St Johns Churchyard Hour
Outcome: The party was catalogued by Calcutta society in a single hour and met most of the season's principal players. Freddy made first contact with Surlish and got a sneer, a warning to audit his own cousin, and confirmation that the merchant fears nothing. Sophia Surlish was silenced in public in front of witnesses. Pratap Singh was solicited for a Company position by a Pelham servant, refused him, swung at him and missed, then bought him.
Participants
- Freddy Cavendish — intercepted Surlish and forced a handshake
- Hawthorne Surlish — sneered, and named Hugh as the place to start an audit
- Sophia Surlish — silenced and frog-marched away
- Havildar Pratap Singh — outside with the carriages; approached by Ratan
- Ratan — asked about Company wages; later bribed to move the Pelham palanquin
- Charles Ashworth — greeted each of the party by name
- Harriet Courtney — catalogued their fashions and standing
- Anne Pelham — rapid-fire questions about London and Paris
- Alastair Glennie — smitten with Emma, and unable to say so
- George Drury — loud welcome and an invitation to dine
- Reverend Arthur Jessop — offered spiritual guidance
- Emma Wentworth
- Georgiana Wentworth
- Katherine Ward
- Adrien de Montferrand
- Margaret Cavendish
- Hugh Cavendish
- Thomas Wyndham
Summary
Sunday 9 October 1814. The congregation of St John’s was seated strictly by rank — Ashworth and the senior families in front, the party in the middle with their hosts, the young Company writers at the back — and when the service ended it spilled into the churchyard for the customary hour of mingling. Calcutta catalogued the newcomers in a single stroke.
What Happened
- The introductions came in sequence. Charles Ashworth first, unhurried and precise, greeting each of them by name and moving on with the efficiency of a man who owns the city. Harriet Courtney behind him, thirty years in Bengal, pricing their fashions and their standing. Anne Pelham after that, firing questions about London and Paris and sweeping off having taken what she came for. Alastair Glennie, eighteen and freckled, hovering near Emma Wentworth without managing a useful sentence. Captain Drury laughing his way across the yard. Reverend Arthur Jessop offering guidance and looking forward to the evening.
- Freddy took Surlish. Freddy Cavendish used rank to make himself unignorable, and Hawthorne Surlish stopped, shook his hand coldly, and sneered — smug about the freedoms the Charter Act of 1813 grants independent merchants, and, when probed for a weakness, suggesting Freddy start his audit with his own cousin. Then he turned and frog-marched his wife away.
- Sophia was silenced in public. Sophia Surlish managed a smile and no more before her husband moved her on, and the party saw her chafe under it.
- Outside, among the carriages. Havildar Pratap Singh waited with the non-Christian servants and was approached by Ratan, a Pelham bearer, complaining about his wages and angling for a Company position. Pratap refused him flatly: the Company pays its soldiers three times what any prince’s army offers, and that is exactly how the Company took India. When the Pelham palanquin blocked the party’s departure, negotiation failed, a swung fist missed, and rupees worked.
Outcome & Consequences
- The party’s covers survived first contact with the whole of White Town at once.
- Surlish is engaged and contemptuous. He named Hugh as the soft spot in Freddy’s own position, which is either a taunt or a warning and may be both.
- Sophia is the way into the Surlish house, and the whole party now has cause to think so.
- Alastair Glennie is a live social asset — a Company writer in the shipping office, smitten, and eighteen.
- Pratap swung first and paid second, in front of the servants of every household in Calcutta.
Connections
People
Had participant
- Adrien de Montferrand Player character neutralTook part
- Alastair Glennie NPCsmitten with Emma, and unable to say so
- Anne Pelham NPCrapid-fire questions about London and Paris
- Charles Ashworth NPCgreeted each of the party by name
- Emma Wentworth Player character neutralTook part
- Freddy Cavendish Player character neutralIntercepted Surlish and forced a handshake
- George Drury NPCloud welcome and an invitation to dine
- Georgiana Wentworth Player character neutralTook part
- Harriet Courtney NPCcatalogued their fashions and standing
- Havildar Pratap Singh Player character neutralOutside with the carriages; approached by Ratan
- Hawthorne Surlish NPC hostileFirst meeting with Freddy Cavendish; cold handshake, open contempt
- Hugh Cavendish NPC
- Katherine Ward Player character neutralTook part
- Margaret Cavendish NPC
- Ratan NPCasked about Company wages; later bribed to move the Pelham palanquin
- Reverend Arthur Jessop NPCoffered spiritual guidance
- Sophia Surlish NPCsilenced and frog-marched away
- Thomas Wyndham NPC
Places
Located at
- St Johns Church Calcutta Location neutralThe churchyard hour after Sunday service — the season's principal social exchange