Disclaimer: These are works of fan-fiction created for entertainment. It is not the intention of the author to infringe on anyone's copyright. No rights infringement intended. Warning: General Audience

The Sharpe Fan Fictions of Paul K.

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Bernard Cornwell’s

SHARPE’S banquet

Richard Sharpe and the
Waterloo Banquet


Novel by Paul Kaster

Chapter 1
1822 April

France
Seleglise

Richard Sharpe stood in the upper orchard of the Château Lassan. The apple trees were in full bloom. Sharpe was proud of how the orchard had expanded each year for the past seven years. Sharpe had moved to the estate after the battle of Waterloo. He had fought with the British, but had settled and raised a family with the woman who is the heir of the family estates of Château Lassan.

“We have more trees than last year and the each tree appears to have more blossoms, too. That should mean more apples, n’est pas Patrick?” Sharpe asked his son.

“Oui, papa.”

Patrick is Sharpe’s son with Lucille Castineau, ne Lassan, Vicomtessa de Seleglise. They also have a two-year old daughter, Dominique. Lucille raises them as French. And, she continues to have Sharpe improve his French. Even as he has spoken and read French more, Sharpe wants his children to be able to speak English as well as French. When they are with him, they speak English.

“Maman thinks that we will have more this year.”

“We have had many good years here. Each year since the end of the war, we have made our farm bigger.”

“Maman likes that we have so many chickens, ducks. geese, hogs, sheep, cows, oxen and horses, oui?” he says.

“She very much likes that we have some nice horses. Besides the oxen and big horse that pull the wains, she has her favorite cheval et trappe.”

“She calls them that. English is horse and trap.”

“Oui, horse and trap.”

Sharpe knows that Patrick likes the pony too. Lucille lets him ride when she is not using the pony to pull her two-wheeled trap to and from the village.

“She likes that we have all the animals and the fruits to produce jambon, agneau, veau, fromage, confiture, lait, crème, and cidre.”

“Ham, lamb, veal, cheese, marmelade, milk, cream and cider in English, Patrick.”

“Oui, papa. And you like the milk for your tea. Maman likes the cream for her coffee.”

Sharpe smiles. He does like having milk and sugar for his tea. He holds the habit of drinking tea with milk and sugar from his days in the army. Tea was included in the army’s rations. While coffee is more popular in France, he is happy that they have been successful enough for him to buy good tea from England.

Patrick is watching the others working in the orchard. “Monsieur Malan will be happy with more apples, oui?”

“Yes, Mister Malan is happy that he works with us. With so many apples, we produce so much cider and than make it into brandy. We pay him to work here, but I think that we could pay him with brandy.”

Jacques Malan is like many of the men that work on the farm. He had served in the French army and had risen to be a sergeant in Napoleon’s Imperial Guard. Malan had disliked that Sharpe, an English rifleman, was living in his community. But, Malan had helped Sharpe to defeat a group of former French dragoons who were holding Sharpe’s family for ransom. Since then, Malan has worked for Lucille and Sharpe and has become a friend of the family. Although he still refers to Sharpe as ‘The Englishman’, but as friendly jest.

Sharpe watches Malan and the others caring for the trees in the orchard. The sun was warm on a Spring day.

“Warm weather comes early this year. If we have enough rain with the warmth, we should have a very good harvest.”

Patrick interrupts Sharpe. “Papa, maman signals for you.”

Sharpe looks to the house. Lucille is waving for him to come.”

“Let’s go see what she wants, eh?”


Lucille Castineau watches Sharpe and Patrick come from the orchard. She could have waited until meal time to share the news that she has, but thinks that is too important to wait.

“Richard, la poste t'a apporté une lettre.”

Normally, they must retrieve or send postal items from the Poste building in the village, which delivers and receives from Caen only twice per week.

She hands him a paper envelope. Sharpe has seen enough official English documents to recognize this as something that has come from London. That letter is sealed with wax and the image captured in the wax, he recognizes. “This is from Wellington,” he says.

Lucille makes a face. “Quand Wellington t'envoie chercher, tu y vas, n'est-ce pas ?”

She is right to worry that he is being requested to go to serve Wellington again. Every time prior that Wellington needed him to serve with his soldier skills, he has gone.

Sharpe breaks the seal and unfolds the envelope to find a formal invitation card enclosed. A separate piece of paper is included. Lawford has sent a note.

