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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
1815 A FEW DAYS LATER
Chapter 21
KEIGHLEY
SQUARE
Several civilians and a dozen yeomanry line a route through the square to the cemetery.
Sharpe and Harper hold the head of a coffin on their shoulders. Crowley and four others hold it to the feet. They walk slowly.
Crowley sings
All sing the anthem,
And all tell the story,
Will the man hold,
When it’s scattered and run.
Shall we at last be united in glory?
Only remembered
For what we have done.
All there join in
Only remembered
Only remembered
Only remembered
For what we have done.
Shall we at last be united in glory?
Only remembered
For what we have done.
At the church, they remove the coffin’s lid. He looks one last time at Matthew Truman.
Gathered around the coffin are many of the village.
Crowley holds Sally Bunting by the shoulders.
Ben Arnold and Sam West’s son stand nearby.
Sharpe and Harper lower the lid.
Arnold takes nails from West’s sons. Hammers the nails to seal the lid. S
harpe slowly shakes his head.
Stands next to Sally.
“Bury him deep Sally.”
“And, no ‘eadstone.”
“Parfitt won’t be beyond diggin’ ‘im up again.”
“But, there’ll be a time for ‘im soon enough.”
Sally sobs, “Aye, maybe. But now you’ll leave us for another twenty years.”
Sharpe turns to hug her. “I’ll not forget you Sally.”
He holds her while Sally cries on his shoulder.
Harper stands at the back of the church by the door. He motions to Sharpe.
Jane stands next to him.
When Sharpe looks their way, Jane leaves the building.
Sharpe is surprised to see her there.
He leaves Sally to Nate.
While Arnold continues to hammer nails, he walks to out.
Sally sadly watches him go.
Outside, Jane waits for Sharpe.
When he emerges, she turns to him.
She waits for him to come to her. He looks at her then down.
Jane starts, “I’ve come to ask you a favour, Richard.”
Sharpe slightly rocks side to side, “You think I still do favours, Jane?”
Jane knows that it is not likely, but she still wants to ask.
Flatly she continues, “If you place any value on what was between us.”
Sharpe, “Value?”
“The value of what we had between us is short by about ten thousand guineas.”
Jane continues to look unemotionally at him.
“Is money everything?”
“Tis to you Jane.”
“The minute you found a Lord, you lifted your skirt and fell on your back.”
Sharpe sees he has hurt her and that nothing more needs to be said.
“What’s your favour?”
Trembling with cold and the
“Do not ask him to sell the estate.”
“I’ve already asked him.”
“And, he’s already promised me.”
Jane
“He will not do it.”
“He will, or I will kill ‘im.”
“If you do not promise to leave him alone, he swears he will not obtain the release from your commission.”
Sharpe snorts.
“You will be deserting your post.”
“You will be hunted down and arrested.”
“My God! He’s even more afraid of you than he is of me.”
Jane looks on at him realizing that it is so. She wonders if Sharpe will really risk all to kill John.
“Tell me Jane.”
“Is this the life you want?”
“With a man like him?
“I have made my bed and I lie in it.”
“It is soft enough.”
Sharpe exhales. Looks down. What’s next?
“He will write the letter, if you promise to leave us be.”
“I don’t care about the letter.”
“I want the money he stole from me.”
“Money that was earned by my blood and the blood of my men.”
Jane asserts. ‘You cannot have IT.”
“We were man and wife.”
“That money was mine as much as yours.”
“If you come after him, he will ruin you.”
“At Horse Guards. Everywhere.”
“You will have no career. No prospects.”
“There is no war. So I already have no career.”
“And since your little lord won’t keep his word, there’s no point in talking to him.”
“If I see ‘im, I’ll kill ‘im. Is that clear enough to ya?”
“Jane spits out at him, “You will never have the chance.”
“You are right. There is no war. So, they don’t need you.”
“They’ll be glad to be rid of you.”
“You’re a relic.”
“An embarrassment.”
“Worse, you’re an animal.”
“All you can do is kill.”
“John doesn’t have to have a sword in his hand to be a man.”
“I thank God for the day he saved me from you.”
“He’s a hundred times the man you ever were.”
“He knows how to talk.”
“He knows how to live.”
With passion, “And, he knows how to love.”
Jane changes from praising John, to telling off Sharpe.
“Your mother was a whore.”
“You were born in the gutter.”
“And that is where you still belong.” She sneers.
Jane turns to storm off.
Sharpe watches her go. There is nothing more to be said.
Sharpe now has command of the Yeomanry without Parfitt to interfere.
Parfitt has provided the money for the unit. Who will be the benefactor of them now? If they keep the unit, how does the unit NOT serve to continue Parfitt’s personal goals? Even though it will mean that Sharpe no longer has a command,, he will recommend to Horse Guards to disband the Scarsdale Yeomanry.
Lord Percy and the other land owners will have to see that Parfitt, George, Saunders and the others will be tried for what they have done.
If Rossendale will not secure his release, perhaps Lawford or General Baird can.
Sir Percy sends word of what has happened and Parfitt’s account of Keighley.
A week later, a letter arrives from Lawford that directs Sharpe to come to Horse Guards.
Sharpe and Harper go to see Sally Bunting. Her face is still red, but not as swollen. She welcomes Sharpe and Harper in.
“Sally, I’m sorry that you were drawn into our fight.
“Richard, it is no matter. I didn’t want to tell on you. But it hurt so much.”
“It’s over now. You are safe.”
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