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: For General Audience

The Sharpe Fan Fictions of Paul Kaster

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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

Prologue

Richard Sharpe has known fighting for most of his life. He has known many things that were not fair. For a week, he has been fighting a kind of fight that is unfamiliar. He does not have the skills or the experience. For a warrior, this is confusing.

Sharpe is a tall man with a streak of grey in the forelock that his friend Patrick Harper calls a “badger’s streak”. On the side of his face is a scar that makes him look like he is mocking whomever he is facing.

The fight is with the woman he loves. He is English. She is French. He has tried to learn French, but speaks it poorly.

But, to help make his point, he says to her in the best French he can collect,

“Lucille, This farm needs many things fixed or replaced.”

“My half-pay is too little for us to have a good life”

Lucille is the widow Lucille Lassan Castineau, the Vicomptesse de Seleglise. She is the sole owner. She sits in a wooden chair in the center of the living room. On this day in the Fall of 1814, she and Richard are again discussing the future for the farm.

“Richard, we can live here fine.”

“It was difficult to live here alone with no one to help with the hard work.”

The farm they are discussing is the Château Lassan in Seleglise, forty miles west of Caen. Normandy has been home to the Lassan family since before William the Conqueror sailed to invade Britain. After eight hundred years, it is now solely owned by a woman.

“Richard, “

Six months ago, Sharpe came to Seleglise for the first time. For more than twenty years Sharpe fought the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte’s France. As the war ended, Richard was accused of stealing Napoleon’s gold. He escaped from prison to clear his name.

The hunt for the real thieves took him to the Château Lassan. Little did he know that the same men who stole the money had been there before him. They dressed in green, shouted Sharpe’s name while they killed Lucille’s brother, Henri Lassan and her mother. When he tried to talk to Lucille Castineau, he told her who he was. She shot him believing that the men who killed her family had returned.

After she learned that Sharpe was not the villain that she was led to believe, she helped him to recover. While he recovered, Sharpe helped Lucille with the farm. They each learned the other’s language to communicate. During his recovery, Sharpe and Lucille became attracted to each other.

When Sharpe recovered enough, with the help of his friends Patrick Harper and William Frederickson and a former foe, French General Calvet, he was able to retrieve the gold and clear his name. Now, he has returned to Lucille’s farm and lives with her and the baby she is carrying.

He had just returned to see Lucille. He loves her dearly.

Lucille asks Richard, “Why must you go now, Richard?”

“You have been back only a few days.”

Richard answers in his understandable but poor French, “Lucille, I am sorry to leave you again already.”

“I am still a major in the British Army.”

“Horse Guards requires that I report to be assigned to a new posting, or retire on half pay.”

Sharpe is angry at the news he received by the latest letter. Sharpe has served as a major for more than two years. During that time he has acted as the commander of the South Essex, even when a Lt Colonel commanded. Recently, he served as a staff officer to Wellington with Nairn’s brigade. Many times, he has been at the front of the fight. He risked his life to help the army succeed. He has paid with the scars of many wounds. Now that the war is over, Horse Guards has notified him that his permanent rank is lieutenant. Now he must choose to remain with the army or to retire and to be paid at the half-pay of a lieutenant.

“Today, they pay me 14 shillings, 1 penny per day because I am a major. The pay for a lieutenant is 4 shillings, 8 pennies per day. Half that will be 2 shillings, 4 pennies.”

“It is not fair. The war is over. I have no regiment. No command. I earned my way up from a common soldier. Pat and I took the Eagle at Talavera. The Prince of Wales hosted us, for God’s sake. Yet, because I am not a proper gentleman, they don’t want to give me the money I’m due.”

“I must go to London to be assigned to another post. While I am there, I will talk to them to try to convince them to give me my half pay as a captain. I earned that much.”

Lucille understands. She has come to love this former enemy. She wants him to stay, but to make his choice easier, she says

“After my husband died, I supervised the farm.”

I have helped with the lambing, raised the calves and fattened hogs.”

“With Marie, our servant, we churned butter, made cheese and made a small income in an effort to preserve the estate.

“When I needed money, I sold two fields and much of the old silver.”

“We have mended many things so far.”

“While you recovered, you cleared the ditch and repaired the sluice gate.”

