Chapter 37
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.