JК
Sharpes Eagle :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 149 из 203Sharpe sat beside her, saw the spreading yellow bruise on her unnaturally pale skin, and he took one of her hands that clutched at the fresh linen. She pulled away but he held on and her eyes opened.
“Richard?”
“Josefina. How are you?” It seemed a stupid thing to say but he could think of nothing else. She closed her eyes and the faintest smile came and went.
She opened her eyes again. “I’ll be all right.” There was a flash of the old Josefina, but as she spoke a tear ran from her eye and she sobbed and turned away from him. Sharpe turned to the doctor. “How is she?”
The doctor shrugged and looked hopelessly towards the landlady. Hogan intervened and rattled in his Spanish at the doctor. Sharpe listened to the voices and as he did he stroked the girl’s averted face. All he could think of was that he had failed her. He had promised to protect her and now this had happened, the worst, the unthinkable.
Hogan sat beside him. “She’ll be all right. She lost some blood.”
“How?”
Hogan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. “She was beaten, Richard. They were not gentle. But she’ll mend.”
Sharpe nodded. There was silence in the room but from the street outside Sharpe could hear the screams and shouts generated by the drunken Spanish soldiers. The girl turned back to him. She had stopped crying. Her voice was very low. “Richard?”
“Yes?”
“Kill them.” She spoke flatly. Hogan half shook his head but Sharpe bent down and kissed her by the ear.
“I will.”
As he straightened up he saw another half smile on the face, and then she forced it into a proper smile that went oddly with the tears. She squeezed his hand. “Will there be a battle tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Sharpe spoke as if the subject could be brushed away, as if it was not of importance.
“Be lucky.”
„I’ll come and see you afterwards.“ He smiled at her.
“Yes.” But there was no conviction in her voice. Sharpe turned to Hogan.
“You’ll stay?”
“Till daybreak. I’m not needed till then. But you should go-„
Sharpe nodded. “I know.” He kissed her again, stood up, and put on his rifle and pack. Hogan thought’his face was as cruel as a face could be. The Engineer walked with him to the stairs.
“Be careful, Richard.”
“I will.”
Hogan put a hand on his shoulder to stop him moving. “Remember what you have to lose.”
Sharpe nodded again. “Bring me news when you can.
“Richard?”
“Josefina. How are you?” It seemed a stupid thing to say but he could think of nothing else. She closed her eyes and the faintest smile came and went.
She opened her eyes again. “I’ll be all right.” There was a flash of the old Josefina, but as she spoke a tear ran from her eye and she sobbed and turned away from him. Sharpe turned to the doctor. “How is she?”
The doctor shrugged and looked hopelessly towards the landlady. Hogan intervened and rattled in his Spanish at the doctor. Sharpe listened to the voices and as he did he stroked the girl’s averted face. All he could think of was that he had failed her. He had promised to protect her and now this had happened, the worst, the unthinkable.
Hogan sat beside him. “She’ll be all right. She lost some blood.”
“How?”
Hogan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. “She was beaten, Richard. They were not gentle. But she’ll mend.”
Sharpe nodded. There was silence in the room but from the street outside Sharpe could hear the screams and shouts generated by the drunken Spanish soldiers. The girl turned back to him. She had stopped crying. Her voice was very low. “Richard?”
“Yes?”
“Kill them.” She spoke flatly. Hogan half shook his head but Sharpe bent down and kissed her by the ear.
“I will.”
As he straightened up he saw another half smile on the face, and then she forced it into a proper smile that went oddly with the tears. She squeezed his hand. “Will there be a battle tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Sharpe spoke as if the subject could be brushed away, as if it was not of importance.
“Be lucky.”
„I’ll come and see you afterwards.“ He smiled at her.
“Yes.” But there was no conviction in her voice. Sharpe turned to Hogan.
“You’ll stay?”
“Till daybreak. I’m not needed till then. But you should go-„
Sharpe nodded. “I know.” He kissed her again, stood up, and put on his rifle and pack. Hogan thought’his face was as cruel as a face could be. The Engineer walked with him to the stairs.
“Be careful, Richard.”
“I will.”
Hogan put a hand on his shoulder to stop him moving. “Remember what you have to lose.”
Sharpe nodded again. “Bring me news when you can.