My Dear Sharpe,


The Duke invites us to join him to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. You are one of the few that has fought with the Duke from his first to his last battle. As you saved the Duke’s and my life, I encourage you to come as a long, overdue appreciation of your service. I can recommend that you find lodgings at Nerot’s Hotel. Nerot’s is close to Apsley House. I recommend that you stay for 2-3 days before and after the dinner.

Your obedient servant,


The Honorable Sir William Lawford

The Duke of Wellington requests the honor of Lt. Col. Richard Sharpe’s Company at Dinner on Tuesday The 18th of June at Seven o’Clock to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo Apsley House The favor of an Answer is desired.

He reads the letter twice before showing it to Lucille.

“A dinner? London? June?”

“Oui.”

Lucille asks in English, “Will you go?” She knows that Richard remains proud to be a soldier. But, because he grew up as an orphan, survived on the streets of London as a thief, and joined the army as a common soldier to escape the law he was not comfortable when he joined with other officers. He had been promoted to be an officer after he saved Wellington’s life in India. Most other officers came from families with money and had bought their commissions. They were ‘gentlemen’. Richard was not. She has seen how the others treat him, until there is an enemy to fight.

Sharpe does not immediately answer.

“Five years ago, the last time that Wellington had sent for you, you went. It was to return to India on a mission.”

“Yes, and I was barely returned, than Señora Vivar requested that I find her husband in South America. Patrick Harper and I went. We were gone for a year. We just returned from that journey in December.”

“Richard, does not the invitation come to you from Wellington?”

“Yes, it does.”

“And, does not your friend Lawford send a personal note with it, too?”

“Yes, Lawford sent his own note and recommends a lodging for me to use while I am in London. He says that I may need to stay for a few days. The lodgings will be located close to Wellington’s house.”

“If Wellington intends to send you off again, why would Lawford recommend for you to stay several days?”

Sharpe pauses. Lucille has a way of thinking about things. She is right that throughout his life, when Wellesley, now the Duke of Wellington, has called on Sharpe, he has answered the call.

They had met nearly thirty years ago when Sharpe had first joined the army. They had fought on many battlefields together with the final battle time being at Waterloo seven years ago. He has a family now. He lives in France. The army is his past.

“I should not go. The army pays my pension, but I no longer serve the army. I have a family and home here in France.”

“Oui, my dear Richard. We love you. Dominique and Henri-Patrick adore you. They will miss you and welcome you when you return. You should go. This may be important. It may be more important than the last time which sent you back to India. At that time, Lawford did not send to you, only Wellington.”

Lucille goes to him. She holds him. Sharpe wraps his arms around her.

“My dear Richard, I have a feeling about this time.”

She pauses.

“Oui, a strong feeling. I think that it will be very important for you to go. I will miss you and wait for you to return.”

She smiles at him, then kisses him.

He looks down into her face.

“Well, if you have a feeling, then I MUST go, eh?”

“Absolument.”

She smiles and nods her head.

“You MUST go.”

“I will send to Lawford that I will attend and ask him to arrange for me to stay at the Nerot hotel lodging that he recommends.”

“Before you go, we shall celebrate your birthday.”

“Then, I will arrange to leave June 9. Until then, you and the children have me.” He hugs her to him.

The next day, Sharpe writes to reply to Wellington and Lawford. To Lawford, he sends that he accepts his recommendation to stay at the Nerot. He anticipates that he will arrive on June 13th. To Wellington, he simply replies that he will attend.


Lucille and the children convinced him to stay for his birthday. They will celebrate on June 8th. He did not know the exact date of his birthday, but his mother had been killed on June 8th. He therefore believed that his birthday was some time at the beginning of June. He had come to celebrate on June 8th, which was the day that his mother had died.

He barely remembers that his mother planned to celebrate his birthday when she was killed during the Gordon Riots. On her last day with him she told him that he would soon be four. The master of the orphanage told Sharpe when he was older, that the woman who took him to the orphanage after his mother was killed, told the master that Sharpe was three years old. Later in his life, he had learned that the Gordon Riots had taken place in June of 1780. This year, although he could be 45, he will celebrate that he is 46 years old.

He will have several weeks to prepare for the birthday and to travel and to enjoy time with his family. Then it will be off to London to discover what Wellington intends for him this time.

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