Henrietta Rouviere Mosse.

Arrivals from India: or, Time's a Great Master. A Novel. By Henrietta Rouviere Mosse. 4 vols.

London: A. K. Newman, 1812.

 

Synopsis of Arrivals from India

As the novel begins Sir James Stretton, a rich baronet who is applying for a peerage, and his daughter Fanny, a beautiful young woman of fashion, are waiting for the fleet to arrive from India. Fanny, especially, is impatiently awaiting the arrival of a shipment of Oriental luxuries with which to decorate for an upcoming ball in her honor. Fanny is promised to marry the Earl of Oakland, son of Duke of Huntingdon, who is, on James Stretton's behalf, attempting to encourage the crown to award him a peerage. Oakland convinces Fanny to make the night planned for the ball their wedding celebration instead despite her wish to wait for her father's peerage.
The night of the wedding arrives without the arrival of the desired Oriental luxuries, but the wedding proceeds with an extravagance that rivals that of the greatest nobility. Upon the night of the wedding Stretton receives an urgent message from the Earl of Riverston, who is been in India some eighteen years, has returned with the fleet this same day as is en route to the Stretton home along with his family. Stretton is unaccountably upset by this news and leaves the celebration. Riverston and his family arrive and are taken to Stretton, where his family Lady Riverston, and her two children from a previous marriage, George and Georgiana Syndeham are introduced.

It is revealed that the home Stretton lives in is the ancestral home of the current Earl of Riverston known previously as George Moncke, it was bequeathed however to James Stretton upon the late earl's death. The late Earl of Riverston had had three children, the oldest, a boy named Arundel, another boy named George, and a daughter named Adelaide. Arundel grew up and joined the navy while George went to Westminster school. George had a friend at school named Ned Milton. Milton's parents had died and he had little money. George brought Milton home and he became a favorite of his father who adopted him as a son and secured for him a position in the military upon completion of his schooling. George, however, seems to have had a lifelong wish to travel to the East and secure a position in a campaign in India. Milton remains in the Riverston home after George's departure. Adelaide and Milton, however, fall in love and marry in secret fearing the earl will not approve of her marriage to a poor unknown person. The Earl had taken on James Stretton as an advisor, and he had become his most trusted servant. James reported to the Earl the relationship between Milton and Adelaide and that Adelaide was pregnant he concealed the fact, however, that they had secretly married. The Earl was stricken suddenly with a case of gout and confined himself inside his bedroom allowing no one to enter and ordered Adelaide to be locked in her room under Stretton's guard. He arranged for Milton to be transferred overseas with the military immediately. Milton complied after receiving a note from Adelaide that she will follow him when she can. Adelaide believes Stretton has told her father they are married and that he has rejected the marriage and his disgraced daughter. She leaves the home. Shortly after she leaves, a letter comes that tells of Arundel's death in a naval battle. Grief-stricken the Earl dies.

In his will the Earl had stipulated that his disgraced daughter would receive only fifty pounds of his fortune, while Arundel would get fifteen thousand a year and George ten. He gave, however, the remainder of this fortune and legal control over the estate to James Stretton who also because of Arundel's death received his portion as well and also appropriated, as he claimed Adelaide was unable to be found, a large sum of money that had been set aside for Adelaide by her brothers. He wrote a letter to Adelaide, telling her of her father's and brother's deaths but also claiming that George had been killed in India and Milton had been killed in battle.
George Stretton, now the hereditary Earl of Riverston, received a letter in India that his father, brother, sister and friend have all died. He spent the next eighteen years in India during which time he married the widowed Lady Syndeham, and waged a successful military and administrative career loved by all.

Upon his return to England, Riverston sought an estate for his family and found one in called Mitchcombe hall, which he purchased. Stretton announced his purchase to his family and the Stretton and his intention of moving there as soon as possible. About this time while riding in a park nearby Riverston was nearly killed when his horse was startled but was saved by a man who called himself Moreland. In gratitude Riverston invited Moreland to the house, but Moreland declined instead entreating him to meet him instead at a coffee house near by. Riverston agreed and was told by Moreland of his wrongful dismissal from Stretton's employ and of his difficult situation. Riverston hired Moreland on as a servant and sent him to his newly purchased estate to prepare it for the family.