“Now the fields could be irrigated from the millrace.”

Sharpe smiles at her. He is happy that she has appreciated all of this. Much of the work, he did while he was still hurting from the wound she had given him. The work had helped him to regain his strength, and had been a time that brought them together.

“I still have some of the money that you gave me last summer.” When Sharpe had left to hunt Ducos, he had left Lucille twelve golden guineas.

“That money helped to repair the roof to the cow barn and buy many seedlings for the orchard.”

Richard nods and adds, “Yes, the roofer did a good job on the barn. The roof had no leaks during the last rain. The cows and I like that we can stay dry.”

“And, the seedlings grew tall during the summer. The orchard looks like an orchard now. Soon we will have new apples. We can use those apples to make Calvados.”

Lucille smiles too. She remembers how sad the barn and the orchard had looked last year at this time. “Our family has a reputation for making the best Calvados. That will bring money.”

“Now I have a two-wheel cart to hitch to the pony so that I may travel comfortably.”

“And, there is the ruby that General Calvet gave you to give to me.”

Sharpe and Calvet had finished the fight outside of Naples with the Neapolitan soldiers who were there to protect Ducos. Ducos had stolen Napoleon’s gold and jewels and arranged to have Lucille’s brother killed. When it was time for Sharpe and Calvet to go their separate ways, Calvet decided to send him with a gift.

Calvet had selected a flawless ruby to give to Lucille to thank her for her role that had led to capturing Ducos and the treasure. She kept the ruby safely hidden for a day that she could wear it or exchange it to fund something important for them.

“You have already fixed some of the worst things.”

“Why can we not live simply and save money until we have enough to fix the next things?”

Sharpe’s face darkened before he next said, “Well, there is also my wife.”

Richard’s wife Jane has all his money in England. In 1811, Sharpe had met Jane Gibbons when he had briefly returned to England from Portugal. She was the niece of his former colonel, Sir Henry Simmerson and the sister of an officer, Christian Gibbons, in their regiment The South Essex. At the battle of Talavera, Sharpe had Christian killed and Sharpe had taken command of the regiment when Simmerson ran from the field in fear.

Last year, Sharpe and Harper had returned to England to collect replacements for the South Essex. He had again met Jane, who helped Sharpe to defeat Simmerson’s crimping operation and get his replacements. Sharpe had asked her to marry him. When faced with remaining with her uncle as his ward, or going with Sharpe to Portugal, she chose to marry Sharpe.

Back in Portugal, Sharpe and the regiment were quickly back to the fight. While serving with Wellington, Sharpe promised Jane he would not fight any more. Wellington had other plans.

When Sharpe took his regiment into France on a special mission, he worried that he would not return.

Richard had a large sum of money from jewels that Patrick Harper and he collected from Joseph Bonaparte’s wagons after the battle of Salamanca. Sharpe rarely worried about what would happen before a battle, but when the army moved into France to fight, he had a premonition that he would die. He wanted to make sure that Jane would be cared for. So, he had signed papers that gave Jane full access to his money in the event that he would not return.

“Jane has MY money. I want to get it back.”

While on the mission, Sharpe’s unit was betrayed. The British navy captain who supported the operation, fled back to Spain to report that Sharpe and all had been killed. Jane was despondent. While her friend consoled her, Jane realized that she could support herself on Sharpe’s money. Together they went to London to spend the money.

After fighting off a larger force that besieged the town, Sharpe and those remaining escaped. When back to the British army, he encountered the navy captain and challenged him to a duel. Wellington prohibited dueling. But, they fought. The captain feared Sharpe and fired his pistol before the full count. His shot only wounded Sharpe. Sharpe had the opportunity to kill him, but chose to serve his honor by shooting the captain in the buttocks.

“D’Ally and Pat saw Jane in London. She has a big fine house now. The latest dresses. And she has that popinjay Rossendale at her side. I should have known after how she cooed after that poet Shellington at the Nive, she would go to any man who talked smooth to her.”

Now Sharpe cannot remarry, nor can he let go of the anger he carries that his wife is spending all his money while living with a man who should have money of his own. Rossendale is Lord Rossendale, but he is a penniless lord.

“Whatever she has left can help us here.”

“I want to get what’s mine back. I want you to wear the finest dresses and be the belle of the parties we have to celebrate the next new year’s perfect Calvados.”

