no real need to write how they get into an affair.  
However, as I’m rereading Persuasion, I can’t help feeling that the novel as a whole is rather thin and feels a bit bare, compared to Mansfield Park and Emma. Captain Wentworth’s interactions with Louisa aren’t developed so well as Henry’s with Maria and Julia or Fanny. The thing above about Henrietta and Charles Hayter seems to be resolved easily and comfortably, one can’t help wondering what happens and feeling a bit unsatisfied.  
I imagine that Jane Austen’s the kind of writer to lay out all the facts, the skeleton so to speak, then add flesh and everything later. This we can see clearly in her unfinished works. 
It’s a pity she died so soon.