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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Sharpe's Family

PART III

Chapter 12

JUNE, 1792
YORKSHIRE – KEIGHLEY

Richard Sharpe has worked at the Black Horse Inn for more than three years. He woke early before sunrise. He is happy that the days are warmer and that he had more light to work in. Most days for him are the same.

Today, he plans to make it different. It is his birthday, or at least he thinks that it is his birthday. At the orphanage, he had learned that it was the month of June when he was taken there. He remembered that before his mother died, she had told him that his birthday was a few days away. She told him that she would make it a special day for the two of them. He remembers the month but, not how old he is. He is still not sure that his age is fifteen or sixteen.

To those at the inn, no one calls him a boy anymore. Richard has grown each year. Now, he stands six feet tall. He is taller than Mr. Willett. He stands taller than most men that come and go. And, he has grown much taller than Matt Truman who continues to fight with Richard.

When he finishes the coaches, he will ask Mr. Willett if he may leave go to walk before the next coaches arrive. Mr. Willet had asked where he goes. Richard told him that he likes to stretch his legs and learn about the area. Each time that he has gone, he has returned before Mr. Willett needed him. Mr. Willett trusts that when he leaves, he will return on time.

Often, he has gone back to the stream that crosses the road to Oakworth. He has explored the ‘cave’. When he ventured inside, the space inside surprised him. Although he could not stand erect, he could comfortably sit inside as if it was a small room at the inn. On one visit, he brought a tinder box with him to strike a fire as he had seen Catherall do when starting a cold fire at the inn. From the light of the small fire, he could see no signs of water seepage. Since then, through all seasons it has remained dry. As he has accumulated ‘treasures’, he wrapped them in oiled cloths and stored them in the cave. Each time there, he has carefully made the space bigger so that he is able to sit in the space with some comfort. As he has found items that others have left at the inn, he has added some of them to increase his comfort in the cave.

With branches that have fallen from trees, he has obscured the opening to the cave so that only he knows that it is there. When he goes there, he is very careful to make sure that no one follows him or that he leaves no signs for anyone to see.

With morning coaches finished, he eats his breakfast. Elsie is busy, so he was able to talk only briefly with her. While he eats, several men came into the inn. They ordered food and drink and sat at one of the tables for the coach guests. Richard had not seen them at the inn before, but has seen some of them around the village. No coaches had come in. He wondered why they were there. As Elsie passed him going back to the cook area, he asked her to join him.

“Elsie, who are those men?”

“They talk about some game that they play with a ball and a stick. I don’t understand it. Something about a pitch and scoring runs. Don’t know what a run is.”

“Thank you, Elsie.”

Richard watches the dozen men talk. He wonders if it is the same game that he had played at the orphanage or watched being played at Marylebone in London. When he finishes eating, he moves closer to the men. One of them notices him.

“What you want, boy?”

“Do you play cricket?”

“How do you know cricket, boy?”

“Watched them play at Marylebone in London.”

“At Marylebone was it. Listen up lads. We have someone who knows cricket from London.”

One of the men that stands near Richard extends a hand to Richard. “My name’s Hartley. What’s yours?”

“Sharpe. Richard Sharpe. I work here.”

The group of men gather in front of Richard. One who has been leading the talk with the others offers his hand. “Name’s Small. Call me John. All of us are from here. Must be you came from somewhere else. You sound like those what comes from London. We know everyone grows up here.

“Yes. Almost four years past came here from London.”

“From London, you came. Most people go the other way. What brings you here? Heard Keighley has a cricket team, eh?” Small chuckles.

“No work in London. Headed north. Driver told me he might get me work here. Now working at this inn.”

“Well, Dick Sharpe, welcome to Keighley. Why haven’t we seen you before?”

“Mr. Willett keeps me busy with the coaches and horses. Sometimes go to the orphanage to help.”

“Coaching inn and orphanage. Four years. Not an adventurer are you?”

“No sir. Just the adventure to come from London.”

“Boy is quick, eh John?” Hartley elbows Small.

“Aye. Quick. We are the Keighley cricket team. Lord Stanwyck likes to wager. He saw cricket played in London. Won some money. Thinks he can make us a team that he can have some sport with teams from other villages in Yorkshire. April, selected us to be his team.”

“These men are healthy and can leave their work to practice and play. There are teams at Skipton, Bradford, Halifax, and Yeadon. This year, we played two matches so far. We lost both. We do not bowl or bat well. Today, we talked about how we can get better. How do you bat? Bowl? Sharpe?

