"Please don't ask me."

Yes, he is absolutely trying to talk himself into this working out. My problem with that is, he is too smart to think it. He knows who Elsa is. She likes glittering parties in Vienna and nights on the town. She's not going to go picnicking with his unruly children and sing songs in the garden. How did he get to this point where "We are all going to be very happy"? Have G&E not talked about their expectations in this marriage at all?!

My heart breaks every time for her when I watch that scene, and I always end up saying "don't worry love, you'll be kissing each other in a couple of hours!" lol.
I think he knows why she came back, it's written all over her face, and he has enough worldly experience to notice someone going through turmoil but falling in love with someone (especially if you believe it to be unrequited) is quite scary, even for someone like Georg. Then again, "he notices everybody and everything" so I could be wrong.

I agree. Why did you leave without telling anyone is somewhat of a pointless question at this point. Though, if he is asking "Why did you leave?", I think it is interesting that during the gazebo scene, he opens with the same question. "I was wondering two things - why did you run away to the abbey and what was it that made you come back?" If he already asked her why she ran away when they were on the terrace, and she answered with "Please don't ask me. Anyway the reason no longer exists", why does he think he is going to get a new answer if he asks again? Because they are alone without threat of interruption? Because he's asking in a slightly different way, so maybe she'd let some clue slip?

reverendcaptain, sorry for taking so long to answer your question, and I'm not sure I really will. So, apologies all round! Also, I don't know how turn off my popup blocker and I'm too lazy to find your actual question. (It's been two weeks of vacation; the cat and I are competing for prime mattress real estate in Winter Nap Olympics 2023.)

The Baroness always has something of a flat affect to me. Whether learned or natural, some people are not naturally very emotional. And that's okay, as long as it doesn't harm other people. When the Captain enters the story, he has a similar or even worse affect due to cirsumstances. But he changes, she doesn't. She's watching him growing more attracted to Maria, and being upset is understandable; she's put time and energy into this relationship, it's understandable to want to protect that investment. And with that word, I think that gives an idea of how I view her thoughts on their relationship.

But she's playing with the children. Was that her idea? I tend to think so, given how she complains to Max. But she doesn't say anything to Georg, despite there being plenty of reasons to say so if he wanted her to play games with the children to get used to them, plus his just literally pushing them to go off and play. And the return to flat affect for him.

So my thought is that, since she is used to him being very flat like that, she is continuing to treat him like that. The two of them are visibly unaffected--probably hiding it well--while Maria is clearly upset. The more they don't talk about Maria, the more it fades into the past in the way their pasts have, until she crashes back in and the future is unavoidable.

Nap Olympics.... the only olympics I stand a chance at winning.

This is so beautiful dontevenknowher, and makes so much sense! In addition to the other reasons you give for why he was blind to his own feelings, we can add that he might not want to get in the way of her vocation, even if he doesn’t believe it will suit her. But I think it makes so much sense that he is asking these questions because he honestly isn’t sure what to think. The alternative - that he knows, but he’s trying to draw her out - seems kind of manipulative.

And NEVER apologize for “rehashing.” There are ten years of discussion here, but the only way we keep on going is by revisiting the fine points of this movie we love so much.

well, she offers the explanation that she came back to fulfill an obligation, which isn't completely ridiculous. He could think that RM made her come back even if it isn't true.

I like the idea that he may think he scared her away, reverendcaptain, it sort of fits with the cautious way he approaches her, trying to appear lighthearted. "And what was it that made you come back?"

Not to mention that he can’t go back and reconcile with Elsa. (Not that he’d want to. “I’ve been dishonest … to both of us.”)

reverendcaptain that is such a great question, especially for people like me who think that G's feelings for M grew very slowly (he did after all propose to Elsa!) and that it was her reappearance that pushed him over the edge and made him confront and act on his feelings for M. So, I could be talked out of it, but I like to think that Maria's reaction to the news did, in fact, have an impact on him, and his desperate "you are back to stay" was kind of a "hold on, I'm recalculating" moment, but that he was kind of in turmoil until his outburst to Elsa: "it's no use." He just looks so much lighter and confident when he shows up at the gazebo. Like I say, I could see it being earlier but somehow to me it feels so romantic to make it later.

I just meant “more time” like, holy hell, I didn’t expect to see you t here, just give me a second to think kind of thing …

He just didn't want her to disappear from his life as quickly as she had before (back to the Abbey). It must have stung him badly then, so when she turned up completely unexpectedly, all he could think of was to get her to stay whilst he recalibrated their relationship.

Personally I think he decided during dinner that he should ease out Elsa, because he is a different man on the balcony, wandering out on his own and then clearly transfixed by the sight of the governess. The only other option I can think of is whether he felt he had to gauge Maria's feeling for him first, before dumping Elsa. That would be harsh on Elsa, but from Georg's POV, what would he do if Maria rebuffed him or simply said she wanted to continue to be a nun?

What I am asking is, if Maria had declined him, would he have gone on to marry Elsa anyway?

Yes. That's what I think too. He's already lost her once. He can't let that happen again, but he doesn't know if he has minutes or months to figure it out. 

Honestly, I think he began thinking of how to break it off when he told the children. The realization that it wasn't going to work is visible in his eyes, before he runs them off after Kurt's odd attempt to kiss/sniff her.

There is so much deliciousness in the rest of this discussion, I'll have to read through and digest before I comment. But this stood out.

Yes, and perhaps even before.

He had to be prompted (almost pushed) to tell them at all. I think there was a conversation between Georg and Elsa in which she said all the right things about the children needing a mother, etc. until, in his new round of grief over Maria's departure, finally agreed to marry. I even doubt that it was an actual proposal, and more of a business deal (which in the stage version is pretty much implied). This promise of being a 'mother' is why she was trying to play with them. His 'and we'll all be very happy' is as much to convince himself as the children.