Page 152 of What Change Entails

At that, Darcy shifted slightly in his chair.

Then Georgiana gestured to Lydia. A faint color entered her cheeks. “Miss Lydia’s courage.”

The room fell unexpectedly still. Lydia blinked, startled. Courage was not a word generally applied to her. Of all the things Georgiana might have chosen, that had not been among them.

“Courage?” she repeated.

“Yes.”

Georgiana folded the paper carefully. “You say what you think. You do what you believe is right, even when others disapprove. I admire it very much.”

Lydia found herself unable to answer for several seconds.

Fortunately, Bingley ruined the moment. “My favorite quality in Miss Lydia is that she makes every day considerably more interesting than it would otherwise be.”

“There,” Lydia declared, relieved that the awkwardness had been dispelled. “A gentleman of discernment.”

Miss Bingley’s smile fell flat. Lydia wondered if Georgiana’s failure to mention something about her had been intentional.

The game continued. As the hour grew later, their enemy’s composure began to fray around the edges.

Lydia observed it first in small ways. The fan opening more sharply. Replies arriving a little too quickly. The occasional interruption when Elizabeth spoke. Then came the question that ruined everything.

A folded paper was drawn. Elizabeth opened it. The moment she read it, her expression changed slightly.

Lydia recognized it anyway.

“What is it?” Bingley asked.

Elizabeth hesitated.

“You need not answer if it is unpleasant,” Darcy said.

Miss Bingley leaned forward. “Oh, now I am curious.”

Elizabeth lowered the paper. “It asks which acquaintance I most regret having lost.”

The room became very still. Lydia knew in an instant who had written the question. It was pure fate Elizabeth had pulled it from the pile.

Miss Bingley smiled and not kindly. “Surely the answer is obvious.”

Mrs. Gardiner looked up from her embroidery.

“Caroline,” Louisa said warningly.

“What?” Miss Bingley spread her hands. “Mr. Wickham was once a particular favorite at Longbourn, was he not?”

Georgiana went pale. There it was. Miss Bingley clearly did not know when to stop pressing. And she had no idea she had now gone too far. Georgiana’s mishap last summer was surely not something the harpy knew of.

Lydia rose before anyone else could speak. “Indeed,” she said brightly. “And my aunt once owned a goose that bit everyone in Meryton. We do not discuss that creature much either.”

Miss Bingley stared. “What?”

“The goose. A dreadful fellow. Very handsome plumage. Absolutely no character.” Not what she meant, but it pleased her to discompose Miss Bingley further.

Bingley choked. Mr. Gardiner appeared suspiciously close to laughter. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy met one another’s eyes.

Miss Bingley’s eyes narrowed. “I fail to see the connection.”