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Sharpes Eagle :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 98 из 203” Berry blinked happily at Sharpe and flapped a hand genially around the smallgroup. The Rifleman hit him, hard in the stomach, and Berry’s mouth gaped like a fish. He doubled over and retched onto the grass.
Sharpe hauled him upright. “What happened?”
Berry stared at him, astonished. “You hit me!”
„I’ll bloody crucify you if you don’t talk.“
Berry spat something from his mouth, looked round as if for help, but none was coming. “We were playing cards. I won.”
“So?”
The plump Lieutenant shrugged. “There was an argument.” Berry pushed a lank piece of black hair from his forehead, as though trying to rescue a shred of dignity. “She refused to pay her debt.”
“It’s not true!” The girl was angry. “You cheated! I was winning!” She had stood up, taken two steps towards Berry.
Hogan saw her face and knew that she would scratch the Lieutenant’s eyes out, given half a chance. He took her elbow, restrained her. He, at least, knew that the truth of who won, who lost, or who cheated would probably never be known. “So what happened?” The Irish voice was soft.
Josefina gestured at Berry. “He wanted to rape me! Christian hit me!”
Sharpe turned towards Gibbons. The blond Lieutenant had scrambled to his feet and watched Sharpe walk towards him. There was a bloodstain on his white shirt, and Sharpe remembered the knife; Josefina had evidently cut at him but done little damage. “Is it true?” Sharpe asked.
“Is what true?” Gibbons’ voice was touched with contempt.
“That you hit her and that Lieutenant Berry tried to rape her?”
Gibbons laughed. “Trying to rape Josefina Lacosta is like forcing money onto a beggar. If you follow my meaning.”
Hogan knew he should step forward, that the tension was too much, but Sharpe broke the silence that followed Gibbons’ sneering remark. “Say that again.” Sharpe’s voice was menacing.
Gibbons looked scornfully at the Rifleman, and when he spoke his voice was invested with all the contempt he had for the lower classes. “Try and understand. We were playing cards. Miss Lacosta lost her money and staked her body instead. She refused to pay up and instead decamped with our money. That is all.”
“It’s not true!” Josefina was crying. She left Hogan’s side and came up to Sharpe, looked at him with her eyes wet with tears, and clasped the bag between her hands. “It is not true. We were playing cards. I won. They tried to steal it from me! I thought they were gentlemen!”
Gibbons laughed. Sharpe turned on him.
Sharpe hauled him upright. “What happened?”
Berry stared at him, astonished. “You hit me!”
„I’ll bloody crucify you if you don’t talk.“
Berry spat something from his mouth, looked round as if for help, but none was coming. “We were playing cards. I won.”
“So?”
The plump Lieutenant shrugged. “There was an argument.” Berry pushed a lank piece of black hair from his forehead, as though trying to rescue a shred of dignity. “She refused to pay her debt.”
“It’s not true!” The girl was angry. “You cheated! I was winning!” She had stood up, taken two steps towards Berry.
Hogan saw her face and knew that she would scratch the Lieutenant’s eyes out, given half a chance. He took her elbow, restrained her. He, at least, knew that the truth of who won, who lost, or who cheated would probably never be known. “So what happened?” The Irish voice was soft.
Josefina gestured at Berry. “He wanted to rape me! Christian hit me!”
Sharpe turned towards Gibbons. The blond Lieutenant had scrambled to his feet and watched Sharpe walk towards him. There was a bloodstain on his white shirt, and Sharpe remembered the knife; Josefina had evidently cut at him but done little damage. “Is it true?” Sharpe asked.
“Is what true?” Gibbons’ voice was touched with contempt.
“That you hit her and that Lieutenant Berry tried to rape her?”
Gibbons laughed. “Trying to rape Josefina Lacosta is like forcing money onto a beggar. If you follow my meaning.”
Hogan knew he should step forward, that the tension was too much, but Sharpe broke the silence that followed Gibbons’ sneering remark. “Say that again.” Sharpe’s voice was menacing.
Gibbons looked scornfully at the Rifleman, and when he spoke his voice was invested with all the contempt he had for the lower classes. “Try and understand. We were playing cards. Miss Lacosta lost her money and staked her body instead. She refused to pay up and instead decamped with our money. That is all.”
“It’s not true!” Josefina was crying. She left Hogan’s side and came up to Sharpe, looked at him with her eyes wet with tears, and clasped the bag between her hands. “It is not true. We were playing cards. I won. They tried to steal it from me! I thought they were gentlemen!”
Gibbons laughed. Sharpe turned on him.