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The Sharpe Fan Fictions of Paul K.

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Bernard Cornwell’s

SHARPE’S Justice

Richard Sharpe and the
Peace of the Congress of Vienna

Screenplay Written by Patrick Harbinson and Bernard Cornwell.
Novel Adapted by Paul Kaster

PART THREE

1814NEW YEAR’S EVE

Chapter 15
PARFITT’S HOUSE


Parfitt, Wickham and Lady Anne, are gathered in Parfitt’s study again.

George sits on a sofa reading the newspaper. He reads aloud,

“The Scarsdale Yeomanry, under the command of Major Richard Sharpe, taker of the Eagle at Talavera,”

He reads to himself, then returns to reading to the room,

“Blah, blah, blah. Surrounded the square wherein, the largely peaceful meeting was being held. And, at Sharpe’s order charged headlong into the crowd.”

George smiles broadly. After the incident at the square, and the talk at Parfitt’s he had gone quickly to the office of the local newspaper.at Halifax. The publisher was more than happy to take Wickham’s statement of the facts of the event.

With George’s report to start from, he sent a reporter to Keighley to interview the families that had had members killed or injured. The report did not seek out Major Sharpe.

After collecting several stories of how a husband, father, mother or child had been hurt, the reporter returned to Halifax to report in time to print the day’s news.

The reporter assured Wickham that the newspaper would also make sure that the story would be sent to newspapers in London.

Wickham was pleased that nothing of the event would point to Parfitt or to him.



WELLING PARK:



Rossendale and Jane sit in their drawing room.

John reads the newspaper to Jane.

“Despite the admonitions of his subordinate officers, Sharpe recklessly and determinedly, pursued his aim until the air was rent with the screams of the dying. And, the stones of Keighley were wet with English blood.”

John lowers the newspaper. He stares at it in his lap.

Jane asks, “What will happen to him?”

As he raises his head, John replies, “I don’t know.”

“Horse Guards will order an inquiry.”

Jane offers, “So, it is bad for Richard?”

John thinks about what could happen, “Yes, it could finish him.”

“At the least, he will lose his commission and end his years in the colonies.”

Jane listens, then says merely, “Good.”

After a moment. “Then, he will be out of our way,”

John has been in turmoil since he returned from Parfitt’s. Jane greeted him with tears. She told of how Richard had come there. That he demanded money from them or he would kill John.

While John was gone, she had taken inventory of the estate house to determine would they would not need to sell the house and would need to be mended or cleaned to make it attractive.

Jane’s tale of Richard’s visit was enough. But then to face this list of ‘chores’ to do, and in Jane’s mind to do overwhelmed John.

Now this mayhem at Keighley and how it may impact Richard and them is too much. All of thes3e mixed emotions well up in him to overflow.

He stares at the paper, and then turns away as he angrily throws the paper to the floor.

“He is an honourable man”

He turns from the paper and Jane.

“I don’t believe what the papers say.”

He turns back, but does not look directly at Jane. He seems to stare off into another place.

“I regret that I have played a part in his present misfortune.”

After staring a long time to a distance, he turns to Jane. With a softer tone he says,

“When I look at you, my love think, what else could I have done?”

And, what’s more, to keep you, I would do it all over again.”

Jane rises from her chair. She goes to John. She holds his head in her hand. Then softly runs her fingers through his hair. He leans back into her. She softly kisses his head.

She loves John. But, why does he defend Sharpe? By having him out of their way, they can be happy. Does he not see that Sharpe’s brutal nature has again come out. Why should he not be punished?



KEIGHLEY

SALLY BUNTING’s ROOM



Sharpe sits at a table reading a book.

Harper moves around the room, looking at pitchers and bottles.

“Is there nothing stronger than milk lying around here?”

Didn’t you know drink is an abomination, Patrick.”

“Ah yes, Sally has mentioned that to me once or twice.”

He moves to the table to sit with Richard.

“What are ya reading?”

“The book of Job.” He pronounces it Jahb.

Patrick looks at him and corrects him.

“Job” he pronounces it Johb. “The book of Job.”

Sharpe looks at him. Not often does Patrick correct him as Sharpe can read, but Patrick can’t.

Harper eats an apple. To show he knows something about the book, he says. “He had a terrible hard time, poor old Job.”

“Boils, ya know.”

“Yeah, I read about the boils.” Both Patrick and Sharpe know about boils as soldiers often had them.

He sniffs then reads,

“and this, the earth shall be given to the hand of the wicked. He coverth the faces of the judges thereof.“

Patrick looks at his apple.

“hmmm. Very cheerful stuff.”

Patrick smiles a small smile at Sharpe. He takes another bite of the apple.

Sharpe looks at him, then down at the bible. He slowly exhales then raises his head. He looks off to another place before saying.

“I don’t much like being on the wrong side Pat.”

He looks briefly over to Harper, then returns to reading. At the next phrase, he makes a face.

“Man is born into trouble.”

“As the sparks fly upward.”

“Huh.” Closes the book.

Humorously, he says,

“Must have been thinkin’ about us.”

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