heir of a very influential family , and one with intimate ties to lord north , chinless ned had arrived in new york a week before william and likewise been placed on howe 's staff , where he had nestled cozily into the woodwork , smarming round general howe-who , to his credit , tended to blink and stare hard at the ponce , as though trying to remember who the devil he was-and captain pickering , the general 's chief aide-de-camp , a vain man , and one much more susceptible to ned 's enthusiastic arse-creeping .