'Richard?
He turned back, scrambling to his feet. 'Josefina.
She smiled at him, a little nervous, and her face was swathed by the silver-fur of her dark green cloak hood. 'Can I join you?
'Yes, do. Aren't you cold?
'A bit. She smiled at him. 'Happy Christmas, Richard.
'And to you. He knew the Riflemen on the huge, wide roof would be looking at them. 'Why don't you sit.
They sat two feet apart and Josefina drew the thick, furred cloak about her. 'Is that tea?
'Yes.
'Can I have some?
'And live, you mean?
'I'll live. She held a hand out of her cloak and took the tin mug from him. She sipped, made a face. 'I thought you might come back last night.
He laughed. 'I was busy. He had been to see the hostages to find three Lieutenants paying court to them. Sharpe had not stayed long, only long enough to hear assurances that they had not been harmed, and to assure them that they would be returned to their husbands. All of them, curiously, had been concerned about the fate of the men who had held them hostage, and Sharpe had taken a list of names of those men who had been kind to the women. He had promised he would try and save them from execution. He grinned at Josefina and took the tea back. 'Would I have been welcome?
'Richard! She laughed, her nervousness gone because Sharpe's voice indicated approval of her. 'Do you remember when we met?
'Your horse had lost a shoe.
'And you were all grumpy and disagreeable. She held a hand out for the tea. 'You were very earnest, Richard.
'I'm sure I still am.
She made a face at him, blew on the tea, and sipped at the cup. 'I remember telling you that you'd become a Colonel and be horrid to your men. It's coming true.
'Am I horrid to them?
'The Lieutenants are frightened of you. Except for Mr Price, but then he knows you.
'And no doubt wanted to know you?
She smiled happily. 'He tried. He's like a puppy. Who's the frightening Captain with one eye?
'He's an English Lord, he's terribly rich, and he's very very generous.
'Is he? She looked at him, interest quickening in her voice, and then she saw he was teasing. She laughed.
'And you're Lady Farthingdale.
She made a shrugging motion beneath her cloak as if to indicate that it was a strange world. She sipped the tea, then offered it to Sharpe. 'Was he worried about me?
'Very.
'Truly?
‘Truly.
She stared at him with interest. 'Was he truly very worried?
'He was truly very worried.
She smiled happily. 'How nice.
'He thought you were being raped daily.
'Not once! That strange ‘Colonel’ Hakeswill made sure of that.
'He did?
She nodded. 'I told him that I'd come here to pray for my mother, which was sort of true. She laughed. 'Not really, but it worked for Hakeswill. No one could touch me. He used to come and talk to me about his mother. Endless talks! So I kept telling him that mothers were the most wonderful things in the world, and how lucky his mother was to have a good son like him, and he couldn't hear enough! Sharpe smiled. He knew of Hakeswill's devotion to his mother, and he knew that Josefina could not have stumbled on a better protection than to appeal to that devotion.
'Why did you come here?
'Well, my mother is ill.
'I didn't think you liked her.
'I don't. She doesn't approve of me, but she is ill. She took the tea from Sharpe, finished it, and put the tin mug on the parapet. She looked at the Rifleman and grinned. 'The truth is I wanted to go away for a day.
'By yourself?
'No. She drew the word out reprovingly, suggesting he knew her better than that. 'With a delicious Captain. But Augustus insisted another one came along as well, so it would all have been very difficult.
Sharpe grinned. Her eyelashes were impossibly long, her mouth indecently full. It was a face that promised every comfort. 'I can understand why he worries about you.
She laughed at that, then shrugged. 'He's in love with me. She made the word 'love' ironic.
'And you with him?
'Richard! She reproved him again. 'He's very kind, and he's very, very rich.
'Very, very, very rich.
'Even richer. She smiled. 'Anything I want! Anything! He tries to be strict with me, but I won't let him. I locked the door on him for two nights and I haven't had any trouble since.
Sharpe twisted round and was thankful that no one seemed to need his presence. The sentries crouched or paced the roof, the sound of knives and canteens came from the breakfasts in the cloisters, and there was still no sign of the Fusiliers. He looked back at her and she smiled. 'I really am glad to see you, Richard.
'You'd have been glad of any rescuer.’
’No. I'm glad to see you. You always make me tell the truth.
He smiled. 'You don't need me to do that.’You need friends.
She smiled quickly. 'You really know me, don't you, and you don't disapprove of me.’
’Should I?
'They usually do. She was staring at the hillside. 'They all say differently, and they all make wonderful speeches, but I know what they think. I'm popular, Richard, just as long as I keep this. She pointed to her face. 'And the rest of it.
'Yes. She smiled at him. 'It still works.
He smiled back. 'Is that why you married Sir Augustus?’
’No. She shook her head. 'That was his idea. He wanted me to be his wife so I could go everywhere with him. She laughed, as if Sir Augustus had been stupid. 'He wanted me to go north to Braganza, and we sailed to Cadiz, and he couldn't have me going to dinners as his whore, could he?’
’Why not? Lots of men do.
'Not to those dinners, Richard. Very pompous. She made a face.
'So you married him so you could go to pompous dinners?’
’Marry him! She looked at Sharpe as though he were mad. 'I'm not married to him, Richard! You think I'd marry him?
'You're not…?
She laughed at him, her voice attracting the attention of the sentries. She lowered it. 'He just wants me to say that I'm married to him. Do you know what he pays me for that? Sharpe shook his head and she laughed again. 'A lot, Richard. A lot.
'How much?
She ticked the things off on her fingers. 'I've got an estate near Caldas da Rainha; three hundred acres and a big house. A carriage and four horses. A necklace that would buy half of Spain, and four thousand dollars in a London bank. She shrugged. 'Wouldn't you say yes to an offer like that?
'I don't think anyone would ask me. He looked at her incredulously. 'You're not Lady Farthingdale?
'Of course not! She smiled at him. 'Richard! You should know me better than that! Anyway, Duarte's still alive. I can't marry anyone else while I'm still married to him.
'So he suggested that you call yourself his wife? Is that it?
She shrugged. 'Something like that. He wasn't very serious, but I asked him what he'd pay for it, and once he told me I went along. She smiled to herself. 'I mean he was already paying me so that no one but him got in the saddle, so why not pretend to be married? It's as good as marriage, isn't it?
'I'm sure your priest would agree, Sharpe observed ironically.
'Whoever he is.
'And no one suspects?
'They don't say anything, at least not to Augustus. He told everyone he'd married me, why shouldn't they believe him?
'And he doesn't think anyone's suspicious?
'Richard, I told you. She sounded almost exasperated. 'He's in love with me, he really is. He can't get enough of me. He thinks I was created by the moon goddess, at least that's what he said one night. Sharpe laughed, and she smiled. 'He really does. He thinks I'm perfect. He's always saying that. And he wants to own me, every part of me, every hour, everything. She shrugged. 'He pays.
'And he doesn't know about anyone else?
'The past, you mean? He's heard. I told him it was all rumour, that I had entertained officers, but why shouldn't I? A respectable married woman in Lisbon, perhaps a widow, I was allowed to take tea with an officer or two.