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 13

MARCH, 1793 EASTER
YORKSHIRE – KEIGHLEY BLACK HORSE INN

Each week of March, the weather has become warmer than the freezing days of January and February. Today was about twenty-five above freezing. It was Easter Sunday. Although mild, the morning dawned with a drizzling rain with a driving wind.

Richard had changed the horses on both of the morning coaches. Neither coach had carried many passengers. Not many people were travelling on the church holiday. While he was preparing for the midday coaches, he heard a horse come into the yard.

“Good day, Dick.”

Richard turned. “Good day, Mr. Eagleton.”

Eagleton dismounted and gave the reins to Richard. “Good day to have King Lear under roof, eh? Give him the good care that you do, eh?"

“Always, Mr. Eagleton.”

“Good day for me to be under roof too. I will stay here tonight. No need to travel in this.” He leaves Richard with the horse to go inside.

Richard gently removes all of Lear’s tack then ties him to the rail under the roof. He fills the feedbag, then puts it on Lear’s head.

“There you go. Eat well, boy. My turn now.”

Richard goes into the inn for his meal. He takes a bowl for Catherall to fill. Today they have ham and pea soup with a thick slab of bread. Many of the meals have been a soup or broth during the cold months. He takes the bowl and spoon to his table to eat.

He sees that Mr. Eagleton sits at a table with three of the locals who have come in for the holiday. The four men ate and then steadily drank ale through the afternoon. Richard had rested inside after eating. When the evening coaches came in, neither carried passengers. Mr. Eagleton invited the drivers to join him at the table. The drivers told him of some women that they would meet at a tavern on the other side of town.

One of the drivers made comments about Elsie after she had served them their meals.

‘I’d stay here to sleep with that beauty, if’n ye wouldn’t toss me from this job.”

“Best you leave that girl alone.”

The other driver mutters, “Yes, leave her to ye.”

“To me? Ha!”

“Yes, sees how ye drool for ‘er. And, ye pays for her every week. She should be grateful. Warm yer bed to thank ye, eh?”

Eagleton, says nothing. He would like to have Elsie in his bed, but hasn’t done more than touch her when she is near to him. ‘Why shouldn’t she warm my bed. I gave her work, roof and food when she had no one. She shows me no respect. Any girl would be glad to share herself to keep such a good job. Tonight, I’ll make her show me how thankful she is.’



Davey and Richard had finished their work earlier than normal. Davey went into the inn while Richard finished the last items. The chill in the air made Richard hungry.

He opened the door. All of the guests, at the inn had finished their Easter celebration and left. Oakley, Catherall and Willet had gone to their families. The coach drivers were still sitting with Mr. Eagleton. Only Mr. Eagleton, the two drivers, Elsie and Richard were now at the inn.

Elsie served the remains of the meal that Catherall had made. Richard was thankful for another serving of the ham and pea soup and bread. He sat at the table a long time after he finished. Elsie seemed nervous that she was alone with Mr. Eagleton.

Eagleton continued to drink ale after ale. Finally, the drivers stood to leave. Mr. Eagleton looked for a moment towards Richard, then left to go to his room. Richard decided to go to the yard where he slept. But, he would talk with Elsie before he goes.

“Will you be good here, Elsie?”

“Yes, Dick. I think Mr. Eagleton had enough ale that he will sleep all night. I will sleep now in my corner. The night will go quickly for us all.”

“Then good night. Call loud if you need me.”

Eagleton had gone to his room, but was not ready to sleep. He was determined that when Elsie was alone, he would make her thank him for letting her work for him. He listened to Sharpe say good night before he started down the stairs to find Elsie.

It was dark in on the main floor of the inn. Only the embers of the cook fire provided any light. He quietly made his way to the cook area. As he approaches the fire, he hears her.

“Who’s there?”

“Me girl, Mr. Eagleton. Came to talk with you.”

“Talk.” Elsie curls up into a ball on the floor to shrink away from Eagleton.

“Yes, you worked for me two years now. I pay you well. You never thank me. No words. Nor any other way. Think you should be grateful.”

“Mr Eagleton. I am thankful to you for letting me work and stay here.”

“Then show me girl.” He barks as he reaches down for Elsie’s arm. With a quick tug, he pulls her from the floor, spins her around to face away from him, then bends her over a barrel that is used as a worktable.

Elsie is stunned. She forgets to yell for Richard. All she can do is cry and call to Eagleton. “No. No. Don’t touch me.”

Eagleton lifts her skirts and prepares himself to take her. Elsie sobs as Eagleton moves in and out of her.

