Tom Jones Book 15, Chapter 6

By What Means the Squire Came to Discover His Daughter

• You remember, back in Book 13, Chapter 3, when Mrs. Fitzpatrick floats the idea of writing to Squire Western?
• Lady Bellaston says no, but Mrs. Fitzpatrick decides to write the letter anyway.
• Not only does she want to make up with her family, but also, she honestly wants to save Sophia from her own mistake of eloping with the wrong guy.
• In the letter, Mrs. Fitzpatrick says (a) that Tom is in London, but that he doesn't know where Sophia is, and (b) that Sophia is staying with Lady Bellaston, who wants to hide her from the Westerns.
• Squire Western is thrilled, and immediately starts getting ready to go.
• Mrs. Western warns the squire to be careful and delicate with Lady Bellaston.
• (Well, we just saw in the previous chapter how that advice worked out.)
• Squire Western answers that he doesn't care what Lady Bellaston thinks.
• He'll just drag Sophia to a justice of the peace.
• The two fight, as they usually do.
• Squire Western eventually promises he'll do as she says.
• But he asks her to come to London too, so that she can show him around. After all, she knows London a lot better than he does.