“Bat fair. Not bowled before. Watched good bowlers bowl. Maybe I can copy. Maybe not.”

“What’s to copy? Bowler bowls the ball fast as he can. Tries to bounce the ball in front of the batsman in a way that the batsman can’t hit it too well.”

“Mr. Small, Marylebone bowlers bowl fast and slow. Some can spin the ball so it bounce up towards or away from a batsman.”

“Different speeds? Different bounces? Think you can do that? Interested to play?”

Interested. Don’t know if I can leave the inn.”

“Eagleton likes to bet. His bets now only are how badly we will lose. If you can help him to win some money, maybe he will let you have time to play with us. I will ask Willett if we can have you between coaches to practice. Don’t need all of us. Just two or three to practicing bowling and batting.”

Richard is excited that he may be able to join the team. If he plays well, he can have time to have some freedom for more than sleep, work and eat.

“When can we start?”

“Let me talk with Davey.”

“He’s in the yard.”

“Come with me, then.”

Richard and John leave the others to go to the yard. Outside, John sees Davey. He quickly explains what he wants to do with Richard.

“John, As long as Richard finishes his work first, you can have for your cricket game. Needs to be back for the next coach. Route times are regular. No excuses for you to miss having him back. Understand?”

“We’ll have Dick back on time. No late return.”

“First time, he returns late, ye can’t have him no more. Dick, you understand?”

“I understand, Mr. Willett.”

John Small offers his hand to Richard. “Welcome to the Keighley cricket team, Dick Sharpe.”

Sharpe wanted to make his birthday special. It is special. He missed playing cricket since he left London. Now he has a chance to play again. He will be a member of the Keighley cricket team.



JULY, 1792
YORKSHIRE – SKIPTON

Since that first meeting in June, John Small met with Richard three times per week on afternoons when Richard finished with the morning coaches. Near the inn was a field that was fairly flat and could be used to practice. John would set up the wicket. Richard then took turns bowling and batting.

He played in matches with Bradford and Shipley. Small used him as a fielder and striker only. Richard demonstrated that he can field and bat well enough. Small and Hartley were wicket keepers. Haggard and Creighton bowled. Both bowled fast speed only. Richard was used as a leg side fielder. He has demonstrated that he can run quickly. He saved several runs by running the ball down before it reached the boundary. When it was his turn to bat, he demonstrated that he can hit well. Many of the team’s runs were scored when he batted.

Despite the efforts of the team, they lost because the other teams could hit and score often when they adjusted to the speed that Haggard and Creighton bowled. Even though they lost, Mr. Eagleton was pleased as he had won small amounts of money on each match.

Small arranged a match with Skipton at their pitch at Sandylands for July 14. Richard would really like to win this match as Matthew Truman plays for the Skipton team. The first week of July, Small was talking with Richard at the inn when Truman came in.

“Dick Sharpe. You still here? Thought you would have left by now. Hear you play cricket. Can’t be any good. Lost to Bradford and Shipley. They buried you with runs.”

Small listens to Truman. “Ignore him Dick. Talk with your bat when we play.”

“Yes, Sharpe. Stay quiet. Just like your bats will be when we play.”

Elsie moves to them. “Matt Truman. What busines do you have here? If none, then go. We have work to do.”

Both the boys notice Elsie. Each year she has grown prettier and with all the curves that her shape is now that of a woman and not a girl.

Matt looks to Elsie. “Needed a word with Davey.”

“Then have your word and go. We don’t have time for Dick and you to wrestle again.”

“Wrestle, bah. I beat him good.”

“Elsie told you to move on Matt. We’ll see you on the pitch soon, eh?”

Matt decides to move on. As he heads to the yard, “Good to see you Elsie.”

To Small and Sharpe. “See you on the pitch.”

When he has gone. Elsie says to Richard. “Dick, don’t let him rile you. He is important with the factory owners. You only have us on your side. If the two of you are trouble, the town will get rid of you, not him.”

“Aye Dick. Girl makes a good point.”

“Yes, Elsie. I’ll not fight him, unless I have no choice.”

“Let’s beat him on the pitch, eh, Dick? Think you can bowl that slow and fast way that you saw in London?”

“Can try.”

“We have time before the coaches. Let’s try it.”

When they came back. Both Small and Richard were talking excitedly about what they had learned. Richard had been able to bowl with different speeds and to make the ball spin to the left or right. Small had tried to bat the different speeds. Several times, Richard was able to make him miss or to hit the ball feebly that a fielder would be able to end his bat.

