Grand Sophy Part II

There is a lot of tension in the family, while they are awaiting Sophy's arrival. Cecilia is upset that her brother is pressuring her to marry Charlbury, who is at present ill with mumps.. and she is still in love with Augustus. Sophy arrives in London, and she soon is getting on well with her uncle, aunt and cousins. She tells her aunt that her father is engaged to a Spanish lady, Sancia, and has brought her to England to live. Sancia is beautiful and rich and quite likable, but very idle. Sophy however is lively, intelligent and energetic, and she can see the problems in the family. She meets Eugenia, and thinks that she is a cold prim and proper girl who will make the younger children unhappy. She knows Augustus Fawnhope, having met him abroad. He is a nice young man, but he's not reliable or well off enough to support a wife. Sophy thinks it would be better to let Cecy spend time with Augustus and she may get tired of him. If she continues to love him, then Charles should let her marry him. Sophy also notices that Hubert, the second son who is only 20, is rather gloomy and she wonders if he is in trouble. Sophy takes her cousins and aunt to meet Sancia. She is living at Merton, outside London, and the lady is quite charming but half asleep, like Austen's Lady Bertram. Hubert plays a prank on Eugenia, during the visit, locking her in a wood in the gardens with Augustus Fawnhope. He finds her irritating. Eugenia is furious and accuses Sophy of locking them in, which makes Charles a little uneasy about his fiancee.