“Oh Richard.”

Sharpe continues before she can interrupt. “Patrick Harper will still be in London before he goes home to Ireland.”

“If I go now, I can ask Patrick to help me get my money from Jane while I learn what Horse Guards wants me to do.”

“It will be only a short time to give for the chance to have money to make things comfortable here for us and the baby.”

“Richard, what you want is revenge.”

“How can this money help us?”

“If it is enough, I can divorce Jane to marry you and raise our children.”

“Divorce is very expensive.”

“But you are worth it.”

“Richard, I was married once.”

“I no longer use his name.”

“I do not need to be married to love you and be your wife.”

“But, I do want our child to have a father here.”

Lucille looks at him with her grey eyes, “I want you to be here when our baby is born.”

Richard answers lovingly “I want to be here with you too.”

“I promise to return before the baby is born.”

“Besides, we may have more than one.” Sharpe winks at Lucille.

Lucille giggles. Then pouting at Richard says, “Then go. But if you are not back before this baby comes, I will never talk to you again.”

Richard smiled for he knew he would do anything to return to this woman and his new life here.

He thinks, “This is the way to fight the French.” He smiles again.

That night as they lay in bed together, he holds Lucille close to him.

Sharpe asks Lucille, “We have not discussed names for the baby. As you think the baby will be born in February, per’aps we should agree before I go?”

Lucille has been thinking about names; especially the last name for the child. As there are no male heirs to the Lassan farm, she wants the baby to be named with the family name Lassan. She is sure it will be a boy. But for a given name, she would like to name the boy after her brother, Henri.

Lucille decides to start with girls names. “What do you think of Dominique?”

Sharpe looks puzzled. “Dominique? Why would ya pick that name? Why not Jeanne? Isn’t there a Saint Jeanne from somewhere near ‘ere?

Lucille is surprised that Sharpe has heard of Jeanne who had died at nearby Rouen. “Why would you want the name of Jeanne? She defeated the English, ne c’est pas?

Sharpe squeezes her lightly, “Then she would be like her mother who has defeated me.”

Lucille chuckles, “Non, that would not be a good name for your daughter.”

“Dominique means ‘Of the Lord.’ If it is a boy, we could use Dominic.”

Sharpe thinks on this, but as a man who is not very religious, he is not eager to have a child named for God. “Ya know, Patrick named his son for me. Richard Harper. I feel that, when I have a son, I need to use Patrick.”

“I would like to use Henri as a boys name to honour my brother. Would Henri-Patrick serve both?”

Sharpe thinks, “I suppose so. Richard Harper has the whole bloody light company’s names in his between Richard and Harper. It will take him forever to sign his name to anything. Henri-Patrick Sharpe is not too long.”

“Mon cher. We can agree on Henri-Patrick then, non? But, I cannot give him your name, Sharpe unless we are married. The church will not accept it. My family name is Lassan. It is a good name. Sharpe is too, but I can not use it.”

Sharpe thinks on this. Lucille is right. This is not the first time that he has had this problem. In Portugal, he married Theresa Morena. They had a daughter. Only a few of Theresa’s family knew that they were married. Because Theresa and Sharpe often were away fighting the French, her family raised the daughter with the Morena name. When Theresa was killed by Obadiah Hakeswill, a renegade from Sharpe’s regiment, the Morena’s took their daughter fully as theirs. Sharpe had not seen her for many years.

“Yes, I don’t see a day too soon, if ever, that we can marry. And, here in France, the children will be treated better with the name Lassan, than with Sharpe.”


The next morning, Sharpe and Lucille enjoy the breakfast that Marie has made for them. Marie is busy with the pots and pans. She watches the two of them.

“How are you this morning, mon cherie?”

“Tired. The baby was restless during the night.”

Sharpe sips the last of his tea. The French prefer coffee so he makes do with any tea he can buy. Marie tries the best she can to make tea as he likes it. It is not as strong as the English tea. But, it will help him start his day with his usual ritual of a cup. “Today I will help you with all I can do before I leave. But, first I must reply to Horse Guards.”

He rises from the table, kisses Lucille on the head, then goes to the writing table. He writes a letter to Horse Guards.