Fanny, or rather, Lady Oakland, had delayed her honeymoon upon the Riverston's arrival, but now decided to go to Bath and requested the Riverston's join her there before proceeding to Mitchcombe hall. The Riverston's though tiring of her fashionable company, agree to stop briefly. While they are there, however, Lady Oakland falls ill, and as her husband has returned to London, obliges George Stretton to remain behind while her father and the Riverston's proceed on to Mitchcombe. Lady Stretton, however, is not ill but rather has fallen in love the George Syndeham who she knows to be promised to Georgiana. She attempts to seduce Syndeham but fails and is discovered by her husband who had received intelligence from George's servant. She is escorted by her husband to a remote ducal seat where he intends to confine her for the rest of her life and vows never to see or talk to her again. George proceeds to Mitchcombe Hall.

The family finds when they reach Mitchcombe that a beloved acquaintance, Col. Rushbrook has been residing nearby with his friend the Earl of Bellmont. The Earl of Bellmont is actually Ned Milton, who Riverston still believes to be dead. Bellmont fears meeting Riverston due to the tragic circumstances of Adelaide's death. Rushbrook agrees to conceal Bellmont's identity until he is ready to reveal himself, and goes to Mitchcombe where he is the guest of the Riverston's.

On a small farm called Ashfield that lies in between the Beachford Abbey, which is Bellmont's estate, and Mitchcombe Hall is a small farm whose residents are tenants of Bellmont. They have living on their farm a woman called Mrs. Woodley, who though beautiful and educated seems to have suffered some great tragedy. She is reclusive, and though supported through the goodwill of Bellmont, is never seen by him or anyone outside of the family. While visiting the farm Rushbrook catches a glimpse of Mrs. Woodley and is enamored of her, also believing he has seen her before. Upon taking up his residence at Mitchcombe, he convinces Georgiana, with whom he has a friendly relationship, to ride with him to Ashfield. Georgiana meets and becomes great friends with the tragic Mrs. Woodley. Lady Riverston, visiting the farm one day happens to see the recluse and is shocked to realize that Mrs. Woodley is the same woman who years earlier she had found in hysterics on the side of a road near Portsmouth with a baby in her arms. The then lady Syndeham had taken the woman and her child to a nearby clergy-man's home. Upon the unknown woman's insistence, and seeing she was in no condition to care for the child Lady Syndeham takes the child into her care and departs for India to meet her husband. Though she had attempted from India to keep in touch with the clergy-man to whom she had entrusted the woman's care, he dies and she is forced upon the mercy of strangers eventually finding refuge under the care of Bellmont and the Freeman's, the tenants of Ashfield farm.

Lady Riverston tells Georgiana and Mrs. Woodley, who has no memory of her life before her breakdown, and Mrs. Woodley falls into a dangerous shock. Eventually Lord Riverston and the family travel to Ashfield with the intention of meeting Mrs. Woodley.

Rushbrook convinces Bellmont to also come to Ashfield, both to meet the intriguing Mrs. Woodley and reveal himself as Ned Milton to Lord Riverston. They meet renew their friendship.

Mrs. Woodley however, is still confined to her bed since the shock. Everyone departs for their homes to return the next day. The next day the Riverston's receive an urgent note to come to Ashfield immediately. They find Georgiana quite hysterical. They are led to Mrs. Woodley's room where they find her embraced by Bellmont. Mrs. Woodley is Adelaide Moncke, Bellmont's long lost wife, Riverston's sister, and Georgiana's mother.

The reunited party departs for Beachford Abbey, and sends for George Stretton. Stretton on being confronted with his deceit dies soon after.

- Prepared by Luther Mardock, University of Nebraska, December 2002