“No one bowls curves or different speed here, Dick. I had terrible time trying to decide where the ball will go after it bounces. Can ye teach the others to do that too?”

“I will try.”

“I need to tell Mr. Eagleton. He may want to change his wagers to win more if we win. Now he wagers only for the difference in how much we will lose.”

Richard remembers how men wagered at Beaky Malone’s in London. Beaky would use tricks with the dogs to win the big wagers.

Bowling different changes chances to hold the other team’s runs. We need to score more when we bat.”

“At Skipton, we bat first. Bowl second. Skipton bowlers are fast, but we can hit them. You bat second. Think we can score big before we have to bowl.”

Richard nods that he understands.

“I can have you bowl the even overs. Haggard bowls wicked fast. Skipton will think we bowl fast. I hear that Matt Truman be their second striker. If’n you can fool him with your slow speed or curves, we can hold them. The next nine batters are not as good as Rowe and Truman. After the Rowe is out, Truman will be striker. I’ll have Haggard bowl the first overs that he can. He can start with fast bowling. He bowls terribly fast. Will bring you in from field for the next overs. Everyone here has seen only fast bowls. You can mix speeds and curves. If we can hold Rowe and Truman under 30 runs, we have a chance.”

Richard likes John’s plan. Next week, may be their team’s first victory.

Mr. Eagleton came to the inn the night before the cricket match. He agreed to let Willett harness the spare coach so that the team may ride to Skipton together. Hook volunteered to drive them.

On the morning of the match, he asked Mr. Eagleton for Richard to sit in the box with him.

“Dick, boy, Small tells me that you bowl wickedly fierce. Have some tricks, eh? Give us a chance to win, today?”

“Don’t know if we will win. Know I can bowl different than just fast. Small has trouble hitting.

To Hook, Eagleton says. “If the team wins, you may let Sharpe drive on the return.”

Richard is excited that he may officially drive the coach. Hook has sometimes taken him on a coach and taught him to drive. They have always been careful that no one sees him driving.

The team was ready to leave shortly after the morning coaches departed. Willett, Catherall, and Elsie come outside to send them off. Half the team, Small, Haggard, Creighton, Atkinson, Dalton and Henry ride inside. The others, Hartley, Ingham, Oldroyd, Plunkett, and Stott ride outside. Mr. Eagleton left on Lear before the northbound coach departed. They would see him at the Skipton pitch.

Richard enjoyed riding on the coach. Hook talked to him about the match.

“Well Dick. Today must be special that Mr. Eagleton has put up the coach for all of you to ride.”

“Just another match, Mr. Hook.”

“Well, many of us have cousins or other family on the Skipton team. Match will be like brothers playing. Spirits will be high. Keighley is the little brother to Skipton. Three hundred years younger. Always rivalry between the two. You coming from London won’t know that.”

“No, but Mr. Small has told me that if we can win, it will be special. Besides, I think you would like to beat that Truman lad, eh?

“Yes, would be good.”

Hook guides the horses to Skipton until they reach Sandylands pitch. Men have gathered around the perimeter to watch. Small gathers his team on the west side of the field. Skipton’s team is on the east. Keighley will bat first. Small provides the umpire with Keighley’s batting order. Richard is listed in the openers in the top order. This will be his first time to bat higher than one of the middle orders.

“Dick, take your place in the north crease. You bat second.”

As Dick stands in the crease at his end of the field, Matt Truman calls “Dick Sharpe. Batting openers. This will be a fast inning. Today we should win by eight wickets.”

Sharpe ignores him as he watches the bowler to his left prepare to start the first over. Stott will be their first striker. Dick needs to be ready. Stott can bat, but mostly strikes the ball in a way that he must run to score. Jeremy bats well before he is made out when his hit is caught. They scored 31 runs before Stott struck a bowl that weakly looped in the air that a fielder caught it for his out. Dick in his turn scores 27 runs before Kipling, the Skipton bowler, catches a ball that Sharpe had hit well, but directly to Kiplin. When their side of the innings is over, they scored 92 runs.

The Keighley team takes their positions to field. Haggard and Hartley bowl to Kipling alternating overs . Kipling sprays the ball around for several 4-run scores and a 6. They get lucky when Kipling hits a ball fast and low, but right at Oldroyd who quickly returns the ball to Small to break the wicket before Kipling and Truman finish running between wickets for a run out.