Richard was on his blanket only a short time when he felt very thirsty. He thought he might be able to get some ale to drink to quench the thirst from the ham. And, by going to the kitchen, he could see if Elsie was safe. As he enters the kitchen, he sees Mr. Eagleton in the shadows. He hears Elsie sobbing and whimpering. “No. No.” He moves quickly into the room. Eagleton is much bigger than Richard. He can’t fight him in fair fight. Near the door Catherall keeps his knives and cleaver. Richard grabs a knife and plunges it into Eagleton’s back before he can react to Richard entering the room. Eagleton roars at the wound. Richard pulls the knife out and buries it into Eagleton again. Eagleton swats Richard away, reaches behind him and pulls the knife out. He moves to fight Richard, but is slowed by the loss of blood and hampered by his breeches caught around his ankles.

“Elsie get away. Run!”

Elsie rolls to the side and crawls onto her blanket. There she curls up and sobs.

Richard moves around Eagleton who now wields the knife. “You stuck me boy. I’ll kill you. I was only taking what is owed to me.” He lunges and moves in a circle to follow the boy.

‘Elsie is only a girl.”

“Yes, and a pretty one. And mine. I been paying for her for two years.”

“You paid her for her work.”

“I paid her more than what I pay others that do her work. She owes me her body.”

Richard notices that Eagleton is slurring his words more than he did when he drank too much ale. He is moving more slowly. But, at the orphanage and on the streets he has fought enough to see people pretend that they are weaker than they are.

“Damme boy, I think you killed me.” Eagleton sags to his knees and drops the knife.

cautiously moves to move the knife away. As he does Eagleton reaches for the knife too and gets it first. He drags the blade across the back of Richard’s left hand as he tries to strike at the boy’s body.

“You are quick boy.”

Richard ignores the wound to his hand. He has been hurt worse before. Behind him, he finds a poker from the fire With the longer reach of the poker’s shaft he beats the knife from Eagleton’s hand. This time, Richard is faster to pick it up. As he does, Eagleton lunges to tackle him. Richard swings the knife in an arc and buries it into the side of the big man’s neck. With a grunt, Eagleton falls to the floor. Shortly, he stops breathing.

Richard wraps his hand with a rag, then goes to Elsie.

“Elsie? Elsie?

She says nothing, but pulls her clothes close to cover all of her. Elsie finally speaks. “Dick, you must go. Eagleton is too powerful. No one will believe us. If you stay, you will hang.”

They look at Eagleton.

“I can get rid of the body. No one needs to know Eagleton is dead.”

“I will stay. Catherall will come before Oakley or Willett. If anyone asks, will tell that Eagleton left before dawn. No one asks what time he leaves."

“Davey will ask about me.”

Elsie nods her head, but just sits.

“What will you say?”

“Don’t know where you are. Last saw you after evening meal.”

“Davey will be wondering.”

“Can’t tell him more. Catherall knows you don’t come in until after first coaches. I don’t see you.”

“Want no trouble for you.”

“No trouble if no one finds Eagleton.”

“No one will find Eagleton.” Richard goes to Eagleton’s room to take everything belongs to him. He takes them to the yard. Lear greets him with a snort and a nod.

“Getting you out early today, Lear.”

When Lear is saddled, Richard collects everything that belongs to him. He takes his blanket with him into the inn.

Elsie sat looking at Eagleton.

Richard lays his blanket on the floor to roll Eagleton’s body onto it. He cleans the knife and returns it to where he had grabbed it. He lights a candle to examine the kitchen. There are new blood stains on the floor. Catherall had often spilled blood when butchering chickens. He cleans the fresh blood from the floor.

“Elsie spill some ale and grease here where blood splattered.”

Elsie doesn’t move.

“Elsie, help me.”

Slowly Elsie rises to get the ale and grease. She spills while Richard wipes with a mop. After, he compares to other stains on the floor. “That will do.”

Richard goes through Eagleton’s pockets. He finds his purse. He takes several shilling coins, then offers the pouch to Elsie.

“Hold your hands up.”

When Elsie cups her hands, he pours the remaining coins into them. She looks at them, then puts them into the pocket in her skirt.

“I need to get the horse.”

He brings Lear to the door and ties the reigns to the latch on the door.

Inside, he drags Eagleton’s body to the door. He has Lear kneel before he drags the body and blanket across the horse’s back in front of the saddle. When the horse stands, he adjusts the body to keep it secure. He pats Lear.

“Wait, boy. Be back soon.”

Inside, Richard puts on Eagleton’s riding coat and boots. The boots are too big, but are not a problem for him to ride. Elsie stands by the door. Her head is bowed to the floor. She holds her arms across her body as if she is hugging herself. Richard wants to hold her before he goes, but only touches her hair.

