JК
Sharpes Sword :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 140 из 213”
Spears smiled at her. “A wasp, Helena, threatening my virtue.”
“Such a tiny thing to threaten.” She looked at Sharpe. “You’re happy here, Captain?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She made polite conversation for Spears’ benefit. “The house is rather pretty. My husband’s great-uncle built it. He was a leper, so he was forced to live outside the city. The house was built here and he could rot away happily on his own. They say he looked perfectly dreadful which is why there are such high walls.”
Spears grinned. “I hope you scrubbed the place before you put Sharpe here.”
She looked at him, smiled, then touched his cheek with her fan. “Such a charming man you are, Jack. Tell my coachman to get ready, will you?”
Spears half bowed. “You’ll be safe with Sharpe?”
„I’ll risk it, Jack. Now begone.“
She watched Spears walk towards the house and then drew Sharpe into the shade of some bushes. A stone bench was set in a small clearing and she ^at on it. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought him.”
“I think you should.”
She seemed unmoved by that. “Why?”
“He is your guard. It’s his job.”
She watched Sharpe for a few seconds. “How do you deduce that, Richard?”
He felt confused. First Spears had reacted almost violently, and now La Marquesa was quizzing him as if he was rendering the accounts for her estates. Then he thought that she must be frightened. If Spears had told Sharpe, then Spears was not to be trusted. He smiled at her. “First, he’s here with you. Second, I asked him. He didn’t offer the information, in fact he was quite angry that I knew.”
She nodded. “Good. What did he say?”
“That he was the guard for El Mirador.” He smiled. “La Miradora.”
She smiled at that. “There’s no such word, I’ve told you. Miradors are masculine in Spanish, they cannot be feminine. He can be trusted?”
“He got quite angry.”
She sighed, then twitched her fan at a fly. “He’s a fool, Richard. He’s no money, he’s gambled it all away, but he is amusing sometimes. Are you jealous?”
“No.”
“Liar.” She smiled at him. “I won’t let him come again. He insisted tonight.” She laughed at him. “You remind me tonight of the first time we met. You bristled with dignity. You were so ready to take offence.”
“And you to give it.”
“And something else, Richard.”
“Yes.” He sat beside her. She could see the new colour in his face.
Spears smiled at her. “A wasp, Helena, threatening my virtue.”
“Such a tiny thing to threaten.” She looked at Sharpe. “You’re happy here, Captain?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She made polite conversation for Spears’ benefit. “The house is rather pretty. My husband’s great-uncle built it. He was a leper, so he was forced to live outside the city. The house was built here and he could rot away happily on his own. They say he looked perfectly dreadful which is why there are such high walls.”
Spears grinned. “I hope you scrubbed the place before you put Sharpe here.”
She looked at him, smiled, then touched his cheek with her fan. “Such a charming man you are, Jack. Tell my coachman to get ready, will you?”
Spears half bowed. “You’ll be safe with Sharpe?”
„I’ll risk it, Jack. Now begone.“
She watched Spears walk towards the house and then drew Sharpe into the shade of some bushes. A stone bench was set in a small clearing and she ^at on it. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought him.”
“I think you should.”
She seemed unmoved by that. “Why?”
“He is your guard. It’s his job.”
She watched Sharpe for a few seconds. “How do you deduce that, Richard?”
He felt confused. First Spears had reacted almost violently, and now La Marquesa was quizzing him as if he was rendering the accounts for her estates. Then he thought that she must be frightened. If Spears had told Sharpe, then Spears was not to be trusted. He smiled at her. “First, he’s here with you. Second, I asked him. He didn’t offer the information, in fact he was quite angry that I knew.”
She nodded. “Good. What did he say?”
“That he was the guard for El Mirador.” He smiled. “La Miradora.”
She smiled at that. “There’s no such word, I’ve told you. Miradors are masculine in Spanish, they cannot be feminine. He can be trusted?”
“He got quite angry.”
She sighed, then twitched her fan at a fly. “He’s a fool, Richard. He’s no money, he’s gambled it all away, but he is amusing sometimes. Are you jealous?”
“No.”
“Liar.” She smiled at him. “I won’t let him come again. He insisted tonight.” She laughed at him. “You remind me tonight of the first time we met. You bristled with dignity. You were so ready to take offence.”
“And you to give it.”
“And something else, Richard.”
“Yes.” He sat beside her. She could see the new colour in his face.