“Dear, etc. etc. etc. As to your letter of October 1814, I request to remain on active duty. I will come to London within ten days to be assigned at your discretion. Your humble servant, etc. etc. Major Richard Sharpe”

He signs the letter and takes it to the post. Under Napoleon’s rule, the post was very fast and efficient. Even now, he expected that his letter would arrive at Horse Guards faster than he would.

Back at the farm, he sets about feeding the animals and any other tasks that he can finish that day.

At lunch, Lucille suggests a few more things.

By evening, he has finished all that he can. Inside, from their room he retrieves the well-worn uniform, pack and weapons that have been with him for what feels like all his life. He pulls on the trousers that he took after killing a French cavalry officer. The French trousers have always been more comfortable and durable than the standard issue pants that go with British uniforms. He pulls the braces up over a fresh linen shirt. The boots have come too from the same dead cavalry officer. Finally, he adds his uniform jacket and shako. He doesn’t like to wear the shako. But with the weather, he wants to keep his head warm. He does not have the woolen barracks hat that the common soldiers wear.

Sharpe wears the green uniform of an officer of the 95th Rifles. For five years he served with the redcoat battalion Prince of Wales Own Volunteers, formerly the South Essex. The South Essex is a foot regiment. They wear the red jackets with yellow facings. When Sharpe served in India, he too wore the red jacket as a private. After saving Wellington’s life in India, he was promoted to ensign. Since then, he has earned every promotion.

But, when he returned from India, he joined the Experimental Corps of Riflemen. This unit was so successful, it was renamed the 95th Rifles and expanded to multiple battalions. In Portugal, Spain and France, they became the elite soldiers who were ‘First into the field, and the last out.’ He continued to wear the uniform still as sign that he served with the elite unit.

He holds the rank of Major, but had ended the war in command of the battalion. Without the money to buy the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he remains a Major.

Sharpe thinks. “How many times have I put this uniform on? “ His jacket once had seventy-one silver buttons. Most of them have been replaced with steel.

The final items that are part of his kit are the leather backpack, which too has come from the French. His weapons did not come from the French though. The sword is a British cavalry sword. British infantry officers carry sabers. They rarely had the need to use them. When Sharpe first became an officer, he had used a saber. The saber was not a good killing weapon. He wanted a sword. After using a sword given to him by Captain Murray for many years until it was broken during a fight, he now used a sword that Harper had forged from a common heavy cavalry sword.

Finally, he picked up his Baker rifle. Officers don’t carry muskets or rifles. Sharpe was the exception. He not only carries one, he knows how to use it and very well; although not nearly as well as the oldest man of his remaining rifles. Dan Hagman is a master.

He looked at the rifle as he would one of his soldiers. He addressed the rifle. “Come on old friend. I should not have to use you. But, I have not gone anywhere in this uniform without you.”

With all these things ready, he walks to the living room. From a hook on the wall he collects the cloak he will wear to keep him warm and dry from the winter weather that is coming.

Lucille sits in her chair. Their maid Marie busily continues to clean the pots and dishes from the breakfast that Lucille and Sharpe have shared.


Marie thinks how handsome Sharpe is. Marie has been with the Lassan family for many years. When Lucille’s husband was killed, she saw how sad Lucille had become. She had only her mother, and later her brother for company. After they were killed, she was alone, but for Marie. Even though the village gossips continuously about Lucille and Sharpe, she is happy to see the joy that Sharpe brings to Lucille. She too will miss Sharpe and look for him to return.

Sharpe saddles his mare. He has his saddlebags, a blanket and three holsters that hold his Baker rifle and two pistols. While he does not expect trouble, it is better to be prepared. With so many unemployed soldiers roaming the country, he may need to defend himself, both here in France and back in England.

He mounts his horse to ride the forty-five miles to Cherbourg. With the war over, many vessels travel between Cherbourg and Portsmouth. He knows that he can catch one of them to carry his horse and him. Perhaps the tide at this time of year, will let him catch a ship that leaves on the evening tide. Without pushing his horse too hard, he can reach Cherbourg by dinnertime. With luck, in four days he will be in London.

Sharpe waves goodbye to Lucille and Marie and rides west. The going is easy. As he passes through Carentan, he notices people on the street glare at him, but leave him alone. The villagers in Sainte-Mere Eglise and Montebourg treat him the same way. He is tempted to find lunch at Montebourg but decides that as he is making such good time, he will just rest his horse and take some biscuits from his bag.

