JК
Sharpes Havoc :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 61 из 242„God knows where the army fetch some of their officers these days, but they dredgedthis fellow up from beneath a rock. And the Lady Grace set up an establishment with him! Quite extraordinary. But some well-bred women like to go fishing in the dirty end of the lake, and I fear she must have been one of them.” He shook his head in disapproval. „It gets worse,” he went on, „because she became pregnant and then died giving birth.”
„Poor woman!” Kate said and marveled that her lover could tell this tale so calmly for it would surely remind him of his own first wife’s death. „And what happened to the baby?” she asked.
„I believe the child died too. But it was probably for the best. It ended the scandal, and what future could such an infant have faced? Whatever, the father of the child was this same wretched rifleman who was supposed to whisk you away across the river. I sent him packing, I can tell you!” Christopher laughed at the recollection. „He scowled at me, he looked grim and claimed he had his orders, but I wouldn’t stand his nonsense and told him to make himself scarce. I hardly wanted such a disreputable rogue glowering at my wedding!”
„Indeed not,” Kate agreed.
„Of course I didn’t tell him I knew his reputation. There was no call to embarrass the fellow.”
„Quite right,” Kate said and squeezed her lover’s arm. Luis appeared behind them, driving a small dusty gig that had been stored in the Quinta’s stables and to which he had harnessed his own horse. Christopher stopped halfway to the village and picked some of the small delicate wild narcissi that grew on the road’s verge and he insisted on threading the yellow blossoms into Kate’s black hair, and then he kissed her again and told her she was beautiful and Kate thought this had to be the happiest day of her life. The sun shone, a small wind stirred the flower-bright meadows and her man was beside her.
Father Josefa was waiting at the church, having been summoned by Christopher on his way to the Quinta, but before any ceremony could be performed the priest took the Englishman aside. „I have been worrying,” the priest said, „that what you propose is irregular.”
„Irregular, Father?”
„You are Protestants?” the priest asked and, when Christopher nodded, he sighed. „The church says that only those who take our sacraments can be married.”
„And your church is right,” Christopher said emolliently. He looked at Kate, standing alone in the white-painted chancel, and he thought she looked like an angel with the yellow flowers in her hair.
„Poor woman!” Kate said and marveled that her lover could tell this tale so calmly for it would surely remind him of his own first wife’s death. „And what happened to the baby?” she asked.
„I believe the child died too. But it was probably for the best. It ended the scandal, and what future could such an infant have faced? Whatever, the father of the child was this same wretched rifleman who was supposed to whisk you away across the river. I sent him packing, I can tell you!” Christopher laughed at the recollection. „He scowled at me, he looked grim and claimed he had his orders, but I wouldn’t stand his nonsense and told him to make himself scarce. I hardly wanted such a disreputable rogue glowering at my wedding!”
„Indeed not,” Kate agreed.
„Of course I didn’t tell him I knew his reputation. There was no call to embarrass the fellow.”
„Quite right,” Kate said and squeezed her lover’s arm. Luis appeared behind them, driving a small dusty gig that had been stored in the Quinta’s stables and to which he had harnessed his own horse. Christopher stopped halfway to the village and picked some of the small delicate wild narcissi that grew on the road’s verge and he insisted on threading the yellow blossoms into Kate’s black hair, and then he kissed her again and told her she was beautiful and Kate thought this had to be the happiest day of her life. The sun shone, a small wind stirred the flower-bright meadows and her man was beside her.
Father Josefa was waiting at the church, having been summoned by Christopher on his way to the Quinta, but before any ceremony could be performed the priest took the Englishman aside. „I have been worrying,” the priest said, „that what you propose is irregular.”
„Irregular, Father?”
„You are Protestants?” the priest asked and, when Christopher nodded, he sighed. „The church says that only those who take our sacraments can be married.”
„And your church is right,” Christopher said emolliently. He looked at Kate, standing alone in the white-painted chancel, and he thought she looked like an angel with the yellow flowers in her hair.