Georgiana clapped excitedly, unable to contain her excitement now that her brother and Elizabeth had returned. They were at dinner and she was asking question after question, in such rapid succession that they had no time to answer them. Laughing Elizabeth told her to calm down and asked her what she had been doing with herself.
'Oh frightfully boring things compared with you I expect. Miss Bingley was here but well she didn't exactly bring much amusement. Honestly how could darling Bingley have such a morose and utterly gossipy sister? '
Elizabeth and Darcy exchanged faint smiles for neither of them was fond of Miss Bingley either, though Darcy chided Georgiana teasingly for her rudeness.
'Oh yes a man came to see you, but I can't remember his name!'
She laughed though was embarrassed to admit it.
'Came to see me, what was he like?'
'Young and dark.'
'And handsome?' Elizabeth inquired merrily.
'Very!' Then Georgiana hid her face for she had not meant to be so eager. However her brother and Elizabeth just laughed and throughout dinner teased her mercilessly about handsome men who made her scatterbrained.
Later they went into the drawing room and Georgiana played on the piano. Elizabeth turned the pages for her and Darcy smiled at the picture occasionally asking his wife a question.
'Will you write to your family to tell them we have returned?'
'Of course. Well I'll write to father and then again to Jane. Perhaps I should write to Kitty, poor soul is lost without her partner in crime, Lydia. '
Elizabeth looked at Georgiana wondering how she felt about Lydia who had eloped with Wickham as Georgiana had once planned to do. It was an awkward situation. Georgiana herself was thinking of Wickham and Lydia. She was glad her brother had saved her. She smiled to herself, for she had recovered and could smile about it now, looking back at her foolish self. And after all Wickham was not worth half as much as other men she knew, like her brother and cousin and Rory Delaney, though she had only met him for a few seconds. God, he had enchanted her with some spell! She laughed then turned to her brother.
'Rejoice for I remember the name. It was Rory Delaney.' She waited for a smile or at the very least recognition of the name. It did not come. Instead her brother's face turned black with anger. She looked confused at Elizabeth for this was the last emotion she had thought her words would evoke. Then he spoke with cold restrained tones.
'Never mention the name of Delaney in my presence again.'
With that he turned from her and left the room, followed quickly by an anxious Lizzie. Georgiana in consternation for the effect her words had caused, did the only thing a young well-born woman can do in this event, she began to sob.