“Goodbye Elsie.”

Without looking at him, “Thank you Dick. I will remember all you did. Be safe.” She turns her back to him to retreat to her corner.

Richard watches Elsie return to her blanket before he blows out the candle and goes. He throws the sack with all of his possessions over the saddlebags and ties it in place. “Lear, be gentle. You will be my first horse ride.”

He climbs behind the body and hunches over it to conceal it as much as he can. He pretends to shelter from the drizzling rain. It is a dark night with the rain and clouds. No one should be on the road to see him. When he discovered the cave along the stream, he had imagined using it to hide things he could steal from coaches. Now, he thinks it will be a good place to bury Eagleton.

Lear is slow to respond to his commands. While Richard has watched others ride, he is unsure exactly how to guide the horse. Awkwardly, he starts Lear out of the yard and then towards the Square. Light through the windows of the houses along the way allows Richard to see the route, barely. At the Square, he points Lear to the road to Oakworth. There is enough light for him to see the bridge over the stream. When he reaches the bridge over the North Beck, he dismounts. Until now, anyone that may have seen him, would see a rider.

“Stream is too dangerous for us if I ride. We walk from here.” He scans to see no one is nearby. When he is assured that no one is near, he leads Lear into the stream.

As soon as they enter the woods, they have no light to help them see the way. Because Richard has visited the cave more than once, he knows that branches hang over the stream on the way to the cave. When they have passed what he thought was the branch before the cave, he moves to the left side of the stream to find the bush that guards the opening. After one more branch, they come to the bush.

“We’re here, Lear.” He ties the reins to a stout branch on the bush. He has crawled into the cave before and knows that it is bigger than he is, but only barely. He hopes that Eagleton will fit. The body splashes into the edge of the stream when he pulls it from Lear. Just as with a baby being born, he pushes the body head-first into the hole. With the body on its side, he pushes the legs until they bend and too are well inside the cave. “I think we can leave the saddle and bags here, too.” He removes the saddle and tack except for the reins from the horse. Last, he puts the coat and anything else that was Eagleton’s into the hole. By feel, he finds that there is only about a foot of space remaining. From the stream, he gathers stones of various sizes to fill the remaining opening. Upstream he locates some large stones that are difficult for him to move, but will be more likely to remain in place. The water that soaks his feet and lower legs is cold, but he knows that he needs to make sure that none of Eagleton’s things or his body is exposed. Because the stream is at flood stage, he can see how much he needs to build a wall to protect surging water from washing away his work.

Finally, he scoops mud to seal the spaces between the stones and appear to be the bank of the stream. He has been able to preserve the bush in front of the cave which will conceal the body from only the most determined predators. He pats the area to assure himself that he has covered the area enough. Although he can’t see his work, he decides that it is done. “Time to go.”

Richard takes Lear and leads him away. He has never traveled along the stream further than the cave. “I cannot go north. Known in Skipton. South is back to London. East is to Shipley. Known there, too. I suppose the road to Oakworth follows this stream. It will take me west.”

When they have gone almost an hour, he finds a trail that runs on the south side of the water. “Tired of walking in the water?” He asks Lear. “I am. Can’t feel my feet much.” They walk another two hours until the trail crosses a road. “Left is south. Ahead is west. Trail is safer. We should go as far as we can before daylight.”

The ground continues to rise as they walk. They progress very slowly as Richard moves forward by groping with an arm forward to assure that the way ahead is clear. It is too dark to walk without caution. Richard doesn’t know how long he has been walking when he finds another stream that is coming from higher ground. He doesn’t know its name. If he had a map, it would be known as Nook Beck. “Lear, west is ahead, I think. To left would be south. Think it is time to go south. Daylight would help. Before we go, Time to sleep.” Richard finds a place off the trail and along the stream to lie down. He ties Lear to the trunk of a small tree. As he drifts into sleep, “Sixteen years old. Killed two men. How many more? Running again. Last time, ran north. Coach drivers tell me north is rough. Can’t go back to London. Keep going west?” Before he can anwer his question he sleeps.



APRIL 1, MONDAY
BLACK HORSE INN

Dave Willett came to the inn before the morning coaches were due to depart. When he entered the yard, he was surprised that Richard had not started to prepare the coaches. He walked to where Richard slept. Richard was not there nor were any of his belongings.

Inside the inn, he found Elsie. She looked like she hadn’t slept much.

“Elsie, have you seen Dick?”

“No, Mr. Willett.”

“He’s not outside. Neither coach is started. It looks like he is gone.”

“Told me nothing about his plans. Some days he goes away. Don’t know to where.”

