JК
Sharpes Sword :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 91 из 213It’s not bloody funny, I know, but Christ!” He shrugged. “Mother’s going to be upset. Sorry, Mother.”
“Have you got anything left?”
“The dower house. Few acres in Hertfordshire. A horse. Sabre. The family name.” He laughed again, then linked his good arm into Sharpe’s and led him across the Plaza. His voice was serious, pleading. “Who have you been with? Someone. You weren’t home last night and that frighten-ingly enormous Sergeant of yours didn’t know where you were. Where were you?”
“Just out.”
“You think we Spears are foolish? That we don’t know? That we can’t be sympathetic to a fellow sinner?” He stop-ped, pulled his arm free, and clicked his fingers. “Helena! You bastard! You’ve been with Helena!”
“Don’t be so ridiculous!”
“Ridiculous? Nonsense. She never appeared at that party of hers, she was said to be ill, and she hasn’t been seen since. Nor have you. Good God! You lucky bastard! Admit it!”
“It is not true.” Even to Sharpe it sounded lame.
“It is true.” Spears was grinning with delight. “All right, if it ain’t true, who were you with?”
“I’ve told you, no one.”
Spears took a deep breath and bellowed at the shuttered windows of the Plaza. “Good morning Salamanca! I have an announcement to make!” He grinned at Sharpe. „I’ll tell them, Richard, unless you admit the truth to me.“ He took another deep breath.
Sharpe interrupted him. “Dolores.”
“Dolores?” Spears’ grin grew wider.
“She’s a cobbler’s daughter. She likes Riflemen.”
Spears laughed. “You don’t say! Dolores, the cobbler’s daughter? Are you going to introduce me?”
“She’s shy.”
“Oh! Shy. How the hell did you meet her, then?”
“I helped her in the street.”
“Of course!” Spears pretended total belief. “You were on your way to feed the stray dogs or help the orphans, right? And you just helped her. Dropped her cobbles, had she?”
“Don’t mock. She’s only got one leg. Some bastard sawed off the bottom two inches of her peg.”
“A one-legged cobbler’s daughter? Saves her father a decent bit of money, no doubt. You’re a liar, Richard Sharpe.”
“I swear it.”
Spears took a huge breath and bellowed again.
“Have you got anything left?”
“The dower house. Few acres in Hertfordshire. A horse. Sabre. The family name.” He laughed again, then linked his good arm into Sharpe’s and led him across the Plaza. His voice was serious, pleading. “Who have you been with? Someone. You weren’t home last night and that frighten-ingly enormous Sergeant of yours didn’t know where you were. Where were you?”
“Just out.”
“You think we Spears are foolish? That we don’t know? That we can’t be sympathetic to a fellow sinner?” He stop-ped, pulled his arm free, and clicked his fingers. “Helena! You bastard! You’ve been with Helena!”
“Don’t be so ridiculous!”
“Ridiculous? Nonsense. She never appeared at that party of hers, she was said to be ill, and she hasn’t been seen since. Nor have you. Good God! You lucky bastard! Admit it!”
“It is not true.” Even to Sharpe it sounded lame.
“It is true.” Spears was grinning with delight. “All right, if it ain’t true, who were you with?”
“I’ve told you, no one.”
Spears took a deep breath and bellowed at the shuttered windows of the Plaza. “Good morning Salamanca! I have an announcement to make!” He grinned at Sharpe. „I’ll tell them, Richard, unless you admit the truth to me.“ He took another deep breath.
Sharpe interrupted him. “Dolores.”
“Dolores?” Spears’ grin grew wider.
“She’s a cobbler’s daughter. She likes Riflemen.”
Spears laughed. “You don’t say! Dolores, the cobbler’s daughter? Are you going to introduce me?”
“She’s shy.”
“Oh! Shy. How the hell did you meet her, then?”
“I helped her in the street.”
“Of course!” Spears pretended total belief. “You were on your way to feed the stray dogs or help the orphans, right? And you just helped her. Dropped her cobbles, had she?”
“Don’t mock. She’s only got one leg. Some bastard sawed off the bottom two inches of her peg.”
“A one-legged cobbler’s daughter? Saves her father a decent bit of money, no doubt. You’re a liar, Richard Sharpe.”
“I swear it.”
Spears took a huge breath and bellowed again.