A Further Explanation of the Foregoing Design
- Lady Bellaston belongs to a club that began after "the late war." (That would be the War of the Austrian Succession: 1740-1748).
- This club's main goal is for each of its members to tell one lie every day.
- Then, they share the stories of their lies with the other club members.
- These lies are supposed to be funny and harmless.
- One of Lady Bellaston's guests that evening, Tom Edwards, is also a member of this liars' club.
- He, Lady Bellaston, Lord Fellamar, and Sophia all gather around a game of cards.
- Edwards claims that Colonel Wilcox has just killed someone in a duel.
- The victim is a guy from Somersetshire, connected to Squire Allworthy—a kid named Jones.
- Sophia hears this news and faints.
- Once she has regained consciousness, she goes back up to her room.
- Lady Bellaston follows her and tells her the truth: it was a joke, and Tom is still alive. (Ha. Ha. Ha. How sidesplitting this joke is. How humorous.)
- Seeing Sophia's fainting spell convinces Lord Fellamar of Sophia's love for Tom.
- When Lady Bellaston gets back, she and Lord Fellamar start making plans.
- The next evening at seven, Lady Bellaston will make sure the house is empty.
- She will leave Sophia with Lord Fellamar so that he can rape her.
- Lord Fellamar doesn't see a big moral problem with this rape, because he plans to marry her afterwards. (Ugh.)
- Still, once he's slept on the idea, he decides not to go through with it after all.
- Lady Bellaston and Sophia are together the next morning when a servant announces that Lord Fellamar has arrived.
- Sophia wants Lady Bellaston to stop letting Lord Fellamar come to the house.
- Sophia knows he wants her, and she doesn't trust him.
- She asks Lady Bellaston not to leave her alone with him.
- Lady Bellaston makes fun of Sophia for assuming that every man in town desires her.
- Lady Bellaston gets in a dig about Sophia running away with Tom.
- Sophia swears (again) that she's not going to elope with Tom.
- Sophia leaves, and Lady Bellaston meets with Lord Fellamar.