Samuel Rowe takes his place as the non-striker as Truman prepares to receive his first bowl. Haggard bowls his four overs with the highest speed that he can deliver. Truman is able to drive two of the bowls to the boundary and the other two to score single runs for a total of ten runs. Small then calls Sharpe to bowl.

As Richard takes the ball from Small, Truman calls to him, “Bowler, Sharpe?! This will be lots of hits for 6, eh, boys!’

Small tells Sharpe. “Ignore him, Dick. Just bowl like we planned.”

Dick looks to the other end of the pitch. Truman stands in the crease glaring at him. Sharpe had watched Truman when Haggard had bowled. Haggard bowled at high speed and away from Truman’s body. Truman would sweep the bat in a way that he could hit the ball to his left each time. Small had changed the placement of the fielders to Truman’s left to stop the ball going to the boundary to limit his strikes to singles instead of 4’s. “If I bowl my first bowl fast, Truman likely will swing the same. If I motion like I will bowl fast to same spot as Haggard, but spin the bowl to curve towards his body, maybe he will hit the ball where we can catch it.”

Richard prepares to bowl with spin.

“Here we go, Sharpe! This one for six!” Truman calls.

Sharpe grips the ball so that he can spin it. He focuses on the spot of ground that he wants the ball to land before it bounces at Truman. With one look to Small, who is behind the wicket, he delivers his bowl. The ball releases from his hand and travels to the spot on the pitch that Richard had selected.

Truman sees the ball release and bounce and starts his swing to time to hit it at the same angle that Haggard’s bowls have arrived. When the ball bounces, it comes up towards Truman and not toward where he swings the bat. Truman’s focus was on where he expected to strike the ball. He is surprised by the ball coming towards him. If he continues his swing, it will hit the bat almost at his hands. Quickly he changes from hitting a striking blow to hitting a defensive strike.

As he brings the bat back, he moves his left foot forward to allow him to have an angle to hit the ball. As he moves, he lands his left foot outside the crease. He tries to hit the ball to his left, but misses. The ball passes him where Small catches it and strikes the wicket before pointing to the umpire to appeal that Truman is out. The umpire points to Small and signals that Truman is out by being stumped.

Truman looks at the umpire, then to Sharpe. “OUT?! OUT?!” He points the bat at Sharpe. “Not out. Bowl another.”

Mosey, the Skipton captain quickly sends Rowe to bat next and send Truman to the boundary. If they don’t have another batter in time, they will be penalized runs. “Truman, yield the crease to Lockwood, now! Come here!”

Truman glares at Sharpe, then hands the bat to Lockwood. “This isn’t over Sharpe.” He trots to the boundary.

Sharpe smiles as he watches Truman go.

Mosey takes his place in the crease so that Sharpe may bowl. This time, he will land the ball at the same spot with some pace to the bowl. Lockwood takes the bowl and hits it for 4 to the right side. On the next bowl, Richard delivers with slower speed. Mosey had intended to drive a fast ball to the right side, instead he meets the ball so that it goes to the left where Atkinson fields it cleanly and returns it to run out Lockwood. Richard delivered three bowls and has had two Skipton batters out.

Small decides to finish Sharpe after only three bowls so that he may use him later for a full four bowls, if he needs to.

The next Skipton batters score few runs as Haggard and Hartely begin to mix slow tosses with their fast bowls. When the last batter is out by a ball hit high in the air being caught. The Keighley team runs to Small to celebrate their first victory.

At the boundary, Matt Truman watches them celebrate. As the team, walks towards the boundary where the coach waits for them, Truman charges onto the pitch towards Sharpe.

“Look out Dick” Ingham calls as he steps to get between Truman and Sharpe.

Truman halts in front of Ingham. “This isn’t the last of this, Dick Sharpe. You cheated. I’ll settle with you another day, I will.”

The Keighley team had gathered around Sharpe to keep Truman away and the fight that would likely come.

Mosey and the rest of the Skipton team collect around Truman. Mosey puts an arm around him to guide him back to their side of the field.

Sharpe looks at Truman as he goes. “To another day, then Truman. But, not today.”

Sharpe turns and walks towards the coach. The rest of the team follows.

At the coach, Mr. Eagleton waits for them with a large smile.

“Well done, lads. Well done. You won your first match. And won me some nice money. You drink on my money at the inn. Now, enjoy the ride home.”

He claps Richard on the shoulder. “And you, Sharpe may drive with Hook, as I told ye.”

“Thank you Mr. Eagleton.”

Sharpe beamed. He was part of a winning team. And, he would drive the coach. Truman will have to wait for another day. He would enjoy today.

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