Chapter 37

Contains spoilers

Summary

  • Struan is observing the busy coastal avenue from his window
  • People are walking around and greeting each other, and young noblemen are flirting with ladies under the supervision of their parents or chaperones
  • Palanquins are coming and going and there is a ball at the governor's palace that evening
  • Culum has not yet returned and there is no news of the bishop
  • Struan sees Horacio, who is angry because Mary's nanny, Ah Tat, has disappeared and he believes she provided poison to Mary
  • Struan calls for the men that Culum and Gorth were with the previous night and they all say Culum left a few hours after Gorth
  • Struan sees the bishop's lackey pass by his residence and a palanquin stop in front of his house
  • Struan finds Culum unconscious inside the palanquin with torn and vomit-covered clothes, cleaned out of his possessions
  • Struan has Culum put in the bath and decides to find out who did this to him
  • Struan and the bishop discuss Mary's condition and the need for spiritual assistance to prevent her from potentially committing suicide
  • The bishop says Mary's life and soul are in the hands of God and he will try to save her soul before she leaves
  • The bishop hands Struan a portfolio with diplomatic documents regarding the Grand Duke Sergeyev's presence in Asia
  • Struan agrees to help the Grand Duke and the bishop says he will let Struan know when the messenger from Lo Ting returns
  • Struan goes to see May-May and finds out she has a visitor, Gordon Chen
  • May-May tells Struan that the doctor who diagnosed her pregnancy is the same doctor who treated Longstaff's wife and said she was pregnant when she was not
  • May-May says the doctor may be a fraud and Struan agrees to look into it
  • Struan leaves to go to the ball at the governor's palace and meets Shevaun Tillman, who is upset because her father is forcing her to marry Jeff Cooper
  • Struan agrees to help Shevaun and asks her to meet with him the next day
  • Struan goes to the ball and sees the bishop, who tells him the messenger from Lo Ting has returned and will meet with Struan the next day
  • Struan also sees Gordon Chen at the ball and learns that he is the son of the Tai-Pan of the Noble House
  • Struan meets with the bishop and the messenger from Lo Ting, who tells him about the situation with the Grand Duke Sergeyev
  • The Grand Duke is in danger and Struan agrees to help him
  • The messenger gives Struan a letter for the Grand Duke and Struan agrees to deliver it
  • Struan meets with Shevaun and agrees to help her with her situation
  • Struan meets with Gordon Chen and they discuss the situation with the doctor and Longstaff's wife
  • Gordon Chen agrees to help Struan investigate the doctor and they make a plan to meet the next day
  • Struan goes to see May-May and they discuss her pregnancy and the situation with the doctor
  • Struan promises to take care of May-May and the baby and they fall asleep together.
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