JК
Sharpes Havoc :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 87 из 242„I know what you’re going to say,” Kate said, „that it’s time for you to go.”
„Yes,” Sharpe said, „and I think you should come with us.”
„I must wait for James,” Kate said. She went to a sideboard and, by the light of the moon, poured a glass of port. „For you,” she said.
„How long did the Colonel say he would be?” Sharpe asked.
„A week, maybe ten days.”
„It’s been more than two weeks,” Sharpe said, „very nearly three.”
„He ordered you to wait here,” Kate said.
„Not through eternity,” Sharpe replied. He went to the sideboard and took the port which was Savages’ finest.
„You can’t leave me here,” Kate said.
„I don’t intend to,” Sharpe said. The moon made a shadow of her cheek and glinted from her eyes and he felt a pang of jealousy for Colonel Christopher. „I think you should come.”
„No,” Kate said with a note of petulance, then turned a pleading face to Sharpe. „You can’t leave me here alone!”
„I’m a soldier,” Sharpe said, „and I’ve waited long enough. There’s supposed to be a war in this country, and I’m just sitting here like a lump.”
Kate had tears in her eyes. „What’s happened to him?”
„Maybe he got new orders in Lisbon,” Sharpe suggested.
„Then why doesn’t he write?”
„Because we’re in enemy country now, ma’am,” Sharpe said brutally, „and maybe he can’t get a message to us.” That was very unlikely, Sharpe thought, because Christopher seemed to have plenty of friends among the French. Perhaps the Colonel had been arrested in Lisbon. Or killed by partisans. „He’s probably waiting for you to come south,” he said instead of voicing those thoughts.
„He would send a message,” Kate protested. „I’m sure he’s on his way.”
„Are you?” Sharpe asked.
She sat on a gilt chair, staring out of the window. „He must come back,” she said softly and Sharpe could tell from her tone that she had virtually given up hope.
„If you think he’s coming back,” he said, „then you must wait for him. But I’m taking my men south.” He would leave the next night, he decided. March in the dark, go south, find the river and search its bank for a boat, any boat. Even a tree trunk would do, anything that could float them across the Douro.
„Do you know why I married him?” Kate suddenly asked.
Sharpe was so astounded by the question that he did not answer. He just gazed at her.
„Yes,” Sharpe said, „and I think you should come with us.”
„I must wait for James,” Kate said. She went to a sideboard and, by the light of the moon, poured a glass of port. „For you,” she said.
„How long did the Colonel say he would be?” Sharpe asked.
„A week, maybe ten days.”
„It’s been more than two weeks,” Sharpe said, „very nearly three.”
„He ordered you to wait here,” Kate said.
„Not through eternity,” Sharpe replied. He went to the sideboard and took the port which was Savages’ finest.
„You can’t leave me here,” Kate said.
„I don’t intend to,” Sharpe said. The moon made a shadow of her cheek and glinted from her eyes and he felt a pang of jealousy for Colonel Christopher. „I think you should come.”
„No,” Kate said with a note of petulance, then turned a pleading face to Sharpe. „You can’t leave me here alone!”
„I’m a soldier,” Sharpe said, „and I’ve waited long enough. There’s supposed to be a war in this country, and I’m just sitting here like a lump.”
Kate had tears in her eyes. „What’s happened to him?”
„Maybe he got new orders in Lisbon,” Sharpe suggested.
„Then why doesn’t he write?”
„Because we’re in enemy country now, ma’am,” Sharpe said brutally, „and maybe he can’t get a message to us.” That was very unlikely, Sharpe thought, because Christopher seemed to have plenty of friends among the French. Perhaps the Colonel had been arrested in Lisbon. Or killed by partisans. „He’s probably waiting for you to come south,” he said instead of voicing those thoughts.
„He would send a message,” Kate protested. „I’m sure he’s on his way.”
„Are you?” Sharpe asked.
She sat on a gilt chair, staring out of the window. „He must come back,” she said softly and Sharpe could tell from her tone that she had virtually given up hope.
„If you think he’s coming back,” he said, „then you must wait for him. But I’m taking my men south.” He would leave the next night, he decided. March in the dark, go south, find the river and search its bank for a boat, any boat. Even a tree trunk would do, anything that could float them across the Douro.
„Do you know why I married him?” Kate suddenly asked.
Sharpe was so astounded by the question that he did not answer. He just gazed at her.