With a short rest for his horse and him, Sharpe resumes the trip. By sundown, he has reached the outskirts of Cherbourg. He asks the first person he sees how to get to the docks. The other points, and says, “Cette rue. Suivre jusqu’a la fin.” He understands ‘That street. Go to the end.’.

Sharpe thanks him for his help. “Merci de m’aider.”

He rides down the street to which the man pointed. In fifteen minutes he smells the ocean as well as the odors of the docks.

When he reaches the waterfront, he asks a man unloading a wagon. “Bateaux en Angleterre, si voud plait?” The man answers that the ships going to England “A guache. 400 metres.” Sharpe thanks him and rides to his left. In a few minutes he hears people speaking English.

He stops a man who has just come off a boat. “Who may I talk to for passage for my horse and me to Portsmouth?”

The man points him to the ship two piers down. “They be goin’ to Portsmouth tonight. Hurry and ya might be able to go with ‘em.”

Sharpe thanks him. He urges his horse to reach the pier before the ship casts off He can see the crew is preparing to leave.

He stops one sailor to ask, “Where may I find the master? I wish to sail with you?”

The sailor calls out. “Cap’n, we have a man here who wants ta’be a passenger.”

The captain approaches, “Who be you?”

“Major Sharpe, Prince of Wales Own. I want to get to Portsmouth. My horse and me. Can you take us?”

“I’m Captain Martin. For ten shillings I can take ye. But we will have to lower your horse into the hold after we sail. We need to go in the next fifteen minutes to catch the tide.”

“Done.” He pays the captain.

Sharpe pulls a cloth from inside a saddlebag to cover his horse’s eyes, then leads her up the gangway onto the ship. Sharpe stands with her to keep her calm while the crew casts off. Once they are clear of the harbour, Sharpe removes the saddle, holsters and bags before the crew lowers his horse by a sling into the hold. There she is tied off to ride out the passage.

Sharpe has been on ships before and knows the protocol of the quarterdeck. With his gear, he walks aft and asks permission to speak to the captain.

“Where may I sleep until we reach England?”

The captain summons the first mate. “Take Major Sharpe to the port-side cabin. He can stay there until we dock in Portsmouth.”

Sharpe follows the mate. The cabin is barely big enough for Sharpe to lie down, but with his saddle and blanket, he has all he needs.

By morning, Sharpe has rested well. He carries his things to the deck. There he sees that they have arrived in the roads into Portsmouth. The horizon is filled with ships coming and going.

“Good morning, Major Sharpe.” Captain Martin greets him.

“We’ll dock within the hour. How was your sojourn?”

“I slept well thank you. How is my horse?”

“Quiet, sir, quiet. She too seemed to enjoy the ride.”

As Captain Martin predicted, they docked within an hour. The crew prepared the sling to lift Sharpe’s horse. She was lifted out of the hold to the deck. Sharpe loads his gear unto her, then leads her down the gangway.

He waves to Captain Martin and the crew, then rides off. It has been seven years since he was last here with Captain Joel Chase of HMS Pucelle. He recalls that it will take another very long ride in the saddle to reach London in one day. Perhaps he can reach Epson today, then go into London tomorrow.

As he rides from Portsmouth to London, Sharpe notices the people passing, they react almost the same as those that he passed in France. For the past twenty years he has spent more time in India and the Peninsula than here in England.

Sharpe thinks, “Could I ever come back here to live? Even if I get my money and can buy land in Devon?”

“Would they accept me? Lucille? My children?”

The only answer he has right now is, “I don’t know.”

It is another cold, grey November day. But, it is dry. So he rides watching those that he passes, the countryside and the villages. Lost in the thoughts and the pace of his horse, after a brief stop to rest, he rides into Epsom at sundown.

“Well girl, do we stop or push on for another three hours?” He asks his mare. She turns her head to his question as if to say, “Rest.” Sharpe knows that travelling into London after dark can be a risk. He decides to find an inn to rest. After five minutes, he finds one, negotiates for a room and boarding for both of them, then settles in for the evening. He will need to be rested for his meetings with Horse Guards.

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