JК
Sharpes Eagle :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 138 из 203He was officer of the day and he would have to organise the picquets, inspect the lines, scrape together some supplies from the Commissary,who would have none. He would not be able to see Josefina. There would be no battle, no Eagle, not even a taste of garlic sausage. Damn.
CHAPTER 17
“I saw a man today… „
“Yes?” Sharpe looked over at Josefina. She was sitting naked on the bed with her knees drawn up and trying to file her toe-nails on the edge of his sword. She was laughing at her attempts, and then she dropped the blade and looked at him. “He was lovely. A blue coat with white bits here.” She brushed her breasts with her hands. “And lots of gold lace.”
“On a horse?”
She nodded. “And there was a bag hanging down… „
“His sabretache. And a curved sword?” She nodded again and Sharpe grinned at her. “Sounds like the Prince of Wales Dragoons. Very rich.”
“How do you know?”
“All cavalrymen are rich. Unintelligent, but rich.”
She cocked her head in her characteristic gesture and frowned slightly. “Unintelligent?”
“All cavalry officers are. The horse has all the brains and they have all the money.”
“Ah, well.” She shrugged her bare shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. I have enough brains for two.” She looked at him and grinned. “You’re jealous.”
“Yes.” He had picked up her penchant for honesty. She nodded seriously.
“I’m bored, Richard.”
“I know.”
“Not with you.” She looked up from her toe-nails and stared at him gravely. “You’re good for me. But we’ve been here a week and nothing is happening.”
Sharpe leaned forward and tugged his boots up over the overalls. “Don’t worry. Something will happen tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
“Tomorrow we fight.” This time though, he thought, we will be outnumbered.
She pulled her knees tight into her body, clasped them, and looked questioningly at him. “Are you frightened?”
“Yes.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Who’ll win?”
“I don’t know.”
“Will you get your Eagle?”
“I don’t know.”
She nodded seriously. “I have a present for you. I will give it to you after the battle.”
He was embarrassed. He did not have the money to buy presents. “I don’t want it. I want you.”
“You have me already.” She knew what he meant, but she deliberately misunderstood him. She watched him stand up. “You want your sword?”
“Yes.” Sharpe buckled the belt tight, pulling the scabbard into place.
She grinned at him. “Come and get it.
CHAPTER 17
“I saw a man today… „
“Yes?” Sharpe looked over at Josefina. She was sitting naked on the bed with her knees drawn up and trying to file her toe-nails on the edge of his sword. She was laughing at her attempts, and then she dropped the blade and looked at him. “He was lovely. A blue coat with white bits here.” She brushed her breasts with her hands. “And lots of gold lace.”
“On a horse?”
She nodded. “And there was a bag hanging down… „
“His sabretache. And a curved sword?” She nodded again and Sharpe grinned at her. “Sounds like the Prince of Wales Dragoons. Very rich.”
“How do you know?”
“All cavalrymen are rich. Unintelligent, but rich.”
She cocked her head in her characteristic gesture and frowned slightly. “Unintelligent?”
“All cavalry officers are. The horse has all the brains and they have all the money.”
“Ah, well.” She shrugged her bare shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. I have enough brains for two.” She looked at him and grinned. “You’re jealous.”
“Yes.” He had picked up her penchant for honesty. She nodded seriously.
“I’m bored, Richard.”
“I know.”
“Not with you.” She looked up from her toe-nails and stared at him gravely. “You’re good for me. But we’ve been here a week and nothing is happening.”
Sharpe leaned forward and tugged his boots up over the overalls. “Don’t worry. Something will happen tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
“Tomorrow we fight.” This time though, he thought, we will be outnumbered.
She pulled her knees tight into her body, clasped them, and looked questioningly at him. “Are you frightened?”
“Yes.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Who’ll win?”
“I don’t know.”
“Will you get your Eagle?”
“I don’t know.”
She nodded seriously. “I have a present for you. I will give it to you after the battle.”
He was embarrassed. He did not have the money to buy presents. “I don’t want it. I want you.”
“You have me already.” She knew what he meant, but she deliberately misunderstood him. She watched him stand up. “You want your sword?”
“Yes.” Sharpe buckled the belt tight, pulling the scabbard into place.
She grinned at him. “Come and get it.