Catherall had started the meals as always. He listens to Willett. He has not often noticed Richard during the early hours. To Willett, he says. “He was with us last night. Haven’t seen him today.”

Davey scratches his head. “Well, maybe Bob Porter knows something. Will ask him next time I see him.” He scratches his head as he wonders where Richard has gone. “I have coaches to get ready.” He leaves them to go to the yard.

Elsie returns to working. She is thankful that no one asks her about Eagleton. It will be a long day for her. She slept very little as she cried often about what Eagleton did to her, and what Dick did to Eagleton. Dick had surprised her that he could be so violent. Eagleton should not have attacked her. He should have stopped. When he didn’t, he deserved to be punished. If Dick hadn’t killed him, would Eagleton have had the law take Dick and her. Eagleton is rich and powerful. Dick and she are not. Would anyone have believed them? Maybe Dick killing him was for the best.

She had never seen a dead man. The memory of the attack and fight make her tremble. She hopes that someday, she can stop feeling helpless from the attack and stop seeing Eagleton’s dead body. Today, she goes about her work as any other day.



APRIL 9
BLACK HORSE INN The noon coach from Sheffield arrives on time. One of the passengers asked for Mr. Oakley when he enters the inn. Catherall points to where Oakley is working. The passenger goes to him.

“Mr. Oakley. I’m Mr. Glover. I work for Mr. Eagleton at Sheffield. Have you seen Mr. Eagleton? We expected him to return to Sheffield last week. No one has seen him.”

knows Glover’s name and that he manages money for Eagleton. “All of us here last saw Mr. Eagleton Easter Day. He drank ale all day. Was gone early Monday morning. Always leaves early.”

Glover thinks what he can ask next. “Your inn may be last to see him. Which direction did he go?

“Don’t know. He rides out of yard. We don’t see if he goes north or south.”

“We?”

“Mr. Willett or boy that works with him. Yard’s there.” He points to the door by the kitchen.

Outside, Glover finds a man working with the horses from the coach that he rode.

“Mr. Willett?” “Yes.”

“Bryon Glover. I work with Mr. Eagleton at Sheffield. He went missing last week. Have you seen him?”

“No.”

“Oakley says you had a boy helping. Where’s the boy? Maybe he knows.”

“Boy’s not here. Left us last week.”

“Boy’s gone too”

“Yes.”

“Coincidence?”

“Don’t know. Four years ago, boy came to us. Not a local. Didn’t think he would stay forever. Other local boys didn’t care much for him.”

“Oh, trouble maker?”

“No, jealous boys. Dick is strong, handsome and plays cricket damn smart. Local girls notice him. Local boys don’t like that much.”

“Ah. Thank you. What was connection of Mr. Eagleton to the boy?”

“We all work for Mr. Eagleton. When Eagleton stays here, sometimes, when he is in his cups, he would sit and talk with Dick. Never seeks out Dick any other time. Dick takes care of his horse and tack. No more.”

Glover hasn’t heard anything that connects Sharpe’s departure to Eagleton’s absence. “Will ask the inns north of here. He might be at Carlisle. Sometimes he likes to stay there. A woman.” Glover winks. “Should Mr. Eagleton surface here before I find him, will you please inform him that I am concerned for him and desire to see that he is safe?”

“Aye, I will. “Good travels to you, Mr. Glover. Will watch and listen for any sight of him here.”

“Good day to you Mr. Willett. I am in your debt to find him. I do wish you well in finding your missing helper as well.”

Glover joins the other passengers to eat before they all board the coach that will take them north.



For several days, Glover travelled to each inn north of Keighley. No one has seen Mr. Eagleton since before Easter. As Willett had mentioned that his helper vanished about the same time, he questioned people if they had seen someone that matched Sharpe’s description. The last peope to see Eagleton was Keighley. No one had seen a boy.

When Glover returned to Keighley, he met again with Oakley.

“Who is the constable for this parish?”

“Matthew Lewis. Lives in Riddlesden.”

“How may I engage him to pursue the location of Mr. Eagleton?”

“I’ll send word to Matthew. How much will you pay?

“Pay? He is a constable, yes? It is his duty to uphold the law.”

“Constables here work for money. I will send word to him. If he finds anything, we will send word with a coach to you.”

“Very good.”

Oakley knows that Lewis won’t find anything. Matthew never works on anything unless he is paid in advance. As constable, he earns only what he is paid to reimburse him for expenses. Unless he can convince someone to pay him in advance, he focuses his time only on collecting tithes and taxes, from which he would take a percentage, he avoids most of his duties as constable.

Glover left Keighley trusting that the constable would investigate what had become of Mr. Eagleton.

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