Harry Flashman

The 26-year-old narrator and chief character in the novel, "Flashy" is fresh home from Germany and a skirmish with Otto von Bismarck and Lola Montez, and has seen first-hand the bloody revolutions on the Continent. His beautiful but brainless wife, Elspeth, is pregnant after eight years of marriage and frustrates Flashy by refusing to have sex, lest the baby be harmed. Believing that he has all the qualities of character needed in a politicians - lies, dissembles, toadies, and turns tail, but some difficulty interfering in others' lives, Flashy allows himself to be talked into standing for Parliament. Surprisingly his father-in-law, John Morrison, agrees and arranges to showcase him. During the meeting, Flashy tries unsuccessfully to seduce beautiful Fanny Locke and resumes an old army dispute with Bryant, whose taunting and charge of cheating at cards so enrage Flashy that he punches and nearly kills Bryant.

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