Pink

Mr Pink is a commercial traveller for Welbeck's Superior Buttons of Birmingham. He makes a surprising appearance during the Battle of Waterloo.

Having arrived in Brussels with the expectation only of witnessing some stirring deeds of battle, he is pressed into service as one of the Duke's aides-de-camp after most of the others are killed. He goes diligently about the battlefield communicating the Duke's orders, as directed, and so brings Jonathan Strange a message during battle.

The gallant Mr Pink is described as a "little, round, soft-looking person" with no military bearing whatever, and his motives for taking part in hostilities for which he appears so unsuited are apparently a mixture - some natural patriotism, perhaps - curiosity - and the hope of commercial advancement should he be able to persuade the Duke to endorse his brand of buttons. More likely however he may simply have been overborne by the Duke's greater strength of will. (The latter is perhaps the most probable explanation, since we are informed Mr Pink is not the only civilian the Duke highhandedly makes use of in this way.)

At any rate the arrival of so unlikely a messenger disconcerts Strange, who at this stage is nearly dropping of exhaustion, and he later comes to doubt that Mr Pink was ever there[40].